Used accordion, one note always plays without pushing anything

[kerbstomp41]

Hello! I'm a 26-year-old man interested in playing polka, so I recently acquired an accordion from a private seller, and there are a few things that need tweaking. The only accordion repair guy in my city is gone for 2 months, so I want to try to tackle as many of them myself as I can. I have a Fonarmony, I can't find a model or serial number anywhere, so that's unfortunately all I have to go off of.

The main issue is that there seems to be one note that's stuck somewhere in the accordion, because it always plays when I move the bellows, without pressing any keys. I'm not sure if it's on the bass side or the keyboard side, based on the timbre of the sound that plays; it's a higher note, so it's not one of the bass notes (first 2 rows of buttons), but might be one of the higher chord tones. The note is a Db, for what it's worth.

Where would I find the source of this issue? And, how would I fix it? I'm guessing that something is stuck open that should be closed. I took off the panel above the keyboard and the panel right under the bass strap, but haven't gone any further. I attached some pictures for reference (bass strap panel is intact in this picture).

Any guidance on where this issue could come from is highly appreciated!!

 

[Geronimo]

Stuck treble note unlikely since they keyboard looks quite even. Most likely culprit there: moths being fond of the felt padding in the pallets, but that tends to be accompanied by the keys no longer being level. Needs a pallet replacing job if it is the case.

Most likely culprit in the bass: a bass piston lever has moved beyond some pallet opener and got stuck there, holding other openers open. But then there will be one bass button slightly lower and some others hard to depress. Needs moving the opener back if it is the case.

 

[TomBR]

Hi, a great place to start for understanding the job is
http://www.accordionrevival.com/ACCORDION_REPAIR1.php
As youll see the first topic is Accordion repair is not rocket science.
The advice given on that site is recommended as sound by lots of people.
The information given there should help with each step along the way, but Im sure people will help here too.
Good luck,
Tom

 

[debra]

The bass side is the most likely culprit. You have removed the panel right under the bass strap and should have also removed the bass strap and then posted a detailed (large) picture of the bass mechanism. Chances are the problem is then visible to us. But it is of course most easily visible to you: as Geronimo said a bass piston lever has moved beyond some pallet opener. It needs to gently be moved back (with the emphasis on "gently"). Try not to bend anything!

 

[lightninboy]

You ought to press every button and every key and see if you can get it to stop doing it and try to identify where the problem is. If you find that out, then if it is going too far maybe you can put something underneath to restrict the movement or make it spring back like it is supposed to.

 

[kerbstomp41]

I took the panel off the bass cabinet, and attached some pictures of the inside. What exactly should I be looking for?

 

[debra]

The levers that are all pushed down are likely from the note that is playing. The first and second image suggest that the air vent button is wedged in between the mechanism and is doing that damage. Get it out and then check whether the levers it was pushing are not bent and then just maybe everything will be ok again.

 

[Geronimo]

The levers that are all pushed down are likely from the note that is playing. The first and second image suggest that the air vent button is wedged in between the mechanism and is doing that damage. Get it out and then check whether the levers it was pushing are not bent and then just maybe everything will be ok again.

The air vent button may just have fallen in as a consequence of removing the plate. One needs to be sure to place it well when remounting it. At any rate, it is very obvious which of the pallet lifter axles is permanently engaged (third or fourth from the bottom if bottom means closing to the side where you push the buttons) since the attached row of pallet levers is down. One needs to figure out what keeps them from going up again. There are a few possibilities:

a) one of the buttons has traveled past one or more unrelated pallet levers and got stuck pushing down the only lever thats still on the right side of the button piston. In that case, you need to make the button move back

b) the pallet can actually move freely but lost its closing spring.

c) something else is stuck somewhere, keeping the pallet open.

Basic observation and careful attempts at moving things and seeing where they are obstructed should be enough to figure out the problem and get it under control.

 

[wout]

Im pretty sure the problem is the airvent button. Its the white button stuck on the lever. You should wedge it out and put the basscover on while putting that button through the designated hole. Reason why i think this is cause the button is white and i dont see anything white sticking out the bassboard on the foto of the bassside.

 

[kerbstomp41]

Yup, it was the airvent button! It was jammed into the springs. Moved it out, works great now. Thank you, everyone!!

 

[Geronimo]

Well, I was irritated by not being able to discern a button further in even after scanning the shadows of the buttons. The air button looked "too obvious" to me: I assumed that this one would have been resolved without going to the pain of making and posting further pictures. "too obvious" is likely the most likely wrong diagnosis to be made in any field...

 

[Dingo40]

Wout,
Brilliant deduction, my dear Holmes!<EMOJI seq="1f642">?</EMOJI><EMOJI seq="1f44d">?</EMOJI>