Laying down and bass buttons?

[Beemer]

I have read about damage to bass buttons during transport if not blocked with cardboard. That said, just what causes the damage? Are some buttons so interlocked that they should not be depressed together? This thought came to my head when I was about to lay my Scandalli PA down on a chair with the buttons resting on the seat. Being a double cassotto I always pack it away in the playing orientation for the long term condition of the valves, but also because my travel case is a tight fit and a bass down position puts pressure on the bottom bass buttons.

 

[debra]

The problem is shock. In transport a sudden bump/shock may cause high g-forces to get bass buttons to jump down, potentially past the point where they will "jump" over the end of the levers of the catorcetti. When you play the bass you cannot press the buttons down far into the holes they go through, because your fingers do not fit in these holes. But nothing is stopping the buttons from going further so gravity can make them go down further, potentially "jumping a pin" but also moving sideways so they are stuck behind the board with the holes. It's a delicate operation to get the buttons to come back out without bending anything. But if you put a cardboard "stopper" that prevents the pistons to go down then this disaster cannot occur.
Furthermore a travel case should never be a tight fit but should have a lot of padding all around the accordion. Two inches of foam is a minimum for ground transport. Four inches of foam all around could give you a chance (but no guarantee) that the accordion can survive airline travel as checked baggage (but it is still a really bad idea to gamble on that chance).

 

[JerryPH]

Four inches of foam all around could give you a chance (but no guarantee) that the accordion can survive airline travel as checked baggage (but it is still a really bad idea to gamble on that chance).

I can't tell how many times I've sat on planes and watched airline employees kick and toss baggage around ruthlessly to get it on the plane. My own luggage after one trip a few years back was so damaged that it was unusable and I had to replace it... holes through it in 2 points, bent frames and so on. My sister spent $400 on a strong hard outer plastic set. That lasted exactly 1 flight before it came back cracked in 3 areas. That had to be an amazing force, becaise I stood and bounced on them (240lbs) and they didn't even bend or break.

I cringe thinking what an accordion would have looked like had it been in a similarly well packed container.

 

[JeffJetton]

I can't tell how many times I've sat on planes and watched airline employees kick and toss baggage around ruthlessly to get it on the plane.

Reminds me of the guy who had his guitar destroyed by baggage handlers, and when he tried to get compensation from the airline, they just gave him the runaround. So he made a music video about it, which immediately got hundreds of thousands of views, and is now up in the 20-million+ range.

As a result, everything I think of United, I think "oh, that's the airline that breaks guitars!"

 

[JerryPH]

A well deserved song, I hope it cost them a lot of money!

Now you can carry on guitars, I saw at least 5 on my last international flight on Lufthansa and Air Canada. United is like the most useless company ever, all they want to do is give you the lowest price... so the $10 you save they take out on your luggage and instruments. NOT worth it.

 

[Beemer]

Reminds me of the guy who had his guitar destroyed by baggage handlers, and when he tried to get compensation from the airline, they just gave him the runaround. So he made a music video about it, which immediately got hundreds of thousands of views, and is now up in the 20-million+ range.

As a result, everything I think of United, I think "oh, that's the airline that breaks guitars!"

I recall the thread on a guitar forum I was on. I think there was a follow up video from him and also a response video from someone in United Airlines.

 

[Beemer]

By travel case, mine is used just to park the instrument in my house. The big Scandalli case is in my loft and I will use it when I get the courage to play at one of my local accordion clubs.

 

[Tom]

By travel case, mine is used just to park the instrument in my house. The big Scandalli case is in my loft and I will use it when I get the courage to play at one of my local accordion clubs.

Don’t wait!!!! Nothing worse than someone waiting to play till they are “good enough”! You’ll have so much more fun when you participate. People don’t care how good you are. They only care that you smile and have a nice cold beer with them. If I waited till I was good enough, I never would have started, and I no doubt still suck so that’s ok. There are those who will consider you are not good enough even if you are Siderova, so yeah, this rant is for everyone, not just you, who don’t think they are good enough to play!!!!! You only get one life, play your damn accordion so people hear it!!!!! Ok, rant over, go back to your doom scrolling….

 

[Beemer]

Don’t wait!!!! Nothing worse than someone waiting to play till they are “good enough”! You’ll have so much more fun when you participate. People don’t care how good you are. They only care that you smile and have a nice cold beer with them. If I waited till I was good enough, I never would have started, and I no doubt still suck so that’s ok. There are those who will consider you are not good enough even if you are Siderova, so yeah, this rant is for everyone, not just you, who don’t think they are good enough to play!!!!! You only get one life, play your damn accordion so people hear it!!!!! Ok, rant over, go back to your doom scrolling….

Tom, thanks for the encouragement!
Ian

 

[JeffJetton]

Don’t wait!!!! Nothing worse than someone waiting to play till they are “good enough”! You’ll have so much more fun when you participate. People don’t care how good you are.

Amen. I don't get the chance to go to the club here nearly as often as I'd like, but I can tell you that all levels show up, and everyone appreciates everyone at the level they're at.

And this is Nashville, so we get people playing out of Palmer-Hughes Book 1 all the way up to actual Grammy-winners. And a good time is had by all!

You only get one life, play your damn accordion so people hear it!!!!!

Reminds me of a (slightly NSFW) quote from one of my favorite movies:

"You've got only one life to live. You can either make it chicken #$@! or chicken salad!"

 

[Ikesaccordions]

The bass buttons are each supported by 2 springs in the usual "Stradella" bass system. But in te 120 bass Stradella machine the 80 chord buttons are supported by 12 springs for all of them together. The most common problem which occurs when this accordion is shipped occurs in the collapse of the 80 chord buttons when the box containing it is thrown or dropped in such a way that the momentum is in the same direction as the pressing down of a chord button.
The factory, when shipping to dealer might put a foam shim under the base if the chord pistons with instructions on how to remove it. This is not such a great idea when sending an accordion to an individual who might try to play it wih the chord buttons immobilized.
To avoid the collapse a pretty good method is to tape all the chord buttons down with masking tape, not shipping tape (which leaves an adhesive residue, and it avoids the sudden collapse. Don't put the tape over the 40 ingle bass piston buttons just the chords.
Maybe pack the accordion diagonally as well.

 

[Ikesaccordions]

I have read about damage to bass buttons during transport if not blocked with cardboard. That said, just what causes the damage? Are some buttons so interlocked that they should not be depressed together? This thought came to my head when I was about to lay my Scandalli PA down on a chair with the buttons resting on the seat. Being a double cassotto I always pack it away in the playing orientation for the long term condition of the valves, but also because my travel case is a tight fit and a bass down position puts pressure on the bottom bass buttons.

You may press a few adjacent chord buttons down simultaneously, which depresses all 12 springs supporting the chord pistons and all of them should lose any tension keeping them in position. This is one way to check for friction in the entire mechanism which might be caused by corrosion or grease residue, by noting how fast the buttons return into "playing" position.