ACCORDION REVIVAL is a triple entendre.

Its aim is to save and "revive" old

accordions by helping accordionists
maintain, repair, and modernize them.
But it also supports the ongoing accordion
"revival" by providing information about
accordions. In addition, I have been
accused of approaching accordions with a
"missionary fervor", as one might
encounter in an old time "revival"

ACCORDION
REVIVAL
George Bachich

http://accordionrevival.com
INDEX
1 .......................................................................................................................................... 1
ACCORDION REPAIR IS NOT ROCKET SCIENCE .............................................. 1
HOW TO MAKE A BELLOWS PIN PLIERS............................................................ 1
OPENING THE ACCORDION ..................................................................................... 2
WHY REPLACE OLD LEATHERS? ........................................................................... 4
HOW TO MAKE A TEST BELLOWS ........................................................................ 5
NEVER OIL YOUR ACCORDION ............................................................................... 7
REED VALVES - PLASTIC, OR LEATHER?............................................................ 7
INSTALLING A NEW BELLOWS ............................................................................ 59
RE-VALVING THE BASS SIDE AND SETTING UP THE BASS MACHINE. 61
REMOVABLE BASS MACHINES............................................................................. 67
SORTING OUT MIXED UP BASS BUTTONS ....................................................... 70
TUNING BACKGROUND INFORMATION ........................................................... 71
SPOT TUNING .............................................................................................................. 73
RE-TUNING................................................................................................................... 73
SETTING REASONABLE STANDARDS OF ACCURACY ................................. 74
THE REAL ESSENCE OF TUNING: INVESTIGATION, ANALYSIS, AND
PLANNING .................................................................................................................... 75

POLISHING YOUR ACCORDION .............................................................................. 8 PROPER MUSETTE TUNING PROCEDURE ....................................................... 81

PROPER SHOULDER STRAP LENGTHS ................................................................ 9 Putting File to Metal .................................................................................................. 91

DOES YOUR ACCORDION NEED TO BE RE-WAXED? ...................................10 STRAIGHTENING TINY PICCOLO REEDS ....................................................... 100

WHEN IS IT TIME FOR A NEW BELLOWS? ......................................................10

IS IT TIME TO REVALVE THE TREBLE SIDE?..................................................11
MAKING TREBLE KEYBOARD BENDING TOOLS ...........................................12
FREEING STICKING KEYS .......................................................................................14
TROUBLE-SHOOTING SILENT REEDS ................................................................17
VOICING REEDS ..........................................................................................................18
PIANO ACCORDION TROUBLE-SHOOTING GUIDE .......................................23
Sticking bass buttons .........................................................................................24
Bass note sounds after button returns ........................................................24
Treble key sticks down......................................................................................24
Treble note sounds after key returns ..........................................................24
Weak sounding note ...........................................................................................25
Silent reed...............................................................................................................25
Slow reed (requires more air) ........................................................................25
Reed out of tune ...................................................................................................25
Warbling reed (one reed sounding) .............................................................26
Warbling reed (two reeds sounding)...........................................................26
Two notes sound when only one key is pressed and only one reed
set is turned on .....................................................................................................26
Uses too much air ................................................................................................26
Possible sources of external leaks.................................................................26
Noisy, clunky keys or buttons .........................................................................27
CHANGING REED LEATHERS ................................................................................27
FINDING AIR LEAKS ..................................................................................................31
THE SUPERSTAR ACCORDION LEAK DETECTOR .........................................35
REPAIRING STRIPPED-OUT WOOD SCREWS..................................................36
REPLACING A BELLOWS GASKET .......................................................................37
REPAIRING CRACKED OR BROKEN WOOD .....................................................38
INSTALLING A BACK PAD .......................................................................................41
2 ........................................................................................................................................42
RENEWING TREBLE VALVES ................................................................................42
SETTING UP A TREBLE KEYBOARD FOR SHALLOW ACTION ..................43
WAXING WITH A MODIFIED SOLDERING IRON ............................................47
ADJUSTING KEY TENSION ......................................................................................48
WAXING WITH A WAX POT AND SPOON .........................................................48
MAKING AN OVER-SIZE AIR RELEASE VALVE ...............................................50
INSTALLING RHINESTONES ON BASS BUTTONS .........................................50
REPLACING BASS BUTTONS ..................................................................................54
DISASSEMBLING A BASS MACHINE....................................................................55
 you will find a normally closed tweezers (the kind
ACCORDION you have to squeeze to open) indispensable. You
will also need a razor to cut reed leathers to the
REPAIR proper length.
Your work table should be big enough to

1 allow you to spread out the three major

components of the accordion (treble cabinet, bass
cabinet, and bellows) and still have room to work
on a reed block or two. Good lighting is essential,
and an LED headlight (that straps onto your
ACCORDION REPAIR IS NOT ROCKET SCIENCE forehead) is essential for looking into tight places.
Your work table should also include a tuning
In fact, accordions are very low tech. You bellows, which you can easily make from an old
don’t need fancy tools or expensive electronic accordion bellows. See the article on making a test
instruments to fix your accordion. A sophisticated bellows.
super-accurate electronic tuner, once a $300 to
$500 item, can now be had for under $3 at the
iPad/iPhone App Store, assuming you already have HOW TO MAKE A BELLOWS PIN PLIERS
an iPad or iPhone (order "Strobe Tuner Pro" from
Marcus Cavanaugh, Inc.). Modify a pair of cheap end-cutters (pliers
But you don't even need that for most with the cutting jaws across the end, rather than
repairs. Nearly everything you will need to do can along one side) by filing two round holes centered
be done with standard tools you can get at the where the two cutting jaws meet. The pliers can be
hardware store and a few special tools you can cheap imports because you are ruining the cutting
easily make from steel or aluminum rods or in some edges anyway. Make one hole about 3/16" in
cases, from hardwood. If you have a hack saw, a diameter for large bass pins, and make one 3/32" in
bench vise, a bench grinder, a small drill press, a diameter for small pins. I used round files of each
belt sander, and a couple of files, you can make all size chucked into my drill press, and squeezed the
the special tools you need. The articles posted here pliers onto the spinning file until I had the hole I
on how to make specific types of repairs also wanted. Here is a photo of the pliers I made.
include instructions on how to make the required
tools.
The most important things you need to
repair your accordion are motivation, mechanical
aptitude, some hand tools, a work table, a little
coaching from someone with experience (like me),
and good sources for the correct repair materials.
Mechanical aptitude is really nothing more than the
desire to fix things, the ability to remember or
record how they came apart, common sense, and
perseverance.
The hand tools you need for simple repairs
are pretty basic. To get any accordion apart and the
reed blocks out, all you need are a screw driver and
a pair of pliers (the best kind is a bellows pin pliers
that you can make yourself from an inexpensive
end-cutter pliers - see the short article below). For
the most common repair, changing reed leathers,

ACCORDION REVIVAL
1
George Bachich
 remove the screws along the back. To separate the
bellows from the bass side of these accordions, first
remove the bass cover, then release the two thumb
OPENING THE ACCORDION clips and remove the bass machine and bass button
board as an assembly, and finally, remove the five
It is best to remove the shoulder straps and screws that fasten the bass cabinet to the bellows.
the back pad (if any) before opening the accordion. The bass cabinet can the be lifted free of the
Once that is done, locate and count the bellows pins bellows.
on the treble side of the bellows. There will usually When the treble section first separates from
be three or four on the back and three or four on the bellows, peek inside to see if any internal
the front, but there may also be one on the top and microphone wires must be disconnected before
one on the bottom. Avoid marring the pins or the lifting it far enough to tear those wires loose from
plastic finish on the accordion when you pull the their mounting, which is often very fragile. Once the
pins. If you don't have the special pliers made for wires are unplugged, turn the treble section over
this purpose, you can wrap the jaws of any pliers and set it on the table with the reed blocks facing
with tape to pad them. upward. Now you can inspect for bad leathers,
Stand the accordion on its feet, that is, with cracked wax, missing reeds, loose reed blocks, etc.
the bass plate and bass strap down. Grip each treble
side bellows pin with the pliers and pull it straight If your accordion has no tone chamber, the treble
out, steadying the accordion with your other hand side will look something like this:
as you do so. Some accordions have screws in place
of the pins, in which case you will spin them out
with a screwdriver. Keep the screws and/or pins in
order, as they are often not all exactly the same
length or diameter, and they should be put back
into the same holes they came from. (To keep them
in order, I stab them into a styrofoam block in the
same order in which they are to be reinstalled, front
pins in the front of the block, rear pins in the rear.)
When you have removed all the pins from
the treble side of the bellows, try lifting one corner If it has a tone chamber, it will look like this:
of the treble section off the bellows. You may have
to hold the bellows down while you pull up on the
treble section. If you meet significant resistance,
check for any bellows strap or snap mounting
screws within a half inch of the bellows that might
be penetrating the bellows frame and remove them
also. Forcing the accordion apart while any screw
or pin still penetrates the bellows frame can
damage the bellows frame, necessitating a costly
repair. The bass side, with the bellows attached, looks like
In lieu of bellows pins, some aluminum this:
bodied Hohner accordions have two lever latches
under the treble grille that release the treble side
from the bellows. On those models, remove the
grille, rotate the levers 180 degrees, and lift the
front of the treble cabinet off the bellows, then
disengage the hinge clips at the back. Do not

ACCORDION REVIVAL
2
George Bachich
 Install the bellows pins in their proper
holes. If the pins are hard to push in, you can save
wear and tear on your fingers by pushing them in
with a small block of wood. However, if you have to
push very hard, you may have the wrong pin in the
wrong hole, or something misaligned. Make sure
you have the best fit for all pins before forcing any
pin into any hole. Finally, reinstall any bellows
strap screws you may have removed, and put on the
shoulder straps and back pad.
Access to the bass machine is easiest while
For better access to the bass reed blocks, the treble side is removed from the bellows,
remove the bellows from the bass section as well, because this allows you to set the bass half of the
but not before noting how it goes back together. If accordion down on its bellows with the bass cover
there are four bellows pins on the front of the bass facing up. If you don’t take the treble side off, it is
section and three on the back, then it will be hard to stabilize the accordion in this position
obvious which way the bellows goes back on. If it is unless you use an accordion stand, a simple frame
not obvious, then mark the bellows frame with a that keeps the accordion from tipping over or
pencil so you can be sure to put it back in the sliding away while you remove the bass cover. You
correct orientation, or the bellows frame will not can make it out of scrap lumber and a few drywall
seal and your bellows pins will not line up. Be sure screws. I used 1 x 1 boards I ripped from some
to unplug any microphone wires before lifting the recycled 1 x 4, but you can make yours from just
bellows too far. about anything. You might want to pad it with felt,
If you are removing reed blocks, be very foam rubber, or carpet to help protect the finish on
careful not to bend the register slides. In many your accordion.
older accordions, the slides are mounted in the reed
block rather than in the foundation plate. If this is
the case, lifting the reed block without first
disengaging the slide from the switch mechanism
can cause the slide to kink, rendering it useless.
Once bent, they are very difficult to straighten well
enough to work properly.
Note the orientation of the reed blocks and
the details of the slide’s connection to the linkage so
you will be able to put it back exactly the way it
came out. When reinstalling any reed block, make
sure it is securely and rigidly fastened down so no
air can leak under it.
When you have finished your interior
inspection, set the bellows back onto the bass
section (being careful not to snag any bass reed
leathers in the process), reconnecting any
microphone wires as you go, and install the bass
side bellows pins. Then set the treble section in
place on the bellows, reconnecting any microphone
wires as you go and making sure you have the bass
buttons and treble keys all facing forward.

