Fix Reed "stuck"?

[cameronmo]

I'm brand new to accordion playing and bought a refurbished bayan, and I've fallen in love with it. I've noticed, however, that when sounding the bass B key, there is a somewhat harsh rattling noise in the instrument. On occasion, air will also escape past the B reed, causing it to sound even when I'm not pressing any buttons. The button itself is not jammed down either. I'd rather not have to bring this to an expert if this is a somewhat common problem, but I know very little about the interworkings of accordions.

 

[fjsys]

Well it could be anything from a loose reed to broken wax.
In my opinion if you know little about it, it is probably best left to the experts.
However if you really want to try to fix it yourself, this site is a great resource:
http://www.accordionrevival.com/ACCORDION_REPAIR1.php#Piano_accordion_trouble-shooting_guide

there should be enough information that will help.
Ben

 

[JerryPH]

In some cases it is not very difficult, like if a note doesn't play when the button is hit, that is a stuck reed... anything else is a bit more complex. A sound that escapes even when the button is not pressed is an indication of the reed being unblocked, usually because the valve is old and curled up. In this case, its not the simple matter of "unsticking" it, but that a piece of hardware is needed. If you don't have this hardware, it is of no use that you poke around in there other than for some minor educational purposes... but be careful not to start plucking at things with anything but the most gentle effort.

If you have one reed doing this, chances are pretty good that you have many others on the verge of doing the same and can be an indication of a more serious amount of work needed to bring things back to working order.

Escaping air with no sound can be a damaged valve or reed or as mentioned, missing wax.

Now, repairing an accordion is definitely not rocket science, but sometimes a little thought is required. For example, I have no issues taking apart an automatic transmission's 2000+ parts, repairing it and getting it to work better than before, but because my instrument has a pretty high value and also carries tremendous sentimental value to me, as sure as I am that I could address all issues in it with a fair amount of certainty, in a few weeks once I have the time, I am letting the experts address the few minor issues with it.

 

[Stephen Hawkins]

My lack of any practical knowledge or skill in this area would always lead me to seek professional help. I see no point in tackling a job with no certainty of success, and perhaps incurring the additional cost of remedial work.

By all means have a go at it yourself, but only if you feel confident of success.

Good Luck,

Stephen Hawkins.

 

[debra]

Hard to tell without seeing anything...
What did you actually buy? You say you bought a refurbished bayan. That would normally imply it has large reed plates with many reeds on them. There would be no wax and there is hardly any chance a reed plate could be loose. But maybe you did not actually buy a bayan but just a B-griff accordion?
The note sounding without pressing a key sounds like the mechanism could be somewhat stuck or the leather/felt keeping the valve shut is worn out (shouldn't be on a refurbished instrument).
So please if you can, show us pictures of the inside where the problem is, or at least tell us what instrument you bought: a bayan or an accordion.