Can one play with a damaged accordion?

[Hyacinthedera]

Unfortunately my limitated budget conducted me to some problems. After careful researches, I was obliged to buy an old accordion (an Ariston of the '60s), aware that it would have been imperfect, but I thought it was at least playable; the seller omitted some problems to me. I would have prefered to buy a better accordion, obviously, but I couldn't. Now that I've received the instrument, I notice that the keyboard is good and plays perfectly, while the basses, on the contrary, sometimes play, sometimes doesn't play. I don't think it's a problem that I make the wrong movements, the basses really have problems.
This morning, when I told to the seller this problem regarding the basses, he blocked me from Whatsapp.
Now, aroud the Christmas period I will search another accordion, hoping that it will be better. For the moment I have to play with the one I have and I can't even fix it, always for economic reasons. Is there a way to make the basses play a bit more? Or if not, can I play only with the keybord actually, and with the basses the times they work?

 

[debra]

You have to open up the bass side (there should be a way to separate the bellows from the bass side, often by removing pins but in older instruments it can be in a different way). Making the basses play is mostly a matter of checking, and perhaps either replacing or reshaping valves and checking the distance between the end of the reeds and the reed plates. The opening should be about the same as the thickness of the reed (not including added weights).
Almost every accordion can be made playable again, but it may take a lot of work, maybe a little bit of material. So if you can do a lot by yourself the repair does not have to cost much at all.

 

[Alan Sharkis]

A couple of quick ideas:
1. Paul was correct; however, make sure the pins go back into the same holes they came out of. Sometimes different holes on the same accordion contain pins of different lengths and/or diameters.
2. If you're afraid to do this yourself, you may want to go to a repair person, but be prepared to pay a hefty sum. Meantime, while you seek out a repair person, keep playing and see if the bass responds a little better and more consistently.

 

[AccordionUprising]

Not a serious or helpful response, but yes, you can play a damaged accordion, as demonstrated here by the Russian band Nervenklinik (Mental Hospital?) playing through the rough spots. One of my favourite accordion pictures ever!
https://accordionuprising.files.wordpress.com/2017/09/nervenklinik_platonovlanee.jpg>

 

[maugein96]

It might be worth taking it to an accordion repairer, if you live near to one that is. It could be something fairly basic, although unfortunately it does sound as if you have a bit of a major issue.

For what its worth, just about every other older accordion will have some kind of fault, and its just a matter of whether you can live with whatever is wrong with it.

There are very few repairers here nowadays in the UK, and if you do find one who is prepared to do the work, the repair is always done when it suits them.

Sounds as though youd be better looking for another instrument.

Or you could send it to this guy in The Azores. Broken bass button? No problem- fixed in less than 5 minutes! Their nearest professional repairer would be in Lisbon, and thats 1600km away!

Go to about 6.40 in the clip and youll see what I mean.

<YOUTUBE id=DBtdwcdVbMI url=></YOUTUBE>

 

[Hyacinthedera]

Thanks to everybody!

You have to open up the bass side (there should be a way to separate the bellows from the bass side, often by removing pins but in older instruments it can be in a different way). Making the basses play is mostly a matter of checking, and perhaps either replacing or reshaping valves and checking the distance between the end of the reeds and the reed plates. The opening should be about the same as the thickness of the reed (not including added weights).

Im sorry to make a bad figure, but Im not able to understand your words because I cant identify where are the perns, the pins, the reeds... This is because its the first time I touch an accordion in all my life. Can you explain me in other words what can I do, where are those elements? I noticed that there is a moment when suddently the bellows start to block and I feel something moving inside of it, and these are the moments the basses start to have problems. Probably it regards what you are saying.

 

[Stephen Hawkins]

Dear Arianna,

I am not an expert on the insides of an accordion, but it sounds to me as though something inside is loose.

If you do not have an accordion repairer close by, perhaps someone in your family is mechanically minded. I know that you cannot afford to pay for serious repairs to your accordion, so the next best thing may be a friend or family member who has transferable skills.

I had a small job done on one of my accordions, and the man who did the job maintains our cars. He did a superb job for me and, because Brenda & I have our cars serviced by him, he didn't charge me anything.

It is just a thought.

Kind Regards,

Stephen.

 

[Stephen Hawkins]

Dear Arianna,

There are pages on this forum which deal with accordion repairs, but I know of a website which is dedicated to helping people to repair their own accordions. Perhaps it could be of some help to you.