ACCORDION REVIVAL
3
George Bachich

Usually, you remove the bass strap by
backing off the large knurled nut until that end of
the strap comes loose. Many really old accordions
have the strap screwed directly to the bass cabinet,
in which case you simply remove the screws.
Others have a pair of machine screws mounted in
the bass cabinet (threaded ends facing upward)
that engage holes in the bass strap. In this case, a
rectangular washer and small knurled nuts on
those machine screws clamp the strap in place, so
just remove the nuts and washer. It is usually not
necessary to disconnect the other end of the bass
strap. Just pull the strap out of your way to get
access to the bass cover fasteners. The bass cover
is usually held on by four screws near the corners,
but sometimes just two screws, top and bottom,
and sometimes with some sort of spring clips or
sliding pins or push-button releases, and no screws
at all. Watch out for very tiny countersunk wood
screws along the edges of the bass cover, especially
near the center of the front edge. If there are any,
ACCORDION REVIVAL
George Bachich
you definitely want to remove them before pulling
the bass cover off. Once you have the cover off, you
can see the bass machine. When you put the bass
cover back on, be sure to guide the air release
button through its hole in the bass cover before you
install any of the screws.
Here is a typical bass machine:
WHY REPLACE OLD LEATHERS?
Proper accordion maintenance includes
periodically checking the reed leathers and
replacing any not in perfect shape. What is perfect
shape, you say? Well, every leather should be soft
and pliable and should return to position tight
against the reed plate after each use.
Reed leathers are small leather check valves
mounted on the reed plates. There are two on each
reed plate - one on the side facing into the reed
block and one on the side facing outward, that is,
out into the bellows. Their function is to prevent
bellows air from leaking through the reed vents
(slots over which the reed tongues are mounted)
not in use. Leathers should close under their own
power whenever they are not forced open by air
coming through the reed vent behind them.
When the bellows is expanding (bass
section moving outward), the reed tongues on the
inside of the reed block are in use, as air is drawn
into the accordion through any open note valves.
The leathers on the inside of the reed block
adjacent to those reed tongues close off the
4
adjacent reed vents to prevent air from leaking into
the bellows through those vents and through the
reed tongues behind them on the outside of the
reed block.
When the bellows is being compressed
(bass section traveling inward), the air flow is
reversed, bringing the reed tongues on the outside
face of the reed block into play. In this case the
leathers on the outside of the reed block remain
closed to prevent air from leaking out past the reed
tongues on the inside of the reed block. Air rushing
out of the accordion through any open note valves
forces the interior leathers on those particular
reeds to open, while the higher pressure within the
compressing bellows forcefully closes the leathers
on the outside of the reed block.
If leathers hang open too far, say 1/4 inch or
more, they may not close at all, resulting in a
significant air leak, and throwing the adjacent reed
tongues out of tune. This can make you think your
accordion needs tuning, but simply replacing the
bad leathers will probably bring it back into tune.
If leathers hang open between 1/4 and 1/8
inch, they may eventually close, but only after their
adjacent reeds have begun to sound. Those reeds
will initially sound out of tune until their leathers
close, at which time they will suddenly jump back
into tune, resulting in an audible pitch change
shortly after the reed begins to sound.
Leathers hanging just slightly open, say 1/8
inch or less, will be forced closed by air pressure
before the adjacent reeds begin to sound, but not
before some air has leaked through the vents they
are supposed to seal. This leaking air momentarily
relieves the pressure on the adjacent reed tongues,
slightly delaying their response. Even though these
marginally bad reed leathers may not sound bad,
they will sap your accordion's performance, causing
your reeds to respond more slowly and causing the
accordion to use more air than necessary.
To get the best performance out of your
accordion, you should keep all the leathers in
perfect shape. Some people pay thousands of
dollars extra for accordions with handmade reeds
because handmade reeds respond just a bit more
quickly at low bellows pressures, significantly
improving accordion performance. You may be able
to get a similar increase in performance for much
ACCORDION REVIVAL
George Bachich
less money simply by replacing all your bad
leathers.
HOW TO MAKE A TEST BELLOWS
You can make a simple test bellows from an
old accordion bellows and two pieces of plank or
plywood. If the bellows frame has already been cut
off your old bellows, as would be the case if this
bellows had been replaced by a new one, simply cut
two pieces of 1/2 inch plywood to fit over each
open end of the bellows and glue them on. Make
sure your glue joints are air tight. To facilitate
anchoring it to your work bench with screws, bolts,
or clamps, make these wooden end caps slightly
larger than the outside dimensions of the bellows. A
one inch margin all around should be sufficient.
If your bellows still has its wooden bellows
frame attached, as would be the case if the bellows
had simply been salvaged from a junk accordion,
you can use wood screws to attach your end plates
to the bellows frames, then seal the joints with hot
reed wax. Alternatively, you can put foam
weatherstripping or gasket material between the
bellows frame and the end plate before screwing it
together. This latter solution makes the most sense
if you are going to put weights inside.
If you prefer not to anchor the bottom end
plate to your work table, you can add enough
weight inside to hold it down while you are lifting
the top plate to expand the bellows. A couple of
bricks or a big box of bolts or a bag of sand placed
inside the bellows should do the trick.
Make a hole near the center of the top plate
approximately the same size as the holes in the
bottoms of each chamber in a reed block, about 1/2
inch in diameter. A hole this size will minimize the
need to silence adjacent reeds in order to hear just
the one you want to test, and is best if you will be
using your test bellows just to check the operation
of reeds and leathers.
However, if you will be tuning, it is essential
that the hole in the bottom of the reed block be
consistently placed completely over the hole in the
top of the test bellows. In that case, a larger,
rectangular hole is best. The hole on my tuning
bellows (not the one shown below) is 7/16" wide
5
(parallel to the rail) x 3/4" long. The drawback to
larger holes is that air sometimes feeds to multiple
reeds, forcing you to silence all but the one you
want to test.
Glue a piece of leather to the top plate, fuzzy
side up, centered around this hole. You might also
choose to fasten a small wooden rail or metal angle
about 1/4 inch away from the hole to facilitate
properly aligning the reed block over the hole. If
you have made a larger rectangular hole, you can
place the rail a bit closer, say 1/8" from the hole. If
you scribe index marks on the rail aligned with the
edges of the hole, it will be easy to see whether you
have it centered.
To use the test bellows, place the reed block
on the top plate with the hole on the bottom of the
reed chamber of the reed you wish to sound aligned
with the hole in the top plate. If the hole in the top
plate is large enough to also sound the reed on the
opposite side of the reed block, you can silence it
with a piece of fabric or leather squeezed against it
with the fingers of the hand holding the reed block
in position. Your other hand will be used to raise
and lower one end of the test bellows to force air
over the selected reed.
When using your test bellows for tuning, be
aware that the pressures are reversed relative to
those inside the accordion. Compressing the test
bellows generates higher pressure air to drive the
reed tongue on the inside of the reed block, while
on the accordion, the higher pressure air resulting
from bellows compression drives the reed tongue
on the outside of he reed block. Thus, on the test
bellows the inner reed tongue works under higher
pressure than the outer one, just the opposite of
what occurs inside the accordion. Since the reed
frequency is impacted by air density, which is
proportional to the pressure, the frequency of both
the interior and exterior reeds will be different on
the test bellows than they are inside the accordion.
Tuning the reeds to their proper frequencies on the
test bellows will throw them out of tune in the
accordion, where it really matters. The proper use
of a test bellows during tuning is therefore limited
to making corrections of the magnitude determined
while the reed block is in the accordion. That is, if
the reed plays three cents too flat in the accordion,
you can use the test bellows to determine when you
ACCORDION REVIVAL
George Bachich
have sharpened it the required three cents. For
instance, if on the test bellows the tuner indicates
that same reed tongue is one cent too sharp, you
can sharpen it until it indicates four cents too sharp,
which should put it right on pitch once it is back in
the accordion.
Your test bellows has many uses other than
tuning. You can use it to voice reeds, to find loose
reeds, to find silent reeds or to verify that you have
successfully cleared them, to observe reed valve
(leather) operation, and, in conjunction with your
tuner (or your well trained ear) to sound possible
replacement reeds to determine whether they
produce the note you need.
Here are two photos of one I made
recently. I used an old bellows cut from an
accordion to allow installation of a new bellows,
so the old bellows had no frames on it. I glued the
bottom of the bellows directly to the bottom board,
made a new bellows frame from 1 x 1 lumber,
which I glued to the top of the bellows, and screwed
the top board to that bellows frame with foam
rubber weatherstriping sandwiched in between as
an air seal. Because I did not want to screw it down
to my work bench, I put a bunch of heavy bolts
inside, glued in place to keep them from shifting
around, These can also be made without interior
weights and mounted under a table, actuated
downward by foot pedals and returned upward by
springs, but I prefer to have mine on top so I can
operate it by hand in order to feel the pressure
being applied and get a better sense of how the
reed is responding to that pressure.
6

You can use your imagination to build a
different design. One of the readers of this website,
Chris Krasev of Milton, Ontario, submitted the
following photo of an interesting one he built. As
you can see, he added moveable rails and air valves
made up from register slides salvaged from a junk
accordion.
Dennis Amott of North Vancouver, Canada,
sent me a linkto his Youtube video of a tuning
ACCORDION REVIVAL
George Bachich
bellows he made. If you click the link, you will see
that he made a portable table top model that opens
downward, so the top plate remains stationary and
level as the bellows is opened, allowing it to be
operated with just one hand.
NEVER OIL YOUR ACCORDION
Accordions are big air filters. Lots of air is
pumped through them, and the moisture, dust and
lint in the air all tend to collect on interior parts, so
the air emerges cleaner than it went in. This
accumulation of lint in the accordion is inevitable,
but oiling any part in the accordion tends to make it
even worse. The oil attracts more dust and lint than
before, and when enough of it combines with the
oil, it makes a thick, gooey substance that can cause
keys, bass buttons, and register switches and slides
to stick.
When you encounter a sticking key, button,
switch, or slide, you may be tempted to oil it, but on
accordions you should resist that temptation. The
better course is to take it apart, clean it thoroughly,
determine the source of friction, sand, smooth,
polish, realign, or loosen parts as necessary to
reduce the friction, and put it back together
dry. Although oil may seem to help in the short run,
in the long run you will regret using it. If you
absolutely must use some lubricant, try graphite,
but very sparingly, or you will have another kind of
mess as the graphite spreads to areas you never
intended it to go.
REED VALVES - PLASTIC, OR LEATHER?
Some accordions are now made with plastic
reed valves (ventilli) rather than the more
traditional leather. Is this an improvement in
accordion quality and performance, or just a
cheaper way to build an accordion?
Plastic reed valves have some apparent
advantages. They are lighter and more flexible, and
therefore may open under less bellows pressure. If
this were to allow the reed to respond more
quickly, it would improve accordion performance.
7
After all, rapid reed response is one of the highly
desirable characteristics of reeds. But if the amount
of air flow required to open the leather reed valve is
already less than that required to sound the reed,
then a valve that opens even earlier would offer no
real advantage.
Previous observations lead me to predict
that if the plastic ventilli do offer any advantage, it
will be most apparent at the higher frequency
reeds. These are the smallest reeds in the
accordion, which require the least air flow to sound,
and which do not normally have leathers because
the air flow required to sound the reed is not
sufficient to force a leather valve open. Installing a
leather on these small reeds significantly delays
their response or silences them entirely. It is here
that the plastic ventilli, if it actually opens under
less pressure, would be most helpful. But it is also
here that leathers are least needed, because the
leakage around these tiny reeds is already very
limited by their size. I therefore suspect that
although plastic ventilli probably do offer some
performance advantage at the higher notes, and
especially on handmade reeds which require even
less air to operate, the advantage is likely to be
small.
Plastic ventilli offer another apparent
advantage. The plastic seems much less likely than
leather to curl away from the reed plate, because
plastic is lighter and less likely to sag, and because
it is impermeable to moisture, which is reputed to
be one of the major contributors to the curling of
leather.
However, plastic cannot duplicate one of the
reputed functions of leather, which is to help keep
the reeds dry by absorbing moisture from the air.
The importance of this function is a matter for
debate, and the question is moot in cases where the
accordion is not subjected to moisture.
Nevertheless, leather reed valves might have an
advantage on this point.
Plastic ventilli are available in more distinct
lengths than leather reed valves, and thus offer time
savings during installation by eliminating the need
to field cut leathers to the proper length for each
reed. They are also less expensive than leather,
although leather reed valves cost only about ten
cents each in large quantities, amounting to about
ACCORDION REVIVAL
George Bachich
$35 for a full set for a full size 41/120 4/5
accordion.
So which should we use? Until I or someone
else experimentally confirms that plastic noticeably
improves reed performance, I will continue
replacing leather with leather and plastic with
plastic unless I feel the leather might be adversely
impacting the response of a particular reed, in
which case I will substitute a plastic ventillo.
POLISHING YOUR ACCORDION
Accordion manufacturers polish the
celluloid finish on their accordions using large floor
mounted buffing wheels and a series of successively
finer abrasive buffing compounds.They do this
polishing prior to attachment of grilles, straps,
metal trim, etc, and before the accordion is
assembled. At the polishing stage, the treble and
bass cabinets are devoid of keys, buttons, reed
blocks, and bellows. The operator stands in front of
the rotating cloth buffing wheel, applies buffing
compound to the wheel, then presses the bare
accordion cabinet into it, being careful not to
generate enough heat to cloud the surface of the
celluloid. When he has it uniformly shiny, he
switches to a different buffing wheel where a liquid
polish is used for the final finish.
Although few of us have large buffing
wheels at our disposal, we should adopt this
general approach whenever we polish our
accordion, even if we polish by hand. That is, the
accordion should be disassembled and the
individual components polished separately. In this
way we avoid leaving unsightly deposits of buffing
compound under the edges of metal trim parts, at
the junction of treble grille and treble cabinet, on
the grille cloth at grille openings, and in between
keys and buttons. This approach also allows us to
polish what would otherwise be difficult to reach
corners where cabinet and trim parts meet. Using
buffing compound and a powered buffing wheel
saves time and effort, but even fairly significant
marring of the finish can be polished out by hand if
you apply buffing compound in sequentially finer
grades along with a lot of "elbow grease". For the
final finish, use the micro-abrasive polishing
8
compounds sold in auto parts stores specifically for
restoring the clarity of plastic automobile head
lamp lenses. Don't use so much that it flows over
the surface or into little nooks and crannies where
you can't get it all out.
In between these major polishings, we need
only wipe off the finish with a soft cloth. If the finish
is really grungy, the cloth can be dampened with
rubbing alcohol, but no liquid should ever be
poured or sprayed onto or into your accordion.
Slathering wax all over your accordion, then buffing
it out like you would your car just makes a mess,
due to all the angles, joints, and other irregularities
in the surface. Besides, mechanically polished
celluloid is naturally shiny, and does not require
wax. If the finish has dulled, wax will not improve it
much anyway. The marring and scratches should be
mechanically buffed out just as they originally were
at the factory.
Special care should be taken with the
keyboard. Keys can be cleaned in place using a soft
cloth dampened with rubbing alcohol. But never
allow any liquid to run down in between the keys.
The keys and keyboard are usually made of
unfinished wood. Moisture absorbed into the wood
can cause local swelling and warping, which in turn
can cause keys to stick. For particularly difficult key
cleaning jobs, see the article on cleaning and buffing
keys.
The real key to keeping your accordion
shiny is not to let it get dirty in the first place. If you
protect it from scratches and wipe it off with a soft
dry cloth or chamois each time you play, it may
never need to be polished.
PROPER SHOULDER STRAP LENGTHS
Accordion shoulder straps come in
mismatched pairs, that is, one strap is longer than
the other. If you examine them closely, you will see
that the upper portion of each is identical, and all
the variation is in the tail, which connects to the
bottom of the accordion. The strap on the right has
the longer tail because the accordion must sit left of
your center. Depending on your size and the
location of the strap brackets on the accordion, the
ACCORDION REVIVAL
George Bachich
right shoulder strap might be 4 to 6 inches longer
than the left when properly adjusted.
When adjusting your straps, you should
begin with the left one and adjust it short enough to
hold the accordion suspended from your left
shoulder so that the centers of the black keys on the
right side of the accordion are directly under your
chin, and the top of the accordion is about four
inches below your chin. Then adjust the right strap
long enough to accommodate the accordion
position achieved with the left strap alone.
Many accordions have straps too long to be
adjusted in this manner. In that case, you might be
able to punch more holes in either or both ends of
the strap segments to allow them to be shortened
by adjusting the buckles. But if this still will not
allow the straps to be adjusted tightly enough, you
will have no choice but to shorten them. In this case
I generally switch the tails so the shorter tail goes
with the right strap, so I only have to shorten one of
them. In other words, the short tail becomes the
long tail and the long tail gets shortened to become
the new short tail, usually 4 to 6 inches shorter than
the other.
Begin by drilling out or prying apart the
rivets that hold the large buckle in place. Note the
location and size of the slot for the tongue of the
buckle and the location and spacing of the rivet
holes, and duplicate that pattern farther down the
strap at a location that will produce a tail of the
desired length. If you wish, you can cut off the
excess strap length and use it as a template to make
the new holes. Use new two-part rivets to install the
buckle in the new location, in the same manner as it
was originally installed.
9

