Tuning/repair in NE US

[Leah Velleman]

I just got a new-to-me used hybrid (an Edgely Professional about 10 years old), and it's lovely but it does need a tune-up: a few pitchy reeds, one or two that buzz, that sort of thing. Now that the Button Box is closing even for repairs, is there anyone in the northeastern US who does this sort of work? 

[David Barnert]

6 hours ago, leahv said:

Now that the Button Box is closing even for repairs...

 

Is that true? I hadn’t heard, and there’s no hint of it on their web site. I don’t doubt it, but all the same, where did you hear it?

 

Meanwhile, Bob Beimers would probably be the next one I would ask about repairs. I have no idea how much of it he wants to do, but he led the concertina repair workshop at the last NorthEast Squeeze-In.

[Jim Besser]

8 hours ago, leahv said:

I just got a new-to-me used hybrid (an Edgely Professional about 10 years old), and it's lovely but it does need a tune-up: a few pitchy reeds, one or two that buzz, that sort of thing. Now that the Button Box is closing even for repairs, is there anyone in the northeastern US who does this sort of work? 

 

Last I heard, Bob is relocating to North Carolina, and going independent.  He will continue doing repairs, but there will be a pause while he moves and gets set up. And he will no longer be in the Northeast, or working under the Button Box banner.

 

That said, I don't know if he works on hybrid concertinas other than those produced by the Button Box.

 

You might want to touch base with  Bob Tedrow in Alabama - not Northeast, but there aren't a lot of options. Or send it back to Frank.

 

Some accordion repair shops will do simple stuff on accordion-reeded concertinas - I checked for my own Morse instruments - but this would not be my first choice.

Edited May 14, 2023 by Jim Besser

[David Barnert]

6 hours ago, Jim Besser said:

Last I heard, Bob is relocating to North Carolina...

Thanks, Jim.

[wunks]

I spoke to Bob recently.  He intends to be relocated to Ashville by the end of this month.

[Jim Besser]

Greg Jowaisas is also an outstanding concertina technician, but I don't know if he works on hybrids.  He's just outside Cincinnati. 

[Leah Velleman]

19 hours ago, David Barnert said:

Meanwhile, Bob Beimers would probably be the next one I would ask about repairs. I have no idea how much of it he wants to do, but he led the concertina repair workshop at the last NorthEast Squeeze-In.

Any idea how I might reach him?

[David Barnert]

I do, but I’m hesitant to post it here. I’ll contact him and report back here.

[David Barnert]

3 hours ago, David Barnert said:

I do, but I’m hesitant to post it here. I’ll contact him and report back here.

 

Here’s his response:

Quote

 

Howdy David,

 

I like to help folks when I can. Give them my e-mail address and maybe we can work something out.

 

Bob

 

 

I’ve sent a PM to @leahv with his email address.

 

[Leah Velleman]

Bob Beimers got me sorted out -- thanks for the suggestion.

[David Barnert]

Glad it worked out. I was afraid to ask...

[Leah Velleman]

The good news was, it turned out to be some dusty reeds and nothing more—or if it was a valve problem, it was the sort of fluke problem that goes away when you open it up and put it back together.

 

Anyway, Bob gave me a nice friendly lesson in how to pull the ends off and do the cleaning myself next time. Turns out there's no wax on mine despite it being a hybrid, just screws, so I can monkey around with it as needed.