Accordion repair- sorting out two common problems

In this video, I work on an italian 80 bass accordion, that i have just purchased. It had some issues that needed investigating. One treble note kept playing continuously without pressing a key, and one bass note kept playing without pressing a bass button.... time to investigate!!

[@510cristian4]

I just bought an accordion and unfortunately it has this exact problem but this video helped me understand what was going on so thank you so much

[@richedwards9646]

Thankyou for your kind words I'm glad I could help !

[@AccordionManiac]

I love the wooden block for remembering where the pins go back.

[@mccornchip]

Saw CJ Chenier Saturday night in Austin, his instrument made me think about how complex and beautiful accordions are. You seem to be the only active accordion guy on KZbin, please keep up the good work and help keep accordions alive!

[@vinnn8694]

Thanks for your videos. Trying to repair a hohner concerto 2 now so i can finally sell it :D

[@richedwards9646]

Thankyou Good luck Let me know if you need any advice 🙂

[@AccordionManiac]

Thank you for those videos, really informative and clear to understand. Great for us who are new to repairs.

[@markjones7063]

Really enjoy your videos! I've recently acquired my first accordion and I'm having to sort out a few problems but so far I'm making great headway 🙂I fixed a bellows leak so far. I've got one bass key that introduces a phantom tone, sounds like a dim 7th leaking in, so I need to figure that out. It has two bass register selectors, but they produce no results when pressed. Guess I'll be opening up the bass side to have a look see. Otherwise, I wish I hadn't waited so late in life to enjoy these instruments because I can't put the silly thing down, lol. Cheers and thanks for sharing.

[@deserenados8089]

Great helpfull videos! Simple repairs I fix them by myself.

[@richedwards9646]

Thankyou very much!

[@olivertuttle9932]

Great vid

[@94ferraz]

Good video

[@kimn7782]

I enjoy your videos, do you think you could do a video on modifying a 12 bass PA to remove the thirds on the bass side so I could play open chords vs just major. That is when you have a 12. Ass to work on. Thanks

[@spassviola]

Thanks for the video! I have maybe a silly question: you've showed how you take the pins out, but how do you put them back? Do you use just a regular hammer?

[@richedwards9646]

I use a pair of flat ended nippers for taking out and putting in the pins Thanks for your kind words ☺️

[@eduardoK995]

Hey mate, great video. Just wondering if you might have had an issue like this before - So I've picked up an old diatonic 8 button bass accordion and every button seems to play a different note on push and pull, except for the bottom 2 buttons on the inside row of the bass side. These 2 buttons strangely sound the same on push and pull. Do you have any idea on why they would do that?

[@richedwards9646]

Hello I think you have a 'club' melodeon These melodeons were really popular in Germany up until about the 1950s They are tuned slightly differently to the modern melodeon tuning On the bass side one of the bass notes and it's chord will sound the same on the push and pull On the treble side you should have one button about half way along that plays the same on the push and the pull - it's called the 'gleichton' These club tuned melodeons can be retuned to the more modern tuning Check out OG accordions - they explain this in great detail 😁

[@miguela.m.8671]

Thanks! Very interesting. I am new to this this world. I have a question for all of you. I've bought a Pigini Kirkil and see this: when free-bass configuration there are 3 buttons that fall in the holes for gravity. Is this a failure to repair or is a normal thing in this model? I have looked into the L. H. case and there is no spring neither pin to keep this 3 buttons up. When Stradella bass configuration the 3 buttons emerge. But various buttons fall a little when depressed only one. Is this a failure too? THANKS

[@richedwards9646]

I'm sorry I'm not familiar with free bass mechanisms 🙂

[@emilysikes6550]

I appreciate the the clear information.👌 How bad do you think an accordion has to be before you would not repair it. I have an accordion that we are restoring and it has just a little bit of rust no the reeds. 😢😢😢

[@richedwards9646]

A little surface rust can be carefully removed - however if the rust is quite significant then by removing the rust you will detune the reed quite a lot and also removing a lot of rust can alter how well the reed sounds - I wouldn't bother if the rust was more than a little surface rust 🙂

[@terryjefferson5637]

I have a similar problem with the 1940's era Paddi Brothers Midget Grande I am restoring. The problem is several of the bass side valves are not totally closing, resulting in the notes being played when you work the bellows. The keys seem to work fine, but they do not seal sufficiently to hold compression. I can send you a couple of pics if I had your email. You can see light coming through the valve when I shine it through the mechanism (like in your video). I seems like the spring has gotten weak. Any suggestions?

[@richedwards9646]

If notes are playing when you move the bellows without of pressing any keys then that will be a problem with the pallet not sealing properly- the pallet could be badly aligned or the pallet facing material could need replacing- if you remove the reed blocks and then look through the pallet holes you may be able to see what the issue is 🙂

[@terryjefferson5637]

NIce video, just a quick question, where do you get the plastic material that covers most of the accordion? I am repairing a 1940's Paddie Brothers Midget Grande, that some of the plastic has cracked and broken off, I can send you pics if it would help. Thanks for any help

[@richedwards9646]

Hello I buy celluloid from CGM musical An online shop for accordion and melodeon spares 🙂

[@georgelgrama5943]

Hello, please, can you tell me, I'm also buying an accordion - piano, can I modify it to make it an accordion with bayan buttons

[@emilysikes6550]

Also curious how much you paid for that accordion, I noticed that some of the leather vouvs are ceruling.

[@Kazimierz438]

I have a question. I have an accordion with a sixteenth note in the channel. The voices are clean, without corrosion, while the 16th note in the channel has corrosion. Is it possible to clean them and how could they be cleaned?

[@94ferraz]

Always good video. 1 Question my friend.where de you but the Stuf for the accrodion. Thanks

[@richedwards9646]

Hello my friend I buy most of my parts from CGM Musical www.cgmmusical.co.uk/CGM_Musical_Services/Welcome.html They are brilliant!!!!