If you plan the tail lengths to fit when each
tail's buckle tongue is in the middle hole of its
upper strap, you will have ample room to make
minor adjustments in either direction later.
DOES YOUR ACCORDION NEED TO BE RE-
WAXED?
The hundreds of aluminum reed plates in
your accordion are held to the wooden reed blocks
by a mixture of beeswax, resin, and a small amount
of linseed oil. Over time this mixture dries, hardens,
and becomes brittle. Eventually, it will crack around
the reed plates, allowing them to vibrate
themselves loose. When your reeds start falling out,
it is definitely time to re-wax.
However, you might decide to re-wax before
reeds start falling out. For instance, if your
accordion needs tuning, the reeds should be
thoroughly cleaned before tuning begins. This is
because the dirt on them is probably what causes
them to be out of tune. If you tune a dirty reed, then
clean it later, it will need to be tuned again. You can
short-cut by using a tiny brass wire brush to clean
the outside of each reed tongue, but it is practically
impossible to clean the side facing into the reed
block. The only way to thoroughly clean them is to
take them out of the reed blocks first. This naturally
requires waxing them back in after they are
cleaned. If very many reeds need tuning, you might
as well re-wax the whole thing.
There are other reasons to re-wax. The
quality of the sound your accordion produces is
partially dependent on the condition of the wax.
This is because the reed itself produces only a
feeble sound until it is anchored to a reed plate and
until that reed plate is anchored into a reed block,
which in turn is mounted to an accordion. The
vibrations of the reed tongue are transmitted
through the rivet to the reed plate, then through the
wax to the reed block, then through the wooden
reed block and on into the accordion cabinet. That's
why you can feel the accordion vibrating against
your chest as you play it. The accordion cabinet is a
bit like the sound board in a piano, or the body of
an acoustic guitar. The quality of the sound we hear
ACCORDION REVIVAL
George Bachich
depends on the efficiency with which those
vibrations are transmitted through the various
materials, including the wax, as well as on the
quality and construction of the reeds and cabinet.
Old brittle wax transmits sound differently. Fresh
wax could make your accordion sound more like it
did when it was new.
However, re-waxing is very time consuming
and expensive. If you pay to have it done, the cost
could exceed the market value of your accordion. In
this case you might decide to forego the new wax
and just spot tune the reeds needing it most. You
might also decide to wax it yourself, in which case
you might be interested in the article on waxing
reeds to be posted soon on Accordion Repair 2 of
this website.
WHEN IS IT TIME FOR A NEW BELLOWS?
If an accordion uses very little air, we often
describe it as having a good, tight bellows. If it uses
lots of air, we sometimes say it has a leaky bellows.
But often the leaks are actually elsewhere, in which
case replacing the bellows will not solve the
problem. How can we know if our bellows should
be replaced?
Some people replace their bellows just to
get a different color. But a new bellows installed
can cost $350 to $450. At these costs, you probably
prefer not to replace your bellows unless it is truly
necessary.
The first step is to determine exactly what is
leaking. A good article on how to analyze and locate
your air leaks is posted elsewhere on this page.
Following the procedures outlined there should
help you find and fix your leaks, and may save you
the expense of a new bellows. If you find the
bellows leaking, you may want to replace it, as
bellows repair is time consuming and costly, and
often leaves the bellows looking a bit rough.
However, it still may be economical to repair your
old bellows if you do it yourself.
If you have eliminated all other possible
sources, and if you know your leak is an external
leak as defined in the "finding leaks" article, you
may conclude that your bellows probably has lots
of small leaks, each too small to detect, that add up
10
to a lot of lost air. In that case, replacing your
bellows will probably breathe new life into your
accordion and be well worth the cost.
You might also decide to replace your
bellows if it has more than two or three loose metal
corners. A few corners can be replaced fairly
economically (especially if you don't mind leaving
the bellows tape in a bit of a mess right at the
corners), but replacing them all costs about as
much as a new bellows, especially if the bellows is
re-taped at the same time. If just a few corners have
come loose because the glue has failed, it may make
sense to repair it. But if the corners are loose
because the metal has cracked, then many other
corners are also likely to be cracked and will work
loose shortly, in which case you will be better off
with a new bellows.
You might also consider a new bellows if
most of your bellows tape needs replacing, as the
labor cost of re-taping an entire bellows could
exceed half the cost of a new bellows. The
advantages of having a new bellows might
outweigh the savings realized from replacing just
the tape. These advantages include a long trouble-
free service life, a newer appearance, improved air
tightness, improved stability, and the opportunity
to pick a new color.
Improved stability is a factor worth
mentioning. Sometimes, even when they don't leak,
old bellows just get so loose and flexible that they
tend to bulge out of alignment under compression,
requiring you to follow them around a bit in order
to push them closed. If your bellows starts acting
more like a Slinky than a bellows, you might be
happier with a new one.
You will find two bellows-related articles on
the "Accordion Repair 2" page of this website -
"Replacing Bellows Tape", and "Installing a New
Bellows". In the future you will also find an article
on general bellows repairs.
IS IT TIME TO REVALVE THE TREBLE SIDE?
If you find leaks at the treble valves, you might be
able to adjust the pallets to stop the leak. Check first
to see that the offending pallets are centered over
their ports and that all four corners as well as the
ACCORDION REVIVAL
George Bachich
centers of each side of each pallet are in firm
contact with the foundation plate, and adjust them
as necessary for a good seal by bending the key
rods.
To check for firm contact, cut a narrow strip
of paper to use as a feeler gauge under the valve to
be sure you have equal drag on all four corners and
along each side. See the discussion on leveling the
keyboard in the article titled “Setting Up a Treble
Keyboard for Shallow Action” for some useful tips
on how to bend the key rods without damaging the
keys or pallets, and for instructions on how to make
the tools you need. Also make sure no debris is
lodged under the pallet that might prevent a good
seal.
If you find all four corners snug, but poor
contact along the middle of one or both sides, then
you probably have a warped pallet, in which case
you will have to remove the pallet, strip off the
valve facing, sand the pallet flat, and install new
valve facing.
If the pallet seems to have firm contact all
around, yet still leaks, then remove the key, fluff up
the nap of the leather valve facing with a tooth
brush, and reinstall it (see the discussion on how
to disassemble various kinds of keyboards in the
article titled “Setting Up a Treble Keyboard for
Shallow Action”).
If the leak persists after all this, it is
probably because the surface of the valve is
pillowed due to compression of the felt liner. It is
normal for the nap of the leather to be flattened
around the port, leaving a visual image of the ports
in the leather facing, but if you can also feel a raised
waffle pattern left by the ports, then it may be time
to re-valve.
This pillowy waffle pattern is caused by
compression of the felt under the leather valve
facing due to age and normal wear. Whenever you
see noticeable pillowing, you will be better off to re-
valve, because the new valves will seal better and
will also operate more quietly. If such a valve is off
center and you try to center it, the waffle pattern
will no longer fit exactly into the ports, and the
valve will still leak. The only solution in this case is
to replace the valve facing with new leather/felt
laminate. If one valve is pillowed, all the others are
probably also pillowed, in which case it is time to
11
re-valve the treble side of the accordion. The bass
valves normally have thinner felt pads which are
much less prone to pillowing.
You might decide to re-valve even if no
valves are leaking. If any of your treble keys are
higher than the ends of the keyboard cabinet, this is
usually evidence of valve felt compression. Place a
long straightedge lengthwise down the keyboard,
extending past the keys at both ends of the
keyboard. When the accordion left the factory, all
the keys were probably level with the ends of the
keyboard. The extent to which you can depress
keys with this straightedge is the extent to which
compression of your treble valve facings has
allowed the keys to rise.
Compressed felt is less effective as a
cushion, resulting in more noise when the valve
slams shut under the pressure of its return spring.
The compressed felt also allows the key to return to
a higher position, thus lengthening the key stroke
and giving the spring more time to accelerate the
valve, giving it more momentum to dissipate upon
closing. Most of this momentum is dissipated as
noise. Leveling the keyboard can eliminate this
extra travel and the resulting extra momentum, but
it does nothing to make the felt a more effective
cushion. If you have a clunky noisy keyboard, re-
valving is the best way to improve it.
See the article titled "Renewing Treble
Valves" for tips on how to do it, where to get the felt
and leather laminate, and other options for
improving and quieting your keyboard action.
MAKING TREBLE KEYBOARD BENDING TOOLS
You sometimes need to raise or lower treble keys,
either to correct one that has been bent upward by
catching on a case or strap, or to compensate for
different rates of deterioration and compression of
the felt valve padding, or to compensate for a
slightly different thickness of valve facing material
used to re-valve, or to set up the keyboard for
shallower action. Raising or lowering treble keys is
accomplished by bending the key rods.
But let's start with how not to bend key
rods, as some people are tempted to try shortcuts,
which seldom work out as desired. For instance, do
ACCORDION REVIVAL
George Bachich
not hold the key down while you press down on the
treble pallet, and do not simply pull up on a key to
raise it. Either of these actions will compress the
felt valve padding, perhaps producing the desired
result temporarily, but only until the felt lofts again
to near its original thickness over the next few
hours. Using this "shortcut" could also loosen the
treble pallet's connection to the key rod, which is
often just a bed of wax. If your "shortcut" over-
stresses the key's hinge point on wooden
keyboards, you may crack the key or the wooden
boss on the keyboard cabinet that holds the spindle.
On older accordions with the key rod driven into
the wooden key like a nail, you also risk loosening
the key rod's connection to the key, necessitating a
time- consuming repair.
The correct way to bend key rods is with
two bending tools, one gripping the rod on each
side of the point where you want to make the bend.
For raising or lowering the key, place the bend as
close as possible to the key. If this puts the pallet
out of parallel with the foundation plate, causing
the valve to leak, then make the compensating bend
as close as possible to the pallet. All this is
explained in more detail in the article on setting up
a treble keyboard. The main thrust of this article is
to describe the bending tools and how to make
them.
The simplest tool is a steel rod with a slot
cut in one side of it just the right depth and width to
grip the key rod. The problem is that key rods come
in many sizes, creating the need for many tools
unless you make a set of adjustable tools. We'll get
to a couple of designs for adjustable tools shortly,
but first let's cover the simple ones. If you are only
working on one accordion, then a few simple tools
may be all you need. Here is a photo of some of the
non-adjustable bending tools I have made from
steel rods and bolts. The narrower tools are
essential for working on short key rods.
12

