Wren 2 sticky button solved

[Vince Herman]

I recently purchased this beginner concertina and have been having a ball.

The 4th right hand C row button (c'/a) started to hang partially open occasionally.  The button would slant sideways a bit and get jammed.  I could wiggle it a bit and it would straighten out and behave just about long enough for me to get through another verse of Drunken Sailor.

You can clearly see the misalignment of the button in the first 2 pictures.

I researched.  Other owners have seen this and needed to adjust how the button sits.

Another owner found that some glue that keeps the rubber sleeve attached to the button had found its way outside the button and into the hole.  Cleaning the glue from the button and hole fixed things for that owner.

I sent an email off to service at McNeela to confirm that I would not void my warranty if I opened it up (thumbs up).

So, number 2 phillips screwdriver and off I went.

Reading other repair posts I saw that some instruments use screws of multiple lengths so I was careful to keep them identified.  They all looked the same to me but better safe than sorry.

It was really very simple.  I took pictures as I went.  Who *doesn't* want to see the workings?

I could see that the buttons are free-floating on the arm.  I reached in with a toothpick and just nudged the button a bit further out on the arm.

Back in to the end cap and I 'played' through several stanzas.  All appeared to work.

Reassembly was simple.  I did my best to make sure each screw re-entered the original threads.

It plays well and the button has not jammed open yet.

 

 

Edited April 10, 2020 by Vince Herman