Accordion Repair and Tuning

Accordion Bellows

Accordion Tuning

• Pricing for complete reed restoration is usually based on the total number of reed plates in the accordion. The reeds are cleaned, new reed valves installed and new wax is poured.The acoustic (non-electronic) accordion contains multiple sets of reeds. Quite often there are more reeds inside the accordion than the number of strings found in a Grand Piano. Diatonic or 'button" accordions, which play a different note when squeezing or pulling, have about half as many reeds as larger accordions have.
• The left (bass) casing contains several sets of reeds, usually 4 or 5 sets times the 12 notes in the chromatic scale, e.g., 48 or 60 reed plates, with a reed on each side of the plate, one for each direction of air flow when squeezing or pulling the bellows.
• The situation is similar on the treble side, except the number of reed plates is equal to the number of working keys, in most 120 bass accordions that would be 41 keys times the number of treble reed sets, usually 3 to 4 sets, for mediumto large 120 bass accordions, or 2 sets for student size 120 bass accordions down to most 48 or 12 bass. (But most intermediate sized, i.e., 60, 80 or 96 bass, have 3 sets of reeds). Each reed plate has a reed on both sides, for each air flow direction when the bellows are pulled or pressed.
• The performance capabilities of accordion reeds can vary greatly, depending on the precision, skill, and method by which they were made and the quality of the metal. After the reeds are made and put into the accordion, they have to be tuned together as sets. Unlike piano strings, the physical properties of accordion reeds are permanently altered when the note is adjusted by tuning. The reed is tuned by scratching the metal in a carefully chosen location, by a highly skilled accordion tuner. Tuning by hack repairmen can easily completely ruin an expensive set of reeds, which might cost more to replace than you originally paid for the instrument.
• Usually the reeds are held in place on chambered wooden blocks using a mixture of beeswax and pine rosin. This material is carefully poured around and between the reeds and whn it cools, it grips them tightly in place, so that efficient transmission of the wave vibrations can occur. If the wax has gone bad with age, which is often the case, the wax has to be re-poured when reed work is done.
• When the accordion goes out of tune, there are a number of causes, all of which may very likely necessitate complete cleaning of all the reeds and application of new wax. If only a few notes are out of tune, if it is relatively new, it just might be possible to fix those few reeds individually without a complete reed overhaul, but the best solution is often a complete reed renovation.
• The cost of a complete reed overhaul ranges from about $250 to over $1200 depending on the number of reed sets and the number of keys.
• Tuning by an amateur should not be attempted on a non-expendable accordion, since a very valuable set of reeds could easily be absolutely ruined. To tune accordions is a highly specialized science.
• Hand-making of accordion reeds is done by only a few people, and the reeds in an accordion, if hand-made, might actually be irreplaceable, if that reed maker is no longer making reeds.

  NOTE: I am now presently accepting shipped accordions, for free analysis, and repair estimates. Please pack carefully. All work is guaranteed. I recommend the U. S. Postal Service for shipping, in which case please mail to the P. O. Box listed above.

  Squeezeboxes on Usenet !!

  Did you know that you can ask accordion questions on usenet at the newsgroup rec.music.makers.squeezebox? Your ISP might have a "news server"! If you don't already know how to set up your news reader, call up your ISP's tech support. I regularly read and reply to many of those public messages to the great benefit and edification of all peoples. The heading link above -- http://groups.google.com/groups?hl=en&safe=off&group=rec.music.makers.squeezebox -- is to Google newsgroups. You may use it without a news reading program, to post questions to the accordion "netizen" community.

  FAQ: I bought an accordion on Ebay and the seller told me it worked perfectly, but I received it and it was in poor condition, plus all the bass buttons were stuck down as a result of rough handling during shipment and poor packing.

  Answer: Most people should not buy accordions over the internet except from reputable professional accordion dealers, like might be found by posting a message on rec.music.makers.squeezebox, to get input and recommendations from the accordion community. If I were to receive a broken accordion I could fix it, but I would not pay top dollar for an accordion without physically looking at it. If you have experience repairing accordions you might want to take a chance on an internet accordion sold by someone who knows little about it. To even know what kind of questions to ask of the seller, you need some repair experience. Anyway I can fix it.

  When you receive it, if the only problem is stuck bass buttons I could fix it for you in as little as 5 minutes, if it's not badly damaged, or 2 or more hours if someone bent it out of adjustment or broke something inside. All the chord buttons stuck down, might a small repair job; let's hope. However, if your accordion has systemic problems like bad wax, rust or corrosion, moth damage, or worn out bellows, it needs restoration work (see above comments under "Tuning").

  For repairs or support on any kind of squeezebox, including button boxes, don't hesitate to contact me directly, please.
  I do complete tuning, restoration, and repair.

  Ike's Boxpital for Sick Accordions is headquartered at:

  10803 Keller Street
  Silver Spring MD 20902Phone (301)649-1266
  
  
  

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