The first and second tools from the right,
with large grip handles and with slots in the end,
are for bending the key rod side to side in order to
center the pallet over its ports. The fourth and fifth
from the right are for twisting the flatbar style of
key rod in order to rock its pallet into parallel with
the foundation plate. Note that in each case pairs of
tools are used together. The third tool from the
right has small pegs through it to engage the key
rod, and is useful (in conjunction with one of the
other tools) for putting bends very close to the
pallet. Here is a close up photo of it.
Adjusting valves down inside a tone
chamber requires special tools that reach down
into the chamber. The seventh and eighth tools
from the right in the top photo have worked well on
some tone chamber accordions, but I expect to have
to make different tools with different slot widths to
fit other accordions which have different key rod
widths.
My tool design is still evolving, and I expect
it will continue to improve. If you come up with any
better tool design ideas, I hope you will share them
with me.
When designing your bending tools, keep
four considerations in mind. The first is that the
tool must be narrow enough to fit down between
adjacent key rods. This dimension varies with
different accordions, but bulky tools just won't fit.
The second is that wider tools with longer slots to
grip the key rod do less damage to the soft
aluminum key rods (very narrow tools cause
unsightly gouges in the aluminum). The third
ACCORDION REVIVAL
George Bachich
consideration is that for the short key rods on the
black keys, wider tools are not practical, since they
do not allow you to put one bend close to the key
and another bend close to the pallet. Tools wide
enough to preclude any damage to the key rod are
also wide enough to occupy the entire length of a
short key rod when used in pairs, eliminating any
choice on where to place the bend. For your black
keys, you will therefore need narrow tools and you
will have to live with the divots they leave in the
key rods. The fourth consideration is that when
raising a key, you will have to move the tools
toward each other, and their handles may need to
bypass each other in order to make the desired
bend, so slender handles work best.
You can help minimize key rod damage by
making your narrower tools from square rod,
rather than round. For any given tool width, this
maximizes the contact surface between the tool and
the key rod, thus spreading the load. You can also
minimize the damage by making the slots just
barely wide enough to receive the key rod. A tight
fit helps maximize the contact surface between the
tool and the key rod, spreading the load over a
wider area, thus minimizing the damage.
Making your bending tools about six inches
long will give you sufficient leverage to bend the
key rods. Minimizing the amount of rod extending
beyond the lower edge of the slot will help make
the tool fit closer to the pallet, making it possible to
get your two bend points farther apart, which is
particularly important on the black keys and any
white keys with short key rods.
Here is a photo of some adjustable bending
tools I have recently made. The one on the right has
a slot in the lower jaw to straddle the key rod
extending down into a tone chamber.
13

In the next photo the three on the right
above have been disassembled so you can see how
they are made. The set screw threads into one half
of the tool and rides in a slot in the other half of the
tool. The one in the middle has an adjustable slot on
each end. The two halves of that tool were made to
different lengths to provide different adjustment
ranges at each end of the tool. The three extra holes
in the tool on the right are unnecessary. They were
already in the angle before I converted it to this use.
The adjustment, of course, is to allow for
gripping a wide variety of key rods of varying
thicknesses. I made the tool on the left from some
recycled cold formed slotted channel (originally
used to mount adjustable shelf brackets to a wall),
and from some 1/4" steel plate I cut from a scrap of
4-inch wide 1/4-inch flat bar. To eliminate the need
for a bulky nut, I tapped #10-32 threads in the 1/4-
inch plate to receive the pan head set screw. When
slightly loosened, the set screw can slide in a 3/4-
ACCORDION REVIVAL
George Bachich
inch long slot cut into the web of the channel. This
gives me an adjustment range of 9/16- inch (3/4-
inch minus 3/16-inch for the diameter of the #10
machine screw).
I am not a professional tool designer.
Although these tools serve their purposes, I am sure
more elegant designs are possible, and I encourage
you to experiment. If you care to share your
improved design, I would love to know about it. –
GB
FREEING STICKING KEYS
Treble keys sometimes stick open due to
dirt or corrosion on the key or the spindle (axle
rod), due to warping of wooden keys, or due to
bending of aluminum keys.
Repairing a key that sticks open requires
removing the key, after first removing the grill and
possibly the treble switch assembly. On accordions
without individually removable keys, pull the
spindle out far enough to release the sticking key.
Look for the ends of the spindles under a
small metal cover on the bottom of the keyboard.
Grip the end of the spindle with small vice-grip
pliers, and twist while pulling. If there is just one
spindle, you must remove all the keys that come off
the spindle as you pull it out. The key springs will
fling the keys off the keyboard one at a time as the
spindle is withdrawn, so plan to catch them. If they
are not already numbered, number each key to
ensure getting them back in their proper places.
The usual numbering system is 1 through 41
starting at the bottom of the keyboard if all keys are
on one spindle. If there are two spindles, the black
and white keys are numbered separately.
If white and black keys have separate
spindles, you can usually avoid removing other keys
by taping all the keys (except the key to be
removed) to each other before pulling out the
appropriate spindle. (Use 3M Scotch Brand #218
plastic masking tape, as other tapes leave a sticky
residue). Place one row of tape near the ends of the
white keys and two rows over the black keys,
taping to the tops of the white keys and to the sides
and tops of the black keys. If you pull out just one
14
spindle, the other spindle and the tape will hold all both spindles together, and the drill chuck idea will
the taped keys in place. not work because the spindles are too close
Pull the spindle out just far enough to together.
release the sticking key. Lift the key out, carefully To solve this problem you can make
noting the placement of the key spring. The free end aluminum, plastic, or hard rubber jaws for your
of the spring must point toward the outer end of the small vise grip pliers that allow you to grip each
key (not toward the valve), and usually rides in a spindle from the side an inch or so away from
tiny groove in the wood. Note that this technique where it enters the cabinet without marring the
does not work on a few models in which both smooth finish on the spindle. Here is one I made by
spindles pass through holes in each key. In this case hammering some 1/8" aluminum flat bar around
both spindles must be at least partially withdrawn the jaws of an old pair of vice grip pliers. I squeezed
in order to remove any key from either spindle. those jaws around a file spinning in my drill press
While you have the spindle partially out, to form a rounded groove across each jaw to better
take a close look at it. If it appears dirty or grip the spindle.
corroded, remove it entirely and clean it with steel
wool before reinstalling it. Inspect the key and the
keyboard slot for any dirt or lint that could cause
the binding, and for shiny spots that indicate where
the key is rubbing.
For all-wood keys, sand away the shiny
spot, finishing with 600 grit sandpaper. For wooden
keys with aluminum core, and for all-aluminum
keys, very slightly bend the short aluminum tab on
the bottom away from the side where it was
rubbing to eliminate interference with the slot in
the aluminum keyboard. If this tab appears worn or
scratched up, you should also smooth it out with
fine sandpaper and finish it with steel wool.
Here is a keyboard going back together using those
Reinstall the key and its spring and reinstall
pliers.
the spindle, taking care not to bend it. To avoid
bending it, remove a drill chuck from a drill motor
(or buy a new drill chuck) and slide it onto the rod,
tightening it about four inches from the bottom of
the keyboard. Use the chuck to twist and push the
rod in, then loosen the chuck, slide it back, tighten
it, and push again. If the spindle is brass, avoid
marring its finish. You may have to press the keys
slightly down into proper alignment to allow
the spindle to pass through.
If your accordion has a tone chamber, you
may find that some of the black key rods intertwine
with some of the white key rods in a way that
makes it impossible to take out just the black keys
or just the white keys. Similarly, you may find that
both spindles pass through separate holes in each If there is no cover on the bottom of the
key. In either of these cases you will have to pull out keyboard and no access to the bottom ends of your
both spindles and when you put it back together spindles, then the keys are individually removable.
you will have to install black and white keys and Individually removable keys have slots that engage

ACCORDION REVIVAL
15
George Bachich
a spindle that can only be removed after all the keys
are out.
There are five basic types. The most
common type uses a short, stiff retainer spring to
hold the spindle in the horizontal leg of an L-shaped
slot in the bottom of the key, or more accurately, an
L-shaped slot in the brass hinge assembly riveted to
the bottom of the key. You cannot see this spring or
the slot until you get the key out.
You remove these keys by pressing down
hard and toward the valve end of the rod in order
to get the spindle out of the horizontal leg of the L-
shaped slot (by overcoming the force of the retainer
spring) and into the vertical leg, then pulling up on
the key to lift it off the spindle. Press on the key
right where it rotates on the spindle, pushing down
and horizontally, then lift vertically by gripping the
key rod as close as possible to the key. In this
explanation, horizontal means parallel to the key
top.
Once you have your sticking key out, inspect
and repair it as above. To reinstall the key, place it
back in its slot with the stiff spring against the
keyboard side of the spindle and press the key in
the direction of the valve to compress the stiff
spring in order to allow the spindle to enter the
vertical leg of the slot. As you press the key down,
the stiff spring will force the spindle into the The upper end of the coil spring stays
horizontal leg of the slot to hold the key in place. connected to the key; you remove the bottom end
A second type of removable key is similar, of the spring from the aluminum tang by pressing
except they have only a vertical slot (no horizontal the loop on the end of the coil spring downward
leg) and a short coil spring to hold the key in place and off the free end of the tang. You can remove
that must be removed first. With the grille off, you them with practically anything, but you will need
can peak in under the backs of the keys and see the special tool to put them back on.
these little springs. In these cases, there is often a There is a third type of removable key that
little tool fastened to the underside of the grille or has a simple aluminum fork on the bottom of the
to the foundation plate under the grille. If not, you key that straddles the axle of a brass bushing that
can make one from a small screwdriver or any rotates on the spindle. This type always has the
slender steel or aluminum rod. Here are a couple of little coil springs described above. After removing
photos of one I made. the spring, you just pull straight up on the key,
using a good grip on the key rod. Some of these are
really stubborn and you have to pull really hard
with pliers. It is not unusual to have to pull so hard
that when it finally suddenly releases, you are
unable to stop before the pallet hits something and
is knocked off the key rod, so you should have some
reed wax handy to wax it back on. See the article on
waxing with a modified soldering iron for more

