Newbie with potentially stuck bass?

[zimbrabim]

Hi all. I'm very new to buying my own accordion, and (perhaps very foolishly) went for one from Facebook Marketplace - a Parrot 96-bass keyboard accordion which apparently had a couple sticking buttons. I assumed (again foolishly) that all it would take was a little oiling, but doing a double check online saw that oiling can be very bad for an accordion in the long run. Sure enough when I played it, a note would ring out from the bass side every time I moved the bellows regardless of whether I was pressing anything down or not. The buttons themselves didn't seem properly stuck down, but a couple were a bit slow to raise up again after being depressed.

A Google search told me at first that sometimes a phantom noise can be explained by there being a leakage of air, but I couldn't identify any source, so I took it to a local music shop. The man there, who had some experience with quick fixes on accordions but was not a repairman, told me that there was no air leak, the bellows were all fine, and that it was likely either a misalignment in the 'pins' below the bass buttons, or a spring beneath that would either need to be realigned or replaced.

I don't have the money to send to a proper repair person, and have seen a lot of people recommend the Accordion Revival site as good for DIY repairs. I'd just like to check with the people of this forum what problem exactly I'm looking at here, so I don't end up doing any unnecessary fiddling.

If it helps matters at all, the note that rings out the clearest is an A-flat/G-sharp in at least two octaves, and sometimes accompanied by a G-flat/F-sharp in at least two octaves. Sure enough, the Ab7 button feels noticeably 'stickier' than the other buttons. I am hoping in vain that the fact that the A-flat and its chords are at the very end of the rows of bass buttons will make this easier.

 

[Dingo40]

Welcome zimbrabim!
I'm sure someone here will be able to give you some suggestions regarding your bass buttons,

 

[Tom]

Welcome Zimbrabim! From your description it seems like you have a problem in the bass mechanism of your accordion. The bass mechanism is very complex and full of small delicate metal pieces that can become bent, or out of place. You will see many threads on the site about repairs to the bass side. You will have to open up the accordion and take a look. You will identify the parts that need to move when the Ab and Gb notes (and chords) are played. Then try to determine why they are not moving as they should. It’s impossible for anyone to give you specific tips without seeing the bass. Fortunately, people here have been through this and will help with tips if you post pictures and ask for specific instructions.

Good luck!!!!

 

[zimbrabim]

Hi all,

Apologies for my slow response. The good news is I've managed to identify which peg is not springing all the way back up unless prodded up manually by me - the fourth peg from the right on the top row. Sure enough when I do prop it up myself the droning note stops and all is well for a few seconds! Certainly there is some spring action there as when I press it down (gently of course) myself it does come up part of the way.

The question is whether this would be an easy fix I can do without dismantling anything? Any help is much appreciated!!

 

[Ventura]

while of course a mechanically minded person can
find the points of excess friction from misalignment
or crud, and maybe finesse a repair, you do have to
be careful, not understanding how it actually works,
not to make it worse

however, from the pictures, i think the real problem is the
spring tension is poor, overall, and needs adjusted.. it looks like
many even most of the buttons are sitting too low in their
holes, as if just their weight alone already is tugging all
the pads up, so any crud at all would be enough tp make
the worst one stick open.. the springtension has no oomph..

i had one that also when set down flat the bass buttons
would drop a bit like yours are.. i had a qualified technician
adjust that for me,

good luck

 

[Jose EB5AGV]

I know this comment could raise some negative opinions but the fastest way to a solution here, IMO and based on my experience on some neglected accordions lately, would be to use a PTFE (Teflon) based DRY lubricant on all the mechanism. This kind of product, when sprayed, is liquid. But it evaporates and leaves just some micronised Teflon, which is not sticky.

I have used it so far on four accordions, two generic Chinese and two Hohner Verdi II and the results are short of incredible.

On one of the Verdi II, I dismantled and cleaned the bass mechanism, which had some rust. That helped a lot, but still the bass buttons movement was sluggish. Once I put the PTFE, it worked perfectly. And it kept doing so when the liquid evaporated. What I did was to spray it all over the mechanism, using the less amount possible, and then exercising all the buttons for some minutes.

I think in your case this is worth a try, as dismantling all the assembly is not easy the first time.

Please, let us know what you finally do.

Jose

 

[debra]

The pictures clearly show that the buttons that are stuck down are so because the pistons are bent. You should bend them back so the buttons to straight through the holes. It's an easy fix, but only temporary. The picture also shows that from the button down to the "flat" part of the piston the rod has to go quite a bit diagonally. That is a really bad design. This whole bass mechanism is shoddy workmanship based on an old Scandalli design (which Scandalli has long abandoned).

 

[Dingo40]

a Parrot 96-bass keyboard accordion

The pictures clearly show that the buttons that are stuck down are so because the pistons are bent.

There's your problem: fundamentally, it's a "consumer grade Parrot".
(There's also "top shelf " Parrots, for use by living treasure Chinese musicians
See here:
)

 

[Pipemajor]

(There's also "top shelf " Parrots, for living treasure musicians

Do these come in left and right handed varieties, depending on which shoulder you want them to sit on?

 

[Dingo40]

Do these come in left and right handed varieties, depending on which shoulder you want them to sit on?

A bit like London men's suits (à la James Bond?)

 

[JIM D.]

I completely agree with debbra on his reply. Your problem is bent bass pistons and because of the low
quality bass machine you have I would advice taking it to an accordion tech that has the proper tools
to repair them.

 

[Jose EB5AGV]

The pictures clearly show that the buttons that are stuck down are so because the pistons are bent. You should bend them back so the buttons to straight through the holes. It's an easy fix, but only temporary. The picture also shows that from the button down to the "flat" part of the piston the rod has to go quite a bit diagonally. That is a really bad design. This whole bass mechanism is shoddy workmanship based on an old Scandalli design (which Scandalli has long abandoned).

Now I see those bents... Yes, I agree that should be worked before anything else. And only then, I would still apply some dry lube. Because those bents could be caused by excessive friction (besides main problem, which is poor material). The less friction, the better

 

[isorry123]

The pictures clearly show that the buttons that are stuck down are so because the pistons are bent. You should bend them back so the buttons to straight through the holes. It's an easy fix, but only temporary. The picture also shows that from the button down to the "flat" part of the piston the rod has to go quite a bit diagonally. That is a really bad design. This whole bass mechanism is shoddy workmanship based on an old Scandalli design (which Scandalli has long abandoned).

Oh this was a good post / thread

I was looking for a jumped peg, but you are right that many of the buttons are crooked.

And your comment about Scandalli was spot on. That pre-war Scandalli I had was a huge pain to fix, having to shrink wrap the ends etc. took the whole machine apart and the bass mechanism was still floppy.