bellows

Bellows are a vital part of a concertina and determine largely the playability of an instrument. Traditional concertina bellows consist of leather, linen and card parts. Our bellows are constructed out of individually cut card panels, not the 'accordion type' folded card board. We use different types of (acid free) card for the different models we make. The card we use varies in thickness and flexibility.

We use the finest quality goat skin available for our bellows, tested for impurities and air tightness. We import the hides ourselves from Europe.

          English and Duet bellows
          Bellows made for english/duet concertinas have
          thinner folds and are very supple.

          The weight of the bellows in relation to the ends is
          very important. For English and Duet concertinas the
          bellows should be as light as possible.

            Anglo bellows
           Anlgo bellows folds are thicker. They allow less side
            movement of the bellows. The most important asset
            of anlgo bellows is stability. When playing an anglo,
            the bellows movement is very short and irregular.
            Because of the rapid changes it is important that the
            folds themselves do not move. Fold 'bounce'
            results in lost of energy and slower bellows changes.

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