ACCORDION REVIVAL
16
George Bachich
details. If you don't get it waxed back on in exactly
the same position, and if the leather seal has
"pillowed" into the ports, it will leak due to the
"pillow" no longer aligning properly with the port,
in which case the best solution will be to replace the
felt/leather laminate valve facing on that pallet. See
the article on "re-valving the treble side"
If you have these forked keys and brass
bushings, and if you conclude that your problem is
high friction between the brass bushing and the
spindle or between the brash bushing and its slot in
the aluminum chassis, then you will have to take all
the keys out and remove the aluminum keyboard
chassis from the accordion in order to get the
spindle out to clean it. In this case, all the brass
bushings will fall out as you remove the spindle, so
figure a way to catch them.
You can clean them in a little jar of WD-40,
agitating it well, then blow them dry with
compressed air. Test each of them on the spindle to
make sure they all turn freely. Doing this may help
clean additional corrosion and dirt out of the
interior bore in the bushing.
As you put them back in their slots in the
aluminum chassis one at a time, feeding in the
spindle as you go, make sure each one turns
absolutely freely on the spindle and in its slot in the
aluminum chassis before installing the next one.
The bushings vary up to .004 inch in width, and if
you happen to get one of the wider ones in one of
the narrower slots in the chassis, it may rub on the
chassis.
In this case, either find a narrower bushing
or file the slot a little wider, but not too wide, or the
key may wander too much and interfere with a
neighboring key. Every bushing must turn
absolutely freely in its slot and on the spindle in
order for the keyboard to work smoothly.
If some of the key forks are too tight to fit
over the brass bushing with moderate pressure,
check the sides of them for burrs or spalling
and sand these off smooth. If you conclude that the
fork is too narrow, you can file it a bit wider, but
don't file too much, or the key will be sloppy. You
want a snug fit. Don't use any oil, as it will attract
lint and dust, which will eventually gum it up and
cause keys to stick.
ACCORDION REVIVAL
George Bachich
This type of keyboard takes longer to clean
and adjust, but in the end you will be rewarded,
because once it is cleaned and properly adjusted,
this design offers the smoothest keyboard action of
all.
The fourth type of individually removable
key is held in place by a sliding clip on each key that
slides in under the spindle. Use a flat blade
screwdriver to pry the clip away from the spindle
(that is, toward the valve end of the key), and lift
the key straight up. To replace it, press the key
down over the spindle and slide the clip back in.
The fifth type has a slotted head twist-
fastener right above the spindle on each key. Use a
flat blade screwdriver to turn the slotted head of
the fastener 90 degrees left to release the key, then
pull the key straight up. To put it back, press the
key into position over the spindle and turn the
fastener 90 degrees to the right. In all cases, test the
key for smooth action before returning the
accordion to service.
TROUBLE-SHOOTING SILENT REEDS
Silent reeds might be missing, loose,
misaligned, or broken, but usually they are just
stuck because of foreign matter lodged between the
reed tongue and the vent (slot in the reed plate).
The hardest part is to positively identify which reed
tongue is silent. You can always use your tuning
bellows to test each reed in each reed block, in each
airflow direction, out on the workbench. But there
is a quicker way.
First determine which switch controls the
problem reed, and in which bellows direction the
problem occurs. Then open the accordion and take
out the reed blocks to determine which slides are
opened by that switch. This tells you which row on
the reed block contains your problem reed. Now
press the problem key to see which valve opens,
and hence, which reed plate in that row contains
the silent reed (for example, the fifth valve controls
the fifth reed plate in the reed block).
If the reed was silent only when the bellows
was expanding (air rushing in), then the problem is
with the reed tongue on the inside of the reed block,
behind the visible leather. If it was silent only when
17
the bellows was compressing (air rushing out), then
the problem is with the reed tongue facing you, on
the outside of the reed block.
If it is the outer tongue, you might cure it by
simply plucking it lightly with a single edge razor
blade slipped carefully under the tip (to avoid
scratching either the reed or the reed plate). Pluck
it just enough to get it vibrating. If you can hear the
tone of the reed at all, you have probably already
cleared it. But if it sounds dull, you may need to
take further measures to dislodge foreign matter
from between the reed tongue and the vent.
Try passing a .0015” metal feeler gauge
between the sides of the reed tongue and the vent
(slot in the reed plate), but don’t push it in very far,
or you will dislodge the leather glued to the
opposite side of the reed plate. Then pluck the reed
tongue again to see if it seems to be vibrating freely.
You can also test it on your tuning bellows if you
have one. However, you should avoid blowing the
reed like a harmonica, as this could get moisture on
the reed, causing it to rust.
If the problem was with the inner tongue,
try the feeler gauge approach. You will not be able
to pluck the reed to check your progress, but you
can test it on your tuning bellows, if you have one.
If passing the feeler gauge around the sides
does not clear it, check the tip. The feeler gauge is
too wide to use to clean the narrow end of the vent,
but you can use it to clean off the tip of the reed
tongue and also to lift the reed tip out of the way
(not too far, as you do not want to bend it
permanently) while you clean the end of the vent
with a tiny brass wire brush, or a straight pin, or
even a toothpick.
If cleaning fails to solve the problem, then
check for misalignment of the reed tongue that
causes interference between the reed tongue and
the vent. You will probably have to pry the reed
plate out of the wax to do this, then wax it back into
the reed block after you have repaired it, so if you
are not prepared to wax it back in, you should take
it to a repairman. If you proceed on your own, hold
the reed plate up to a bright light to verify that you
have the tongue centered. If the tongue is out of
center, pry it back into position. If it moves at all
easily, you may have to reset the rivet with a light
ACCORDION REVIVAL
George Bachich
hammer blow (on an anvil, naturally) after you
have the tongue centered.
VOICING REEDS
You can often significantly improve the
performance of your accordion by voicing the
reeds. Voicing is setting the tip clearance of the reed
tongue above the plane of the reed plate. If the tip is
set too high, too much air will escape under it,
delaying the onset of vibration, requiring more air
to get it started. If it is set too low, it will choke
under high bellows pressure. That means it will
refuse to vibrate, perhaps because it closes off the
reed vent too soon, before it has achieved enough
velocity and momentum to travel far enough to
cause a rebound powerful enough to start the
oscillation.
Changing the tip clearance obviously
requires permanently bending the reed tongue. You
can't voice the reed just by lightly flexing it or by
gently stroking it, or it will simply spring back to its
original position. If you want it to take a permanent
set at a new level relative to the reed plate, then you
have to bend it far enough to exceed its elastic limit
(which by definition is the bending limit beyond
which it will not spring completely back to its
original position).
However, you also want the reed tongue to
remain straight and parallel with the top of the reed
plate or angled slightly up from it, but not having
any curvature, so you have to make sure the
permanent bend occurs very close to the rivet. You
can't just grab it by the tip and push or pull, or the
bend might occur somewhere midway along the
reed tongue, or perhaps even close to the tip,
especially on the smallest reeds.
To get it to yield close to the rivet, you
should apply the force at least half way down the
tongue. This is where the reed tongue is wider and
possibly thicker, and where you have the least
leverage, so you have to push or pull pretty hard,
and there is the rub. If you push or pull too hard,
the permanent deflection may be greater than you
want, in which case you will have to bend it back
the other way by exceeding the elastic limit again.
There is a limit to the number of times you can do
18
this, because each time you exceed the elastic limit, encounter some reeds that are much softer and
you raise the elastic limit of the steel in the area of with lower elastic limits than most, and which take
the bend so that even more force will be required to a permanent bend much sooner (and farther) than
exceed the elastic limit at that location next time you expect. When this happens, you should reduce
(this is sometimes called "work hardening" - you the force you use in subsequent trials, and try to
can see it in action by repeatedly bending and work gradually up to the lower elastic limit of that
straightening any steel wire, such as a paper clip). particular reed.
As the elastic limit increases due to bending
beyond the previous elastic limit, by definition the
area of the bend becomes more resistant to
permanent bending, so the next permanent bend
tends to occur somewhere else, where the elastic
limit has not yet been raised, and where it will
therefore yield under less applied force. In practice,
this means that if you want your permanent bend
right next to the rivet, you have to get it right the
first time, or at least very soon after that. If you The tools used in voicing are very simple.
exceed the elastic limit very many times, your bend For lifting an exterior reed tongue to increase its tip
might end up farther away from the rivet. If you clearance, you just need a thin piece of metal to get
somehow force it to bend at the exact same spot behind the reed tongue and evenly support the
each time, then its elastic limit at that point will upper half to two thirds of it while you bend it
eventually be raised to the ultimatum yield point, at upward. I use a dull single edge razor blade on
which point the reed tongue will break, rather than small reeds, and a .010" metal feeler gauge on
bend. larger reeds.
This is not to say that there is a limit to how
many times the reed can flex before it breaks. As far
as I know, there is no such limit, as long as it does
not flex beyond its elastic limit. Reeds flex millions
(or maybe billions) of times during the life of an
accordion, so you can try as many times as you like
to bend the reed short of reaching its elastic limit,
and you will not hurt it, but of course, you won't
change its voicing, either.
This all suggests that the best way to voice a
reed is with several attempts, starting gently, and
gradually increasing the applied force with each
trial, checking each time to see if the latest attempt
has succeeded in making a permanent bend. There
is no penalty for applying too little force, other than
a slight delay in reaching your objective. With
experience, you will learn how much force to apply
the first time, so you can avoid wasting a lot of time
working up to the elastic limit, yet still be
reasonably certain that you will not exceed the limit
on your first try.
I say "reasonably certain" because reeds
vary in hardness and in their elastic limits, and even
after you have experience, you will undoubtedly

ACCORDION REVIVAL
19
George Bachich

For lowering an exterior reed tongue to
decrease its tip clearance, you apply force in the
lower half of the tongue, forcing it down into the
vent. I use a flat blade screwdriver with a tip
narrow enough to pass through the vent without
scratching the sides. To avoid letting the
screwdriver slip toward the tip of the reed tongue, I
hold the screwdriver shank nearly parallel to the
reed and rock the tip into the tongue, rather than
poking it straight in.
If you are voicing an interior reed tongue on
a reed mounted in its reed block, the process is
similar. To increase the tip clearance, rock the
screwdriver tip down into the vent and against the
tongue at a point about a third of the way up from
ACCORDION REVIVAL
George Bachich
the rivet. If you try to leave the leather on while you
do this, you are likely to damage it, so I think you
are better off to remove the leather to better see
what you are doing, as well as to allow you to work
from the fixed end of the reed tongue. Glue the
leather (or a new one) back on when you are
finished.
On larger reeds, you often must push the
tongue so far in that it hits the back of its reed
chamber and visibly bends to conform to the limits
of the chamber. There is some risk that in addition
to bending near the rivet, the tongue will bend in
the opposite direction about where it contacts the
back of the reed chamber. Such a bend puts
undesirable curvature in the reed tongue, making it
impossible to voice it correctly until it is
straightened. If you are exerting force at about the
1/3 point, the reed tongue will nearly always reach
its elastic limit near the rivet before it does in the
area of the reverse bend, but not always.
The major exception is with some
handmade reed sets in which a few of the largest
treble bassoon reeds have a a very thin cross
section near the rivet and a step up in thickness
about half way out from the rivet. On those reeds,
the tongue will reach its elastic limit and take a
permanent bend near the rivet, but it is also likely
to take a permanent bend in the reverse
direction right at the step up in thickness,
somewhere near the middle of the reed tongue. If
this occurs, you will have to remove the reed from
the reed block to straighten that tongue before you
can voice it. To save wear and tear on the reed, it is
best to remove this type of reed from the reed
20
block before you try to increase the tip clearance of
the inner tongue. Increase the clearance to match
the clearance of its properly voiced twin on the
opposite side of the reed plate, then wax it back in.
the vent. Be sure to have a firm grip on the reed
plate, squeezing it onto the reed block to prevent
the upward force of the tool from pushing the reed
plate out of the wax. As always, be gentle at first.
Rock the tongue a little ways up into the vent, then
check the tip clearance to see if you have decreased
it. You want to approach the elastic limit of the reed
tongue gradually, so as not to significantly
overshoot.

This Binci handmade reed has been flipped

over to show what happened to the interior reed
tongue when I tried to increase its tip clearance
without removing the reed from the reed block. The
reed would no longer sound until after I removed
it, straightened it, properly voiced it, and waxed it
back in.
To decrease the tip clearance of an interior
reed tongue, you must push the tongue up into the
vent. This is the trickiest scenario, because you
must work through the hole in the bottom of the
reed block, where it is hard to see exactly where
your tool is contacting the reed tongue. In addition,
the upward force you apply on the reed tongue
might jack the reed plate right out of its wax
mounting if you don't adequately support it. It is
also harder to see and properly judge the amount of The goal is to have the minimum possible
tip clearance and any impact you are having on it. tip clearance that will not cause the reed to choke.
Start by laying your pry bar (narrow Unfortunately, there is no way to know where the
screwdriver) on the exterior face of the reed plate minimum is until you exceed it. Different reeds
to measure how much of the shank you will want have different response times, even when properly
inside the reed block in order for the tip to contact voiced, so if you are really after the absolute best
the interior reed tongue at the desired point, i.e., performance your reeds can deliver, you can’t
1/3 of the way from the rivet to the tip. Make some simply stop when the response seems pretty good.
kind of mark on the shank, then insert it up to the Well, you can, and in fact that is almost certainly
mark and align it with the interior reed tongue. As good enough, but who among us can stop there, if
you rock the handle downward, using the interior there may be some possibility of getting even better
edge of the reed chamber as a fulcrum, the response?
screwdriver tip and the reed tongue will rise into

