Button Replacement -Wheatstone 1862

[StephenTx]

I have a wonderful Wheatstone, Vintage (1862) that I love--but I don't like her buttons. (Reminds me of Fats Waller song "Your Feets To Big" ) Anyway back on the subject. She (the concertina) has metal small diameter flat topped buttons and after a short while I find them uncomfortable to play particularly in contrast to my Lachenal that has what I suppose are bone buttons and Edeophone with rounded metal buttons.

 

So the question is can buttons be replaced and if so where might one acquire them and what does replacement entail? Or perhaps should I "just get over it and use to her as she has been that way since 1862"? I will be interested to see what y'all think.

 

Stephen Texas

Edited March 20, 2012 by StephenTx

[StephenTx]

I have a wonderful Wheatstone, Vintage (1862) that I love--but I don't like her buttons. (Reminds me of Fats Waller song "Your Feets To Big" ) Anyway back on the subject. She (the concertina) has metal small diameter flat topped buttons and after a short while I find them uncomfortable to play particularly in contrast to my Lachenal that has what I suppose are bone buttons and Edeophone with rounded metal buttons.

 

So the question is can buttons be replaced and if so where might one acquire them and what does replacement entail? Or perhaps should I "just get over it and use to her as she has been that way since 1862"? I will be interested to see what y'all think.

 

Stephen Texas

[StephenTx]

Doesn't anyone have any thoughts on button-key replacement? I am feeling kind of ignored. but of course this won't be the first time. Seriously I would love to hear from some of you.

[Theo]

In theoryvitcusxeasy enough to replace buttons, but in practice it's not so simple. For example:

You may have to remove pads to allow buttons to move up enough to disengage them from their guide hole and the lever arm.

Finding a full set of replacement buttons won't be easy and might be expensive. Flat top buttons are faintly plentiful secondhand, round top ones not. You also need to find the correct diameter and length.

Steve Dickinson makes new round top Wheatstone buttons but they cost several pounds each - I think the last ones I got from him were about £6 or £7 each so a set of new ones will be costly. Have you enquired of concertina spares.com?

[Alex West]

Stephen

 

It's certainly possible, and if the issue is between you being comfortable to play and not playing at all, then there are only a few reasons why you might not do it.

 

First of course is expense (Everything in life costs etc.). Second might be if what you were proposing would be irreversible, destroy a "conservation grade" antique, render it completely unsaleable and so on (offences against practicality, morality and common sense perhaps). And finally, is what you're proposing going to make life any easier. If you stick with the same diameter but just make the tops rounded, then the buttons might still feel like needles. If you go for a larger diameter, then you've got to ream out the fretwork ends and re-bush them - even more work!

 

I've had 2 concertinas through my hands (both English as it happens) where a previous owner had changed the original buttons. In the first case, the buttons were aesthetically offensive, but they worked and changing them (for example back to original) wasn't going to improve the quality, looks or value of the instrument. In the second case, my predecessor had thought to upgrade a cheap Lachenal tutor model by replacing origal bone buttons with metal buttons and even replacing the Lachenal action mechanism with Wim Wakker's lever and trunnion mechanism. When I rebuilt the instrument I went back to the originals as: Metal buttons would have made the whole thing heavier without inproving the playing experience; an improved action wasn't the only thing necessary to make the instrument play at a different quality level. Even if I'd gone the whole hog, I'd still have been stuck with the cheapest of Lachenal brass reeds in pretty insubstantial woodwork.

 

So that's my experience - it's possible. As well as getting the diameter the same as your existing buttons, you should also try to get the distance between the bushing hole (ie the lever end) and the two ends of the button the same, and make sure that the locating pin part of the button is the same length and diameter as your originals.

 

If you're not going to save your flat-top buttons and it's the corners rather than the diameter that's giving you the problem, you could try to round off the edges (stick the pin end in a small drill and gently file or sand the corners down)?

 

Alternatively, I do have a load of metal buttons (from the replacement I didn't do) which I'll measure if you're interested

 

Alex West

[Theo]

No! Don't try to round the corners of the buttons unless you can establish they are solid. Usually metal buttons are hollow, rounding the corners more than a smidgen will likely lead to the top of the button coming off.

[Alex West]

Theo

 

Good point - I'd forgotten that most of the butons I have are solid!

 

Alex West

[Theo]

Another answer to the original question would be to replace not the whole buttons, but just fit new domed tops to the original buttons. Still a lot of work.

[StephenTx]

Convinced not to change my lady. I have been playing "Pauline" the grand ole 1862 concertina with the smaller metal button quite consistently over the past two days AND I have come to the conclusion that it is just a matter of getting use to her buttons. This coupled with this discussion has lead me to be satisfied with her as she is. Alex, your advice was great (which I had thought of) destroying a "conversation grade antique"....Hey the lady has been doing fine since 1862 and she is now beautiful thanks to a wonderful refurbishment by Greg J. Thank you too Theo. I enjoyed the discussion...thank you all. Stephen from Texas.

Edited March 25, 2012 by StephenTx