Air button on Stagi

[David Colpitts]

Hello. I'm brand new to the concertina, and to forums (fora?) like this. I have acquired a "beater/learner" Stagi 30 button anglo, which has some redeeming characteristics (such as, it's mine) but the air button is almost unreachable. I am contemplating rigging an extension to make it about 3/8 inch closer to my thumb, but imagine there's an elegant fix extant in the community. Any help will be greatly appreciated.

Regards,

David

[Anglo-Irishman]

Hello. I'm brand new to the concertina, and to forums (fora?) like this. I have acquired a "beater/learner" Stagi 30 button anglo, which has some redeeming characteristics (such as, it's mine) but the air button is almost unreachable. I am contemplating rigging an extension to make it about 3/8 inch closer to my thumb, but imagine there's an elegant fix extant in the community. Any help will be greatly appreciated.

Regards,

David

 

David,

I also have a 30-b Stagi (metal ends) - which is not a "beater" but has been my gigging instrument for well over 10 years now. My bandmates actually prefer its sound over that of my Lachenal duet! So don't knock Stagis!!

 

I admit Ihat I had problems with the air button at the start. Not that it was too far away, but rather that it was too short, and my thumb hit the "shoulder" of the palm-rest before the air-button was fully depressed. Like you, I thought of some lever gadget, but finally settled for a longer button. I made it out of a piece of 5 mm chromed brass rod from a wash-basin plug mechanism, filing and drilling the inner end to match the original. No problems since then!

 

As to the position: my Stagi air-button lies nicely under the middle of the last joint of my thumb. I can't imagine there being much difference between different Stagi 30-b models, and you say you're "brand new to the concertina", so could it perhaps be that you aren't putting your hands far enough into the handstraps? (I assume you keep your thumb outside the handstrap ...)

 

Why I ask this is because the inner row of a 30-b Anglo is very close to the palm rest, and it takes some time to get used to curling your fingers enough to press the inner buttons comfortably. It seems easier at the start just to withdraw yor hand a little; the fingers don't have to bend in so far for the inner row, and you can still reach the middle row - and as a beginner, you probably haven't tried serious playing on the outer row yet.

 

If all this does not apply, either the geometry of your Stagi is different from mine, or you have a very short thumb. In either case, the fix I would suggest would be a flat, wooden lever (e.g. lollipop stick) aligned with your thumb, and attached to the end of the concertina roughly opposite the middle button row with a hinge (screwed or glued on). It should pass over the air button and reach to just short of the palm-rest. If you feel you could do with more height, stick a pad of cork, rubber, plasic, felt, etc. under the lever where the button meets it.

A further refinement would be some sort of staple or hook to limit the travel of the lever, so that it stays neatly where it's needed

 

Hope this helps,

Cheers,

John

[Ken_Coles]

I believe I saw David and his Stagi last weekend at NESI (yes David?), and he has the huge black plastic-looking model (almost like a Rochelle), and the air button was not close to the handle. His hands do not strike me as small!

 

But raising the air button is worth a try. Delriin rod is also great, pretty easy to get (from McMaster-Carr, for example) and easy to work/machine.

 

Ken

[David Colpitts]

Thanks, John and Ken (am I reaching all, or just the message I had up, from Ken? I am new to the mechanics of fora, as well as to concertinas.)

 

Yes, Ken, 'twas I with the Stagi, and it's horizontal distance I am concerned about. I'll look tonight to visualize what extra height might do.

 

And John, I am thrilled to hear Stagis should not be disparaged out-of-hand. Mine was cheap and a bit patched, so the "beater" seemed appropriate. It is, of course, a new treasure to me, and it does indeed sound mellow. My hands are normal-to-large, and my thumbs indeed outside the straps, and while you are right (the outer row currently not in my repertoire) about the tendency to withdraw my hands, the fact is that even upon full insertion to the straps, it is quite a reach. I am going to pursue your suggestion; if it works, maybe even paint the popsicle stick black!

 

Thanks again!

 

David

[Bill N]

Thanks, John and Ken (am I reaching all, or just the message I had up, from Ken? I am new to the mechanics of fora, as well as to concertinas.) I am going to pursue your suggestion; if it works, maybe even paint the popsicle stick black! Thanks again! David

My unusual old Henry Henry square concertina (my avatar picture) was originally equiped with just such a lever. Bob Tedrow recently built a couple of reproductions of this, for which I provided some photos and measured drawings. I'll attach the drawing of the handrest and lever for your info. The original lever presses down on a rod connected to the "trap door' air valve, but Bob's design has the lever resting on top of a standard air button, and it works fine. In the photo, the handrail with the strap still attached is the one that supported the lever. The "notch" that received the pivoting end of the lever was repaired after the photo was taken.

harleyhandrest.pdf

Edited September 20, 2012 by Bill N

[David Colpitts]

And, thanks, Bill, for the clarifying notes and pictures. That looks like the deal for a real fix. Meanwhile, I haved masking-taped a small piece of plastic from an extension cord plug-protector (minus the prongs that used to actually fill the slots to keep children's screwdrivers out) and it definitely proves the concept. I can now comfortably reach the air "paddle" with ease, which will make a many-fold improvement in my learning. Said learning, by the way, is coming along nicely, no doubt aided by some harmonica experience. After one week, I can pretty much play any of the tunes in my head, although straight up and down the rows, no outer row yet. But, I can certainly see a future with this stuff.

 

Thanks for all the help, and regards,

 

David