ACCORDION REVIVAL
21
George Bachich
 To get the absolute best possible response,
you need to find the point where the reed begins to
choke, then widen the clearance the minimum
amount to get it to not choke. If you are opening up
the clearance on a reed that has already been
choking, this just comes naturally. But if you are
narrowing the clearance on a reed that has been
responding too slowly, then you will have to keep
narrowing it bit by bit until it begins to choke under
sudden high pressure on your test bellows. Of
course, that means you have gone too far, and will
have to exceed the elastic limit one more time to
put it right, but that’s okay, as long as you don’t do
it too many times.
Voicing requires patience. After several
failed attempts to change the tip clearance,
frustration can cause you to suddenly get too rough
with it and bend it too far. It is important to very
gradually increase the force applied with each
attempt, i.e., bend it just very slightly farther each
time, until you just barely exceed the elastic limit.
You will know you have barely exceeded the elastic
limit when the reed tip returns to a slightly
different clearance than before.
The optimum clearance is often about one
reed tip thickness above the reed plate. However,
this varies slightly from reed to reed, so simply
measuring the clearance will not ensure optimum
performance. You have to check it on your test
bellows. Decrease the clearance a tiny bit at a time
until you can just barely make the reed choke with
a sudden onset of high bellows pressure on your
test bellows, then back it off the minimum amount
required to eliminate the choking.
You have to be especially careful when
voicing the very smallest piccolo reeds, as they are
very thin and bend readily (the smallest ones are
only about .002" thick near the free end).The
optimum tip clearance under the reed tongue is
often too small to see without magnification
(sometimes as little as .0015"), making the required
changes likewise too small to see. In this case you
ACCORDION REVIVAL
George Bachich
will be unable to monitor your progress visually
unless you remove the reed from the reed block
and view it under moderately high magnification,
say 10x to 20x. In the absence of such
magnification, if you actually see a change in tip
clearance, you have almost certainly gone too far. It
is very easy to bend these tiny reeds too far, or to
ruin them by putting a visible bend or kink near the
tip of the reed tongue. You want the bend to be
imperceptibly small, and located very near the fixed
end of the reed tongue. It is best to remove these
tiny reeds from the reed block, make your bends
under magnificaiton so you can see your progress,
test the voicing by placing the reed directly over the
opening on the top of your test bellows, and
wax the reed back into the reed block only after
both its tongues have been properly voiced.
You should push on these tiny reed tongues
only within the bottom half of their length, and
gently. Use a wooden toothpick or a tiny
screwdriver or similar tool, taking extreme care not
to let it slip toward the free end of the reed tongue,
or you may inadvertently bend just the tip, which
will ruin the reed (unless you are patient enough
and fortunate enough to be able to straighten it
under magnification, as described on page
"Accordion Repair 3" near the end of the tuning
article).
When adjusting the tip downward, a good
way to maintain control of your tool and of
the pressure you apply is to rest the shank of your
tool on the reed plate at the top (narrow) end of the
reed vent, and rock the tip of your tool downward
against the top of the reed tongue, forcing it down
into the vent. This gives you precise control over
how much pressure you apply, how far you deflect
the reed tongue, and exactly where on the reed
tongue you apply the pressure.
Similarly, when lifting the tongue, support it
along more than half its length, rather than just
pulling on the very tip. Slide a dull single edge razor
blade or a .002" metal feeler gauge under the reed
tongue to lift it. Be very careful not to bend it too
far. If you actually feel it yield, then you almost
certainly have gone too far and may have ruined the
reed. It is best to begin with very light pressures
and minimal deflections, checking each time on the
22
test bellows to see if you have improved the tongue, and this is especially difficult to judge when
voicing. working in such a confined space. Sometimes the
It is impossible to voice these smallest reeds geometry of the reed chamber will not allow you to
if they have been arched by excessive pressure use a straight tool to bend the reed tongue, in which
during tuning, or if their tips have been bent up or case you will have to use something curved or bent.
down or twisted during tuning or voicing. You can I solve this problem by using a couple of very small
sometimes hear the hiss of air escaping under these screwdrivers that I have bent for this purpose.
arched or twisted reed tongues before they begin to
sound (if they sound at all). The easiest thing to do
in these cases is to replace the reeds, but it is
sometimes possible to straighten them. Take them
out of the reed block and use 10X to 20X
magnification to precisely locate the bends that
need to be taken out, and to monitor your progress.
Only after they are straightened can they be
properly voiced. See the tuning section on the
Accordion Repair 3 page for some suggestions for
making and using bending tools under
magnification.
After all this bending and straightening,
these tiny reeds will almost certainly be out of tune, If it seems easier, just take the reed out of
so you will have to tune them. Hint: Use #220 grit the reed block while you voice it, then wax it back
or finer sandpaper and light pressure, rather than a in.
file or scratcher, both of which are far too blunt and Good reed response is very desirable in an
crude for these tiny reed tongues. The use of accordion. Many accordion players pay thousands
inappropriate tuning tools is probably what ruined of dollars extra for top quality accordions with
these reeds in the first place. To make an handmade reeds because handmade reeds respond
appropriate tuning tool, you can wrap and more quickly. Slow responding reeds throw off the
glue narrow strips of fine sandpaper over the ends timing of the music and cause your accordion to use
of short wooden rods, approximately 1/8" square more air. Fast reed response is especially important
by three or four inches long. See the tuning section when playing very fast pieces and when playing
on the Accordion Repair 3 page for more softly, but is noticeable and very pleasing in any
information. kind of playing. Whatever the quality of your reeds,
Regardless of the size of the reed, voicing you can optimize their response by ensuring that
the exterior reed tongues is fairly straightforward they are properly voiced.
because you have good access and (except on the
smallest reeds) you can easily see your progress as
the tip clearance increases or decreases. PIANO ACCORDION TROUBLE-SHOOTING GUIDE
Seeing and judging the tip clearance of
interior reed tongues, however, is more difficult.
Bass terminology: The button is on the end
The apparent tip clearance varies with your
of a piston which has pegs or tabs that engage
viewing angle, so to monitor your progress it is
levers on bellcranks (also called cams or pipes).
important to view it from the same angle each time.
When pushed by the peg on the side of a piston, a
It is also more difficult to bend the reed tongue
lever rotates the bellcrank to which it is mounted.
outward, as you must work through the small
The rotating bellcrank has another lever on it (the
opening in the bottom of the reed block.
actual cam) which engages the lifting arm on the
On the smallest reeds you will have to take
valve, opening the valve as the bellcrank rotates.
special care not to press too near the tip of the reed

ACCORDION REVIVAL
23
George Bachich
 Remedies marked with * require totally
removing (and in most cases this means
disassembling) the bass machine for access.
Sticking bass buttons
Bent piston: Straighten the piston.
Broken slotted wooden guide (usually at screw
holes): Glue or remove the chip, file or sand the slot
clean; Lint between the piston & slotted wooden
guide; Clean the piston and the slot.
Corrosion on piston at wooden guide: Remove
corrosion, clean the slot.
Cam lever disengaged from piston peg (slipped
above peg): Re-engage, bend the lever to stay
engaged.
Cam lever rubbing on side of piston peg: Bend lever
away to eliminate friction.
Bass note sounds after button returns
Friction between cam & follower due to worn metal
on each: *Sand & polish the cam & follower.
Friction between pipes due to grime or too tight
restraints: *Clean pipes or loosen restraints.
Bent pipe: *Straighten the pipe.
Pallet misaligned with its ports: *Align the pallet
with its ports.
Valve leather deteriorated or delaminating from
pallet: *Re-valve the pallet.
Disengaged or misaligned pallet spring: *Install the
spring properly.
Disengaged or loose valve hinge: *Re-anchor the
valve hinge.
ACCORDION REVIVAL
George Bachich
Foreign matter (wood, wax, or lint) under leather
valve: Remove the foreign matter, working from the
reed block side; Bass linkage too tight (lever under
pressure with button up); Re-adjust the cam levers
to eliminate the pressure.
Treble key sticks down
High friction on spindle from corrosion or lint:
Remove and clean the spindle and the key.
Warped wooden key rubbing on wooden guide
beneath it: Sand the wooden key and/or its guide to
operate freely.
Bent aluminum key rubbing on aluminum guide
slot: Bend the aluminum tab on the bottom of the
key to center in the slot.
Plastic key or key-top rubbing on neighboring key:
Sand the plastic to eliminate the interference.
Key rod interference w/ other key, switch linkage,
etc.: Bend the key rod to clear the obstacle.
Misaligned key return spring (or maybe weak or
broken): Align or replace the key spring.
Treble note sounds after key returns
Pallet misaligned with ports: Bend the key rod to
center the pallet over its ports. Also, re-valve the
pallet.
Pallet out of level: Twist and/or bend the key rod to
level the pallet. Then re-level the key.
Key rod sagging due to worn spindle bore in
wooden key: Ream the spindle bore in the
offending key to fit the outside diameter of brass
tubing which has an inside diameter to fit the
original spindle and install a piece of that tubing as
a bushing in the key, or ream the spindle bore in all
the keys on that spindle and ream the bore for that
24
spindle in the keyboard to the next standard size
and install an oversize spindle.
Valve leather deteriorated or delaminating from the
pallet: Re-valve the pallet.
Foreign matter (wood, wax, or lint) under the
leather valve: Remove the foreign matter.
Pallet warped: Strip the pallet, sand it flat, re-valve
it.
Weak sounding note
Leather anchored too tightly: Replace the leather
with less glued anchorage.
Leather too stiff for small reed: Replace the leather
with a thinner leather or mylar reed valve
(ventillo).
Slide partially closed: Adjust or repair the slide
switch linkage.
Leather fallen off inside the reed block, partially
blocking air flow: Replace the interior leather.
Pallet not lifting far enough to allow sufficient air
through the reed: Adjust the key rod, level the key.
Leather valve delaminating from its pallet, blocking
air flow: Re-valve the pallet.
Reed tongue wandered off-center
in its vent: Center the tongue, reset the rivet.
Foreign matter lodged between the
reed tongue and its vent: Clean the reed.
Loose reed block: Tighten the reed block anchorage
clamp. Shim the other end as required for a snug fit.
Warped reed block: Sand the bottom of the reed
block flat, readjust its anchorage.
ACCORDION REVIVAL
George Bachich
Silent reed
Foreign matter lodged between the reed tongue
and its vent: Clean the reed tongue & vent with air,
a brush, or a .0015" feeler gauge.
Broken reed tongue: Replace the reed.
Reed tongue wandered off-center in its vent: Center
the tongue, reset the rivet.
Insufficient tip elevation above the reed plate: Voice
the reed (adjust its tip elevation).
Interior leather has dislodged and is blocking air
flow: Replace the leather.
Reed has fallen out of reed block: Re-wax the reed.
Slow reed (requires more air)
Excessive tip clearance: Voice the reed (adjust its
tip clearance).
Insufficient tip elevation (reed is close to choking):
Voice the reed (adjust its tip clearance).
Excessive side clearance between the reed tongue
and its vent: Replace the reed.
Arched reed tongue, bent by
excessive tuning pressure: Straighten the reed
tongue or replace the reed.
Slide partially closed: Adjust slide switch linkage.
Valve not opening far enough: Set deeper key action
or convert to compound levers.
Reed out of tune
Missing or inoperative leather on opposite side of
the reed plate: Replace the leather.
Missing or inoperative leather on the near side of
the reed plate: Replace the leather.
25
Grime on the reed tongue: Clean the reed tongue.
Rust on the reed tongue: Replace the reed, or
remove the rust and tune the reed.
Reed tongue cracked: Replace the reed.
Lead weight on reed tongue deteriorating: Replace
the reed.
Slide partially closed: Adjust the slide switch
linkage.
Reed out of tune for unknown reason: Tune the
reed.
Reed requires frequent retuning: Replace the reed.
Reed goes flat under pressure: Reset the rivet
Warbling reed (one reed sounding)
Arched leather: Replace the leather.
Reed loose on the reed block: Re-wax the reed.
Warbling reed (two reeds sounding)
One of the two reeds is out of tune: Identify which
reed is out, then remedy it. (See “Reed out of tune”,
above).
Two notes sound when only one key is pressed
Interference between key rods (one lifting
another): Bend one or both key rods to eliminate
the interference, then adjust those valves to seal
and level those keys.
Interference between pallets (one lifting another):
Bend key rods to adjust pallet positions.
Internal air leak between adjacent reed chambers:
Seal the leak with hot wax.
ACCORDION REVIVAL
George Bachich
Uses too much air
First, determine whether there areany external
leaks. See the chapter titled “Finding Air Leaks”.
Possible sources of external leaks
Bellows gasket leaking: Replace the bellows gasket.
Bellows metal corner leaking: Remove, glue, and
reinstall the metal corner, or a new one.
Loose or missing screw in the treble or bass
cabinet: Tighten or replace the screw, or seal the
hole with hot reed wax.
Loose bellows pin: Replace with a slightly larger
diameter pin.
Hole in the treble or bass cabinet: Seal the leak with
hot wax or fill it with wood and glue.
Crack in the treble or bass cabinet: Glue and clamp
the crack back together.
Leaking treble or bass pallet: Realign the pallet and
replace the valve facing.
Leak around switch linkage: Seal with hot wax or
replace the original seal.
Bellows porosity: Replace the bellows.
Second, check for internal leaks. See the chapter
titled “Finding Air Leaks”.
Possible sources of internal leaks:
Loose or missing reeds: Reinstall and/or re-wax the
offending reeds.
Broken reed tongue: Replace the reed.
Loose reed block: Tighten the reed block anchors,
install shims as needed.
26
Warped reed block: Sand the bottom of the reed
block flat.

Leathers missing or curled away from the reed

plates: Replace the bad or missing leathers.

Poorly voiced reeds: Voice the reeds.

Bent or arched reed tongues: Straighten the reed

tongues or replace the reeds.

Gap under the wax between adjacent reeds: Re-wax

those reeds.
Good leathers lie flat like these:
Air leaking through a hole in the wood between
reed chambers: Seal the hole with hot wax or glue.

Noisy, clunky keys or buttons

Key clunks on the way down: Replace felt key stop

under the key. Reduce key travel

Key clunks on the way up: Replace treble valve

facing. Reduce key travel.

