Little John

I've been an observer on this forum for years, but this and the related post has at last persuaded me to join up. I have three Cranes of different makes, vintages and sizes. The rest-to-buttons distance Chas mentions is about 33mm on all of them. However the only one I can really play standing up is the smallest (a 42 button) and I think that down to weight more than anything. It's 2 1/4 lb. against 3 1/4 and 4 for the others. For years I had the straps tight, thinking that was necessary to bellows control. The result was that I could not reach F# or Bb with my right little finger so I used the ring finger. When I finally realised the error of my ways I loosened them so that I can slide my hands in and out. I can now play these with my little finger, which is much better. Loosening the straps also allows me to rotate my hands to some extent to facilitate "cross-fingering", that is using different fingers sequentially in the same column. I think it also allows me to play chord shapes on the left hand that would otherwise be impossible.