I performed surgery on my accordion.

[jdam01]

I have had this dilapidated langatone accordion for 10 years. I learned how to play on it even though it is still as broken as it was 10 years ago. I decided to take it apart to learn how the bass mechanism works. I put it back together and it still works!

Anyone know why there are so many long cylinder tubes that open the valves? Also I noticed, before I took out the bass machine, the required bass notes would drop to form the required note however now they drop however they don't drop as far down as they used to. Perhaps the bars going sideways to open valves need lubricant? They seemed very stiff.

 

[Alan Sharkis]

I’m not a repair person, but I’ve heard and read advice many times that bass machines should never be lubricated. So, if the machine seems stiff, it may be time to get a professional involved.

 

[debra]

You are very lucky that this accordion appears to have a bass mechanism that comes out in one piece (instead of a million pieces...)
However, that doesn't mean it goes back together that easily.
As it doesn't work very smoothly you should first make sure it is completely clean. You could try some compressed air to blow out dirt and dust, but the real solution is to take the mechanism apart completely and clean each part. Don't use any lubrication as that will attract more dust and dirt and will stick worse than before. There is nothing inside an accordion that requires lubrication.
There are 24 rods/axles inside the mechanism: 12 to open each of the valves for the lowest two octaves (used by the base notes) and 12 to open each of the valves for the higher octaves used by base notes and chords.
If the mechanism is untouched (other than removed and placed back) then everything should work exactly as before. However, if inside the mechanism some stub on one of the pistons has moved past the lever it is supposed to push then something may not work as expected. Also, if the mechanism is not put back in exactly the same position pistons may move either further or not as far, depending on the displacement. It's important that the row of "hooks" you see in the (vertical) center of the second picture are all on the correct side of the levers you see sticking out (upwards) in the first picture. When no button is pushed the hooks should just "almost" touch the levers so that the pushing action has immediate effect on the levers.

 

[jdam01]

You are very lucky that this accordion appears to have a bass mechanism that comes out in one piece (instead of a million pieces...)
However, that doesn't mean it goes back together that easily.
As it doesn't work very smoothly you should first make sure it is completely clean. You could try some compressed air to blow out dirt and dust, but the real solution is to take the mechanism apart completely and clean each part. Don't use any lubrication as that will attract more dust and dirt and will stick worse than before. There is nothing inside an accordion that requires lubrication.
There are 24 rods/axles inside the mechanism: 12 to open each of the valves for the lowest two octaves (used by the base notes) and 12 to open each of the valves for the higher octaves used by base notes and chords.
If the mechanism is untouched (other than removed and placed back) then everything should work exactly as before. However, if inside the mechanism some stub on one of the pistons has moved past the lever it is supposed to push then something may not work as expected. Also, if the mechanism is not put back in exactly the same position pistons may move either further or not as far, depending on the displacement. It's important that the row of "hooks" you see in the (vertical) center of the second picture are all on the correct side of the levers you see sticking out (upwards) in the first picture. When no button is pushed the hooks should just "almost" touch the levers so that the pushing action has immediate effect on the levers.

When I put the bass mechanism in place it essentially slid into place if that makes sense. It fit just right so I know its ok. I hopefully will learn to returne it next.

 

[jdam01]

You are very lucky that this accordion appears to have a bass mechanism that comes out in one piece (instead of a million pieces...)
However, that doesn't mean it goes back together that easily.
As it doesn't work very smoothly you should first make sure it is completely clean. You could try some compressed air to blow out dirt and dust, but the real solution is to take the mechanism apart completely and clean each part. Don't use any lubrication as that will attract more dust and dirt and will stick worse than before. There is nothing inside an accordion that requires lubrication.
There are 24 rods/axles inside the mechanism: 12 to open each of the valves for the lowest two octaves (used by the base notes) and 12 to open each of the valves for the higher octaves used by base notes and chords.
If the mechanism is untouched (other than removed and placed back) then everything should work exactly as before. However, if inside the mechanism some stub on one of the pistons has moved past the lever it is supposed to push then something may not work as expected. Also, if the mechanism is not put back in exactly the same position pistons may move either further or not as far, depending on the displacement. It's important that the row of "hooks" you see in the (vertical) center of the second picture are all on the correct side of the levers you see sticking out (upwards) in the first picture. When no button is pushed the hooks should just "almost" touch the levers so that the pushing action has immediate effect on the levers.

How would I know what note each reed is? Do I just have to blow into it and check with a tuner?

 

[Ben-jammin]

How would I know what note each reed is? Do I just have to blow into it and check with a tuner?

You should be able to correspond via the pallet that opens for each bass note. I usually make a little diagram as a sanity check.

 

[debra]

How would I know what note each reed is? Do I just have to blow into it and check with a tuner?

To know what note a reed is you can "ping" it (with a feeler), which is better than blowing into it. You can also suck on the hole in the reed block to draw air through the reed and then determine what note you hear. Sucking is better than blowing because you're not blowing moisture into the reed block (and potentially cause the reed to start rusting faster). When you hear the note you can use a tuner to determine what note it is. Some people just use the combination of ear and brain to determine the pitch of a reed. (This is called "absolute pitch", but not too many people have absolute pitch.)

 

[jdam01]

To know what note a reed is you can "ping" it (with a feeler), which is better than blowing into it. You can also suck on the hole in the reed block to draw air through the reed and then determine what note you hear. Sucking is better than blowing because you're not blowing moisture into the reed block (and potentially cause the reed to start rusting faster). When you hear the note you can use a tuner to determine what note it is. Some people just use the combination of ear and brain to determine the pitch of a reed. (This is called "absolute pitch", but not too many people have absolute pitch.)

Ok Thank You!. Also, where can I purchase the leather for reeds and valves? I will need a lot of them as the leathers look very worn out on the reeds and are flopping around? I checked ebay however it is difficult to find. Same with keyboard keys?

 

[debra]

Ok Thank You!. Also, where can I purchase the leather for reeds and valves? I will need a lot of them as the leathers look very worn out on the reeds and are flopping around? I checked ebay however it is difficult to find. Same with keyboard keys?

Every imaginable accordion part can be bought from Carini in Castilfidardo, Italy (www.carinidena.it).

 

[jdam01]

Every imaginable accordion part can be bought from Carini in Castilfidardo, Italy (www.carinidena.it).

Sorry to keep on asking so many questions, but how would I know what reed leathers to buy?

 

[Ffingers]

Sorry to keep on asking so many questions, but how would I know what reed leathers to buy?

A good starting point for discovering the wheres and whats of the mysteries of squeezeboxes is:

www. accordionrevival.com

 

[debra]

Sorry to keep on asking so many questions, but how would I know what reed leathers to buy?

It really depends on what leathers you had. The valves come in many different sizes, in leather so you also need to buy booster springs and paper or leather disks, in leather with plastic boosters, and in many different sizes and variations of plastic. There is no "one collection fits all accordion repair jobs" to choose. Accordion repair (and buying all the materials you need) is not something you can learn in a few minutes. The website accordionrevival.com can teach you the first 5% of accordion repair. Almost everything else you learn by taking courses or internships, and by doing lots and lots of repairs.