Key squeaks: Clean spindle and key

Button clunks on the way up: *Replace bass valve Marginal leathers hang open just a bit, like
facing some of these:

CHANGING REED LEATHERS

The most commonly needed repair is changing reed

leathers. A standard 120/41 LMMH accordion has
about 380 leathers in it, and given enough time they
will all eventually need replacing. They should lie
flat against the reed plate, but with age they begin
to curl back. If they are curled back more than
1/16”, they should probably be replaced, and if they
are curled more than 1/8” they definitely should be
replaced. Nearly all old accordions need at least
some of them changed, and many need all of them
changed. Changing leathers is not difficult, and you Before you try to change any reed leathers,
can save money by doing it yourself. take the reed blocks out of the accordion. You might
Bad leathers curl back like some of these: get away with taking out just the one you want to

ACCORDION REVIVAL
27
George Bachich
work on, but it is safer to take them all out so you
don't accidentally catch any leathers and bend them
back while trying to sneak a completed reed block
back down between two that you left in the
accordion. If you have a 4-reed accordion, your reed
blocks should look something like this:
The outer leathers are very easy to change.
You just strip the old one off and glue a new one on.
To avoid throwing the reed out of tune, ensure that
the new one gets anchored (glued) along the same
amount of its length as the old one. The John
Reuther book, Accordion Repair Made Easy,
recommends using burnt shellac as glue, but
burning the alcohol off a bowl of shellac until it
becomes thick enough to use as glue seems a bit
barbaric when you can buy equally good glue right
off the shelf. Thanks to a tip from Kimric Smythe of
Smythe Accordions in Oakland California, I have
successfully used Indian Head Gasket Shellac or
Versachem Lion Gasket Shellac, available in little
brown 2 ounce plastic bottles at auto parts stores
for about $3. One bottle is enough to glue several
thousand leathers.
When you first open the bottle, you will find
a uselessly large applicator brush fixed to the lid.
Scrape the glue off it and back into the bottle, use
side-cutter pliers to cut the brush stem as close to
the lid as possible, and throw the brush away. You
will be using wooden toothpicks to apply the glue
to your leathers.
I have also successfully used Aleene's
Original Tacky Glue, which comes in a convenient
squeeze bottle. I squeeze a small bead of glue onto
the end of the leather, then spread it with a wooden
toothpick. This glue seems to stay soft better than
the gasket shellac, and provides a stronger bond,
but consequently is harder to remove. I'm sure
there are many other glues that will work as well.
If you choose to scrape the old glue off the
reed plate (recommended), use a hard wood
scraper. Cut a piece about 1/4” x 1/4” x about 6
inches long, and use your belt sander to put a
beveled “chisel” edge on the end to use as your
scraper. For really tough old glue, you can resort to
an aluminum scraper, or maybe even a brass
scraper, but be careful not to scratch the reed plate.
Aluminum and brass scrapers can be made by
hammering flat the end of a small diameter
aluminum or brass rod or tube and filing it to the
desired shape. Steel scrapers are inappropriate, as
they will far too readily scratch the aluminum.
Be sure to brush and shake out and/or blow
away all the little bits of debris that might later
lodge between a reed tongue and reed vent and
silence a reed. An old tooth brush works well, as
long as you are careful not to wedge a bristle
between the reed tongue and the vent, which will
be hard to get out. Scraping and brushing are worth
the time. A little bit of cleanliness now will save you
a lot of heartache later. However, don't use canned
air, as it will chill the reeds and cause condensation
to form.
Reed leathers come only in certain lengths,
so you will usually have to cut the next larger size
down to fit the reed vent. You want the fixed end of
the leather to butt up against the rivet and the free
end to extend only about 1/32” past the end of the
reed vent. I use a single edge razor blade mounted
in a window scraper to cut the leathers guillotine
style. Cutting them with scissors does not work
well, as it is nearly impossible to get a square cut.

ACCORDION REVIVAL
28
George Bachich
 small amount of bias (curvature) into the leather,
just as you did for the exterior leathers.
Apply glue to the fuzzy side of one end of
the leather, just as you do for exterior leathers, but
this time you will have no choice but to grip the
leather by the fixed (glued) end, which means you
will inevitably get some glue on your tweezers. This
will cause the leather to want to stick to your
tweezers and come back out of the reed chamber
with the tweezers when you pull the tweezers out.
Sometimes you can prevent this by hooking the end
of the leather behind the rivet, pulling the tweezers
free, and letting the leather fall into place. It also
Curl the leather in your fingers to put a helps to put a thin shim (the same thickness as the
small amount of curvature in it (smooth side out, leather) between the jaws of the tweezers to
fuzzy side in), to bias it toward the reed plate. Don’t prevent the tweezers from gripping the leather too
put much curvature in it though, because if the tightly.
center of it arches off the reed plate it will operate
very noisily. You must make sure it lies perfectly
flat on the reed plate.
Apply the glue sparingly to the fuzzy side of
the leather (along only that part of its length that
you wish to anchor), because you do not want any
excess glue to run down into the reed vent. Use a
normally closed tweezers to grip the leather by the
free end. Place the fixed end against the rivet, make
sure the leather is centered laterally over the vent,
press it into place with a finger, then release the
tweezers. If necessary, you will have a few seconds
to properly align it before the glue sets up. It will be
dry enough to play the accordion after about a
minute.
Changing interior leathers takes more skill
The next step is to align the leather with the
and patience than changing the exterior ones. It’s a
vent and then pat it into place using a small flat
bit like building a ship in a bottle, as you are
blade screwdriver, making sure it lies perfectly flat.
working in a really confined space through a very
It is critically important to ensure that the leather is
small opening. A headlamp is absolutely essential
not so close to the sides or end of the reed chamber
for seeing into the reed chamber while you work.
that it will catch on the wood while operating. It is
Pull the old leather out with tweezers, and don’t
equally important to ensure that the leather does
even try to clean the old glue off the reed plate, as it
not touch the reed tongue right beside it in the reed
will be impossible to get out all the debris you will
chamber, or that reed will be silenced. You must
generate. It is better to leave all that stuff
also be careful not to get any glue on that reed
undisturbed and anchored into the new glue.
tongue, as the weight of it will throw the reed out of
Cut the leather to the proper length using
tune.
the exterior reed vent and leather as your guide. It
Finally, verify that the new leather operates
is critically important not to make it so long that it
freely by pressing the outer reed tongue into its slot
will hang up on the end of the reed chamber. Put a
far enough to lift the leather, and watching it fall
back into place.

ACCORDION REVIVAL
29
George Bachich
 The larger leathers sometimes have little
metal spines (contrapelli) attached to stiffen them.
They are generally held in place by leather “dots” of
either 6 mm or 8 mm diameter. You can either buy
new ones or reuse the old ones. Place the metal
spine centered on the leather, put a small drop of
fabric glue on the fuzzy side of the leather dot (I use
a toothpick embedded in the glue to transport the
dot to the reed valve), and while you hold the spine
firmly in place with one finger, use another finger to
press the dot into place over one end of the spine.
Fabric glue dries almost instantly, so work quickly.
I get my leathers, dots, and contrapelli from
Letizia Bompezzo in Castelfidardo, Italy. I order via
email, in English. I don’t know if she has a minimum
order size, as I normally order several thousand
leathers at a time. In these quantities the average
cost of the leathers is usually under $.10 each,
depending on the mix of sizes. However, the freight
from Italy significantly increases that cost (shipping
cost on a recent order was $59.00), so to save on
freight charges I sometimes order when I am also
ACCORDION REVIVAL
George Bachich
ordering a bellows or some other major component
from another supplier, and I ask Ms. Bompezzo to
deliver the leathers to my other supplier for
shipment in the same box, which she has kindly
done.
She makes reed leathers in seven sizes,
using thinner leather for the smaller sizes:
Size name (Dimensions)
Bassi (10mm x 60mm)
Terzetti (9 mm x 49 mm)
Ottavo bassi (7 mm x 46 mm)
I (7 mm x 41 mm)
II (7 mm x 36 mm)
III (6 mm x 30 mm)
IV (6 mm x 25 mm)
She also sells composite leathers (leathers
with a mylar sheet glued to the fixed end as a
stiffener) as an alternative to using the little metal
spines (contrapelli) to stiffen the larger leathers.
Here is her contact information:
Bompezzo Letizia
Via U. Foscolo, 33
60022 Castelfidardo (AN) Italia
tel. 071 7822899
cell. 345 0016490
email: orlandoni.g@libero.it
If you prefer not to order from Italy or in
large quantity, and if my supply at the time is
adequate, I would consider selling you leathers for
$.25 each, plus postage (usually under $3 for U.S.
addresses). Use this email contact link to inquire,
and specify how many of each size you want.
Most accordions use real leather (goatskin)
reed valves, as described above, but some designs
use plastic "ventilli". Plastic ventilli are available in
so many lengths that you seldom need to cut one to
fit. You can buy them from accordion parts
suppliers such as FRM Enterprises, or online. Some
designs incorporate a hole to fit over the rivet,
others are designed like leathers, to butt up against
the rivet.
I have not tried using alternate materials,
but one reader of this site, Donald Thornhill, offers
30
the following alternate sourcing tip. These are his
words: "I have found 1.5 mylar 1/4 inch wide
audiotape to be excellent. 2 layers actually. One
being shorter by 5/16 inch. I may be a little more
cautious when I am at the last 25% of the 7 inch
spool of tape as it will maybe have a little more curl
from being on the reel. What I could do is maybe
reserve that portion for the lower octave reeds vs the
higher ones. Also, I put the oxide part inwards
adjacent to the plate. I use epoxy for the glue...the
kind that is in the two tubes. Best to avoid the cheap
dollar store kind. The valves will allow themselves to
be easily changed. You will also know it is 1.5 ml as a
full 7 inch reel is 1200 feet (Not 1800 feet or 2400
feet etc.) Do not use acetate kind. Only the mylar. I
am not sure of the kind marked polyester. A 3/16
inch glue area is enough. Make sure the end at the
base is adjacent to the rivet and that the other end
need only just cover the end of the reed window. You
have to keep in mind that the inside valves are just
about no clearance from the wood in many
instances."
Plastic ventilli do not curl over time, and
seldom need to be replaced unless damaged by
careless handling. Even accordions using plastic
ventilli on most of their reeds usually have leathers
on the largest reeds, and sometimes have
composite reed valves comprised of leather with a
layer of mylar over it. These are very similar to the
composite leathers Ms. Bompezzo sells as an
alternative to using the little metal spines
(contrapelli) to stiffen the larger leathers.
For more discussion of the relative merits of
mylar ventilli versus leather reed valves, see the
article titled "Reed Valves - Plastic or Leather?"
FINDING AIR LEAKS
Most old accordions leak air somewhere,
either through screw holes or cracks in the cabinet,
or between the cabinet and the foundation plate, or
through one of the bellows gaskets, or around one
or more of the 41 treble valves and 24 bass valves,
or through the switch linkage, or through the
bellows themselves. Sometimes missing or broken
reeds cause significant air leaks. Loose reed blocks
can also waste a lot of air. Bad leathers can also
ACCORDION REVIVAL
George Bachich
increase air consumption. There are lots of possible
sources of leaks, and a few small leaks can add up to
a significant loss of air and accordion performance.
Air leakage can make an accordion difficult to play.
Leaks come in two categories, external and
internal. External leaks are those that allow the
bellows to fall open or closed without any keys or
buttons being pressed. Internal leaks are those that
only show up while the accordion is being played.
They allow air to find its way to an open note valve
without first having to pass through the reed that is
being played. It is important to identify whether
your leaks are external or internal so you know
where to look and what to look for.
External leaks are little holes and gaps
where air passes into or out of the accordion
without first having to pass through the reeds and
valves. Fortunately, these are the easiest to find, as
the escaping air can usually be heard and felt. The
most common places to find external leaks are at
the bellows gaskets, around loose or missing
screws, shoulder strap brackets, or switch linkages,
through damaged or misaligned treble and bass
valves, and through loose or missing bellows
corners.
Bellows gaskets are easy to change, and
loose screws can easily be tightened. Small holes in
the wood can be quickly sealed with reed wax.
Leaking valves can be simple to repair, but in some
cases can be time consuming, especially for leaking
bass valves because they are so hard to access. A
single leaking bellows corner can be easy to fix, but
if more than a couple of corners are leaking,
you probably need a new bellows.
Internal leaks only show themselves while a
valve is open, that is, while the accordion is being
played. The bellows can seem nice and tight while
no keys are depressed, but the accordion consumes
too much air when you play it. Sometimes these
leaks can be heard as a hissing sound while a note is
sounding, but their air streams can never be felt, as
they are inside the accordion. The most common
causes of internal leaks are bad or missing leathers,
bent or broken reed tongues, loose reed plates, and
loose or warped reed blocks. Internal leaks are
often more time consuming to locate and repair.
To find out if your leak is internal or
external, measure the amount of time it takes the
31
bellows to close under its own weight from the full you have found the source. You may be able to see
open position with all valves closed. Rest your that this valve does not rest flat on the foundation
accordion on its feet on a sturdy table. Unsnap the plate, or that it is not centered over its ports. If it
bellows straps, grip one end of the treble keyboard appears to be centered, then the leak may be due to
in each hand, press a few keys on each end, and lift it being slightly tipped one way or another, or due
the treble section to expand the bellows. Don't to it being warped. You can use a narrow strip of
mind the discordant sound as air rushes into the paper as a feeler gauge to feel under both sides,
bellows through the random combination of open both ends, and the center of the valve to be sure
valves. Keep lifting until the bellows is all the way that each end, each side, and the center of the
open and the bass section lifts off the table. Shake it valve are all closing tightly against the foundation
a bit to make sure the bellows is fully extended, plate.
then release all the keys so all valves are closed (but Another way to find treble valve leaks is to
don’t drop the accordion). Note the time on a clock open the accordion, remove the treble reed blocks,
with a sweep second hand and let the bellows close make sure all the switch slides are open, and in a
by itself under the full weight of the treble section. dark room pass a bright light around the reed block
Don't let go, but don't hold any weight, either. Use side of the foundation plate while you look for
your hands to keep the bellows going down glowing felt pads on the valve side of the plate. Any
straight, but not to hold it open or force it closed. If glowing felt represents a probable air leak.
the bellows takes less than 35 seconds to close, it Pass the bright light around this side:
has some external air leaks, as nearly all accordions
do. If it takes less than 20 seconds to close, then you
probably have an external leak large enough to
easily locate and repair. If it takes between 20 and
35 seconds to collapse, the leaks will be much
harder to find unless you use a sensitive
microphone and amplifier to listen for them, as
described in the article after this one titled "The
Superstar Accordion Leak Detector".
To find the source of the leak without such a While looking for glowing felt on this side:
microphone, expand the bellows exactly as before, (You're right, these are two different accordions,
but this time as the bellows slowly closes under its and you would put the missing key back in before
own weight, pass your face around the exterior, performing the test, but you get the idea.)
feeling for drafts of air on your cheeks. Turn the
accordion around and repeat the process until you
have passed your face around the entire perimeter
of both bellows gaskets. The skin on your face is
very sensitive to tiny drafts, and most external
leaks of any consequence can be found in this
manner. To verify that you have found the exact
source of the leak, put a small piece of masking tape
over the suspected source and repeat the test. If the
leak can no longer be felt, then you can be pretty
sure it is under the tape.
If no leaks are found around the bellows,
remove the treble grille and repeat the process to
check for leaks around the treble valves. You can
often isolate a single leaking valve by pressing it
Be aware, though, that on some accordions,
down lightly with your finger. If this stops the leak,
mostly the very old ones from the 1930s and