It is: ACCORDION REVIVAL.COM

Best of Luck,

Stephen.

 

[donn]

Yes, http://accordionrevival.com is a great resource.

Elementary accordion disassembly, assuming an ordinary accordion:
As Julius Caesar might have guessed, the accordion is divided in three parts: the left side box, the right side box, and the bellows. The bellows is the key to this operation. Its wood end frames fit inside the side boxes, and theyre pinned in place with nails. Your job is to remove all those nails, and slide the bellows out. Since youre interested in the bass side, ideally you would remove the nails that lock the bass side to the bellows.

Thats the principle. So youre looking for the heads of these nails. I would be looking for four metal studs, two in front and two in back, where the bellows fits into the bass side box. They should have a shape that you can grab ahold of and pull, and thats what you do. They arent hammered into the wood like carpenters nails, theyre just pushed into drilled holes - but its very unlikely that youll be able to pull them out with your fingers, youll need pliers or something. If it seems to you that your accordion perhaps does not match this description, maybe you could post a photo.

Pull the nails out and put them somewhere they wont be in the way. Now you have to wrestle the accordion apart, at this joint that is now free. It may take a little muscle and some wiggling, or it may slip right out.

Now the inside of the accordion is exposed to your view, and perhaps you can see whats going wrong!

 

[Hyacinthedera]

Ok, now I can understand better the principle. I will try, or I will ask someone to do it, in case I can't. Thanks for the suggestions!

 

[Happy girl]

Congratulations on buying your first box; it may not be the box of your dreams, but it is a box, & by staying positive, it will help you.

Here are three positive actions may wish to undertake:

1. If you can manage to open your accordion & take photo’s, experienced members on this forum should be able to offer an estimation of what needs to be done & if it is a worthwhile project for you to deal with.

2. . Download the Stradella bass chart. http://accordionscanada.com/bassrangev3.jpg This is a diagram of the bass buttons & where they are situated so you can become familiar with them. Start at middle C & the surrounding notes in the black box. Your accordion is very useful to you here even if the buttons don’t work, you don’t need sound; just get used to the feel of the buttons & how they are spaced. This is valuable – you are learning theory at this point; you can even try to finger the scale of C on the paper chart & then transfer your practice to your box. … no sound; just by doing this you have made a big jump forward.
There is much you can do in preparation to playing by utilising theory, it is a bit like learning a new language without having the benefit of living in that particular country.

C) Register your interest in ‘FIND OTHER MEMBERS IN YOUR AREA’. The link is can be found in Accordion Chat; you may find an accordion friend living near to you.

My heart goes out to you; I wish I were nearer to you to help you, best wishes.

 

[Hyacinthedera]

Thank you Happy Girl. I will do this; I agree, it can be useful anyway.
I can't find my type of accordion in your bass chart (80 basses), I will search it elsewhere.

 

[donn]

80 bass is like the 60 bass, with two extra columns on each side. I would guess that 80 bass is much more common that 60 bass.

When you want more information about the system, the wikipedia Stradella bass system page has just about everything. The chart there shows the actual note values in the chords (though they dont account there for a variation on the 7th chard that can appear on accordions like yours with no dim row.)

Im sure everyone is as eager as I am, to find out if theres something inside your accordion, as you seemed to describe yesterday. Maybe it will be bundles of paper money!

 

[Hyacinthedera]

Ah ok, perfect. I will watch it.
I'll try to open my accordion soon (in the meantime I can't post a video of it here, true?). I am a bit afraid of broke it or that I will no longer be able to close it, but I guess it's an irrational fear.

 

[Happy girl]

You don’t need to look elsewhere for a suitable chart; the one in the link is sufficient: it will take a long time for you to familiarise yourself properly even with the buttons in the back box.

You could study & memorise the buttons right up to the purple box if you like & you will have more than enough information & expertise than you initial need when practicing for real on a playable accordion.

Everybody starts to learn with the notes around the key of C, if you practice the notes & fingering of the C scale you will have done very well, &, as a bonus, you won’t need to learn the fingering for any of the other scales as it is the same fingering whichever scale you play, depending on which note you start on. E.g. Start on G , use exactly the same fingering as you did for C & you have just played the scale of G Major! Magic!

Good luck & keep positive.