My first repair

[sidesqueeze]

Yesterday I let a string player try my 32 button Lachenal anglo. She didn't do anything radical, but when she returned it the button for the left sided sound effect was stuck, rendering the instrument unplayable.

 

I haven't seen any shop with a shingle advertising concertina repair in this city. I decided to use my usual allotted practice hour to see what was wrong.

 

I bought the concertina through this forum in 2006 and have played it since then. There are a couple of stuck reeds, but I've learned to play around them. I've always planned to have them repaired after I buy a modern instrument.

 

I removed the six screws and the strap screw on the left. When I removed the end gently, the first thing I saw when looking into the bellows was a nice foil sticker for Chris Algar's shop! The two duck whistle sound effects were there, stuck into quarter inch holes in one chamber. I pushed at the buttons on the removed end plate and they all seemed to be working fine. I hadn't done anything to the button mechanisms, so I figured this to be a stroke of luck. I held the end onto the bellows and found that all of the reeds were sounding simultaneously on both push and pull. I settled in for a close examination of the exposed reeds, pads, and the strips of leather sealing up the chambers.

 

The leather strips looked hard and dry. I licked my fingertip and touched one strip, and it softened and swelled slightly. Since I had nothing to lose, as the instrument was still unplayable, I tried moistening all of the leather strips. Holdng the end on again, everything seemed to be working now so I replaced the screws.

 

To my astonishment, my leaky old Lachenal sounded fantastic! The bellows were suddenly tight, and the gravity test showed me that they were hardly leaking at all! The difference in the action and the tone is just amazing! If it weren't for the fact that I have no idea what I'm doing, I'd take off the right side and moisten that leather too.

 

I had been told that this was a particularly nice old Lachenal, and that the fancier ones have better reeds and a more complex pattern in the wood on the ends. Now that it's holding air, I'd have to say that the tone is good enough to make me reconsider the expense of buying a new instrument. However, there remains the issue of the stuck reeds. As I'm working through the new Bertram Levy tutor now, I'm likely to need all of the notes soon.

 

May I get some comments on this experience? I don't understand why the stuck button came back to life, or why all of the reeds sounded together at one point.

 

Thanks,

 

Ken Shaw

[Ransom]

1. It sounds like the button was just stuck a little bit, and you managed to unstick it in the process of removing the end.

 

2. It's not easy to hold the end onto the bellows tightly enough to seal all the notes properly. I also hear them all together when I have the end unscrewed.

 

3. If I were you, I'd mail it to somebody who can put a fresh set of valves on it.

[sidesqueeze]

 

3. If I were you, I'd mail it to somebody who can put a fresh set of valves on it.

 

 

The only remaining problem is the two strangled notes. Isn't this more likely to be a reed problem?

 

What would a new set of valves do?

 

-Thanks for your response!

[Theo]

3. If I were you, I'd mail it to somebody who can put a fresh set of valves on it.

 

 

The only remaining problem is the two strangled notes. Isn't this more likely to be a reed problem?

 

Yes, could be reed or valve malfunctioning in one of several different ways.

 

Valve - could be failing to open of failing to close.

Reed - could be stuck with dirt, reed shoe might be too loose or too tight, reed tongue may be badly fitted(do NOT be tempted to loosen the two screw on the clamp bar that holds the reed tongue in place)

 

 

What would a new set of valves do?

 

 

It might or might not. After fitting new valves many notes may need to be retuned slightly. Just fitting new valves to the affected notes would make more sense.

 

Before you do anything else get a copy of Dave Elliott's Concertina Maintenance Manual that we you should avoid making things worse!

 

 

-Thanks for your response!

[sidesqueeze]

Thanks, Theo.

 

I should have mentioned that I do have Dave's maintenance manual - somewhere. I think I even know what room it's in.

[Dirge]

Get Dave's book out and look at it properly; he has a go at describing all of the 'usual' concertina defects and the effects they have and that might well give you the clue to solve your reed probs. If there's fluff in a reed you should learn how to do that yourself because having to rely on an expert for that would be frustrating, it can happen any time, and it's simple enough.

 

You can change valves yourself too; the pro's seem to take an 'If in doubt try changing the valve' attitude and you shouldn't be scared of it. If you get it wrong (which you probably won't) do it again! Again read Dave's instructions, order a set and a few spares, (Perhaps a couple of springs as well just in case you need one in a hurry one day)

 

If it's any consolation I have never lost the feeling of apprehension when I have to take the ends off, although all my common sense tells me that a) It's not rocket science and I know what I'm doing these days.

[sidesqueeze]

Thank you all for these tips.

 

I'll get a copy of the updated maintenance manual, read it, and keep it with my growing collection of concertina books.

 

I'll also pick up a set of valves (with a few spares) and a few springs.

 

This little mishap turned into quite a learning experience!

[Dirge]

I'll get a copy of the updated maintenance manual, read it, and keep it with my growing collection of concertina books.

 

 

 

No just find the one you've got. I'm sure the updated one has more in it, but I'm also confident that an edition you already have at hand will allow you to diagnose and fix your problem faster and cheaper.

 

(Sorry Dave, done you out of a sale)

[Kautilya]

Thank you all for these tips.

 

I'll get a copy of the updated maintenance manual, read it, and keep it with my growing collection of concertina books.

 

I'll also pick up a set of valves (with a few spares) and a few springs.

 

This little mishap turned into quite a learning experience!

if you can remove a splinter from your finger with tweezers and stick a plaster on the "wound" you have the skills easily to do the odd valve yourself.

 

Putting stuff in the post is a recipe for other things coming loose, sticking etc.

 

Just remember all the warnings about not leaving the detached tina ends around on the table overnight as apparently they can distort and this can result in airleaks when you put em back on. It is a pain to rebolt em back on after messing about for just half an hour or so but seems it is better to be safe than sorry.

 

I too have a Lachenal through the Hands of Algar, and have done various adjustments such as slackening off the air button spring, blowing out muck, refixing straps in worn out screw holes - saved so much time for so little effort and gives you a real sense of squeezepower.