Bellows help sought (for Concertina)

Subject: Bellows help sought
From: curmudgeon
Date: 20 Nov 01 - 02:21 PM

My old Trinity College (Bastari-Stagi) concertina is in needd of replacement bellows. Anyone know where I can obtain same at a reasonable price? Thanks in advance -- Tom

Subject: RE: BS: Bellows help sought
From: nutty
Date: 20 Nov 01 - 05:34 PM

refresh

Subject: RE: Bellows help sought (for Concertina)
From: GUEST
Date: 20 Nov 01 - 06:49 PM

Some information on where you reside (the particular continent, for example) would be helpful

Subject: RE: Bellows help sought (for Concertina)
From: Jeri
Date: 20 Nov 01 - 06:57 PM

New England, US. (5 miles from me.)

Subject: RE: Bellows help sought (for Concertina)
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 20 Nov 01 - 08:23 PM

My S.O. fairly recently got a new concertina from The Button Box in Amherst, Mass. (9 East Pleasant St, Amherst MA, [phone])

I don't know how reasonable their repair/parts prices are, but we felt like we got a good deal on the purchase, and would rate the staff as exceptionally friendly and helpful.

John

Subject: RE: Bellows help sought (for Concertina)
From: Anglo
Date: 20 Nov 01 - 08:36 PM

Leave it visible on the back seat of your car and maybe someone will throw another one in.

Subject: RE: Bellows help sought (for Concertina)
From: GUEST,.gargoyle
Date: 20 Nov 01 - 11:45 PM

Premium quality duct tape!!!

It has worked fot twenty years,

Subject: RE: Bellows help sought (for Concertina)
From: English Jon
Date: 21 Nov 01 - 06:25 AM

To be quite honest, if you've worn out a set of bellows on a Bastari, it may be more economical for you to upgrade the whole box... Colin Dipper is probably the best repairman in the U.K. and his prices are very reasonable for the quality of the work. Having said that, the bellows will be better than the instrument, so it's a bit of a strange repair... Have you tried Chris Algar of Barleycorn Concertinas? He sold me a very nice Lachenal English system for about 400 quid, and he also does repairs, and might be able to suggest a solution.

Hope that helps, EJ

Subject: RE: Bellows help sought (for Concertina)
From: Jeri
Date: 21 Nov 01 - 09:33 AM

I did some searching, since bellows help seems a little leaky. (Sorry) The Button Box seems conveniently close - a mere 140 miles away.

Here's a list of repairers with addresses from the Concertina FAQ. Besides the Button Box, there's one listed in Cambridge, MA - a bit closer than Amherst.

Stagi website is here. I couldn't see any parts for sale, but there's an e-mail address on the page.

Don Nichols may have some advice. (Just wanted to put the link in here, because there's a picture of that monster Wheatstone contrabass.)

Subject: RE: Bellows help sought (for Concertina)
From:
Date: 22 Nov 01 - 04:37 AM

Marcus Music in Gwent, Wales quote about £200 for new bellows. For a Stagi box it probably isn't economically viable to post it over to the UK and back again. Try contacting the chap in the US who sells the Stagis (you'll find his contact details on concertina.net) and see if he can help you out.

It's not too difficult a job to patch bellows with thin book-binding leather. I've done this on a few concertinas now; rescuing bellows that looked ready for the bin.

Alternatively, save up your money and buy a new anglo from Marcus Music. Superb craftsmanship for a relatively modest sum; third of the price of a Dipper box, though not THAT good.

Scott