ACCORDION REVIVAL
32
George Bachich
earlier, removing the reed blocks sometimes allows
the foundation plate to flex, which can give false
results on this test. That is, the valves that appear to
be leaking under the bright light may not actually
leak when the reed blocks are re-installed and the
foundation plate is once again stiffened by their
presence. Alternatively, the valves might pass the
light test, but leak when the reed blocks are put
back in, due to distortion of the foundation plate.
However, on most newer accordions, this test
works very well.
This same test can be performed on the bass
valves, but the bass machine must first be removed,
and in the vast majority of accordions, this requires
disassembling it piece by piece, a very time
consuming project.
An easier way to check bass valves for leaks
(especially if the leather valve facings are light
colored) is to remove the bass reed blocks and look
at the valves from the inside. Gently press each
valve open with a pencil eraser or other small blunt
tool, and look for dust trails around the edges of the
leather. The edges of the valves, where the nap of
the leather has been flattened by contact with the
foundation plate, should be clean. Dirty looking
leather along these edges is an indication of a
chronic air leak.
Sometimes, many individually
imperceptible leaks in the bellows can add up to a
significant external air leak. In this case, the only
remedy is a new bellows. However, this is fairly
unusual, so eliminate all the other possible leak
sources before committing to a new bellows.
For the ultimate in external leak detection,
see the article titled "The Superstar Accordion Leak
Detector".
If your timed bellows collapse test reveals
no significant external air leaks, but the accordion
uses too much air when you play it, then you
probably have an internal leak. To evaluate those,
you will need to open the accordion.
When you have it open, check first for bad
leathers and broken, loose, or missing reeds. There
may be some problems that you can't see, that will
show up only on a test bellows, but don't worry
about that right now, just look for obvious
problems. If lots of leathers are curled way back
from their reed plates, replacing them may
significantly decrease the accordion's air
consumption. If one or more reeds are loose or
have fallen out, re-waxing them may solve the
problem. Can you spot the missing reeds and the
bad leathers in this accordion?

You may also find wood splinters, wax

chips, or other foreign matter lodged under the
valve, preventing it from sealing against the
foundation plate, in which case you can probably
cure the problem by removing the obstruction with
a pair of tweezers. This one was an easy fix:

ACCORDION REVIVAL
33
George Bachich

Also check for loose reed blocks. If they
move at all when you try to wiggle them, they are
too loose, and simply tightening their
mounting latch screw and/or installing a thin shim
under the reed block restraint at the opposite end
could cure the problem. In the photo below, the two
screws in the top of each reed block are for securing
the slide latch in locked position. The single
screw immediately to the right of each reed block is
for adjusting the downward pressure on the reed
block. This screw should be snug enough to prevent
the reed block from rocking or sliding around, but
not so tight that pressure on the reed blocks
distorts the foundation plate.
If the slide latch end of the reed block seems
tight enough, but the other end seems loose, add
paper or card stock shims as shown below. Add
enough shims for a snug fit, but not enough to cause
the slide latch end of the reed block to rise off the
ACCORDION REVIVAL
George Bachich
foundation plate. A drop of glue will hold your
shims in place.
If you find no obvious problem, then
diagnosing and repairing the internal air leak could
take some time. There may be warped reed blocks
allowing air to pass under their edges and directly
to the open valve ports without first passing
through the desired reeds. You can check for this by
placing the reed block on a perfectly flat table
and using a .003" metal feeler gauge to check for
clearance between the table and the bottom of the
reed block. If you find clearance at one corner or in
the middle, the rest of the reed block will have to be
sanded down to eliminate this clearance. Before
sanding, however, you should move the reed block
around on the table to make sure that irregularities
in the table surface are not responsible for the
clearance.
There might be reeds deformed by
excessive pressure during tuning (you will be able
to see a slight arch in the reed tongue), or there
might be reeds that need to be properly voiced (you
will notice that they respond slowly, and/or that
they hiss before beginning to sound their notes).
Air might be leaking through cracks in the
reed wax or around reed plates that have separated
from the wax but have not yet fallen out. Even if the
wax looks good, it might not seal to the wood
separating two reed chambers, allowing air to leak
from one reed chamber to the next. I have even
found holes in the wood separations between
adjacent reed chambers that allow air to leak from
one to another. You can use your test bellows to
check for these problems.
34

THE SUPERSTAR ACCORDION LEAK DETECTOR
One of the most time consuming aspects of
accordion repair is locating air leaks. While large
external leaks can be found by ear and/or by feeling
the air stream on your face, finding them is often a
two person job. Moreover, many external leaks
including treble valve leaks are often difficult to
feel, or even to hear, yet significantly impact
performance, and down in the tone chamber they
can be especially hard to locate. Bass valve leaks are
hard to locate because you can’t get sufficiently
close to them without first dismantling the bass
machine. Then there is the problem of being certain
that you have found and repaired all the other leaks
in the accordion so you can confidently tell your
customer that the remaining air loss is definitely in
the bellows, where we often suspect, but cannot
prove, that tiny leaks at each of the bellows corners,
while individually undetectable, are adding up to to
a big loss of air.
All these problems are instantly solved by
using a miniature electret condenser microphone
and amplifier with headphone. This device makes
finding leaks a one person job. More importantly, it
makes even the tiniest leak literally roar into the
headphones.
I use a 4mm diameter unidirectional
electret condenser microphone element with a
compact pre-amp and amplifier circuit designed for
me by Alan Polivka to run on a 9-volt battery. I
squeezed it all, including circuit board, battery,
microphone jack, volume control, and on/off
switch, into a 2 1/8” x 3 1/4” x 1 1/4” (54 mm x 83
mm x 32 mm) plastic box that clips onto my pocket.
A cheap stereo headphone completes the assembly.
Mounting the tiny and fragile microphone
element into one end of a 6-inch (15 cm) length of
3/16” (5 mm) o.d. pvc tubing protects it from
damage, yet still allows putting it down into some
very tight places. Just use a 4 mm drill bit to enlarge
about ¼ inch (6 mm) of one end of the tube to
snugly fit the 4 mm microphone element. A squirt of
hot glue from a glue gun into the opposite end of
the pvc tube holds the microphone wires firmly in
place and eliminates any chance of pulling them off
ACCORDION REVIVAL
George Bachich
the microphone element during normal use. The
elasticity of this pvc wand acoustically isolates the
microphone from your hand, thereby minimizing
the noise caused by gripping the wand with your
fingers or by rubbing it against parts of the
accordion, thus eliminating the main annoyance of
using a stethoscope, which tends to roar anytime
you move it.
This little microphone reaches into places a
medical stethoscope won’t go, and is far more
sensitive to air flow. It fits down between treble
valve rods to listen right alongside each treble
valve, including those in the tone chamber. It
reaches down through the pistons of the bass
machine to listen alongside individual bass valves,
bass register slide pivots, and other foundation
plate penetrations. Unlike lengthening a
stethoscope hose or adding slimmer tubular
extensions to reach int tight places, lengthening the
microphone cord or wand does not decrease its
sensitivity. It is great for listening around cabinetry
joints and foundation plate edges in behind the
treble valve rods and around the bass cabinet, as
well as around the bellows gaskets and external
screws.
It allows you to find smaller leaks than are
detectable by any other means, including a
stethoscope. Repairing even these seemingly minor
leaks can significantly extend bellows collapse time,
thus improving accordion performance and gaining
you happier customers.
The attached photo, circuit diagram, and
parts list should allow you to build your own
Superstar Accordion Leak Detector for about $60 in
parts and supplies, including the headset and
battery, plus the cost of shipping components from
several sources. Unless you are an experienced
electronics technician, I recommend that you
purchase more than one microphone element ($2
each), because of the high likelihood of destroying
them during construction (I ruined 4 out of 10). For
someone new to electronic assembly (like me), the
challenges involved in the construction include
laying out the circuit board elements to fit on such a
small board, laying out the board and all the other
components to fit into such a small box, soldering
wire leads to the tiny pins on the back of the
microphone element (best done under 10x
35
magnification) without overheating it or shorting it,
and getting the microphone element and its new
leads safely mounted in the pvc tube without
ripping the leads off the microphone in the process.
Challenging as it is, the convenience of the tiny
amplifier and the astonishing effectiveness of this
mini microphone at finding accordion leaks make it
all worthwhile. If you do much accordion repair,
you will soon wonder how you ever survived
without this little gem.
Headphone, amplifier, and microphone
Electrical design by Alan Polivka, email
AcrdionMan@msn.com or find him on Facebook
under Alan Polivka.
Parts and Supplies List:
LM 386 Amp (integrated circuit, 8-pin DIP)
MU044402-2 Microphone element
Sony 24 Ohm MDR-V150 Headphone
Plastic box 2 1/8” x 3 1/4” x 1 1/4” (54 mm x 83
mm x 32 mm) or larger
Belt clip
General purpose bread board 1.4” x 1.1” (35.6mm x
27.9 mm) or larger if your box is larger
Mini headphone jack
10K Ohm Audio (log) potentiometer
On/off switch, small toggle
ACCORDION REVIVAL
George Bachich
9 volt battery
9 volt battery connector
3/16” (5 mm) o.d. pvc tubing , 6 inch (15 cm) long
¼” o.d. flexible plastic hose 2ft (61 cm) long
3/8” (10 mm) o.d. semi-rigid plastic hose 4 inches
(10 cm) long
Cable ties
#26 gauge insulated wire, 2 colors, each 3 ft. (1 m)
long
Fine wire rosin core solder
Hot glue from glue gun
10 Ohm Resistor
36k Ohm resistor
250 µF capacitor
100 µF capacitor
.33 µF capacitor
.05 µF capacitor
REPAIRING STRIPPED-OUT WOOD SCREWS
It is always annoying to find a stripped out
wood screw. It is even more annoying if it is in a
place that causes an air leak. Sometimes you can get
away with using the next larger diameter screw, but
sometimes that is not practical, in which case you
must fill the hole and start over. This simple
procedure also comes in handy whenever you want
to fill an old hole after moving some bracket, strap,
or snap to a new location.
If the hole is small enough, you can use a
round or square wooden toothpick (the flat ones do
not work well) as a plug. If the hole is too large for a
toothpick, use a small softwood dowel, available at
the building supply store for under a dollar.
Whatever your chosen plug, make it longer than the
depth of the hole you are filling, because you will
want to trim it off flush later. If using a toothpick,
trim off part of the point as required for a slightly
snug fit in the hole, then shave the rest of it down to
that same diameter. If using a dowel, either shave it
down to fit the hole or ream the hole larger for a
slightly snug fit around the dowel. Work from the
outside, but check on the inside to be sure the plug
or the glue you will use will not interfere with
anything on that side.
Use a wooden toothpick to coat the inside of
the hole and the outside of the plug with Elmer's
36
wood glue. Push the plug into the hole until it
bottoms out or, if the hole goes all the way through,
until it is flush with the wood on the other side. Let
the glue dry for several hours. When the glue has
dried, trim the plug flush with the surface with a
single edge razor.
If you plan to install a new screw in the hole,
use a tiny drill bit (no more than 2/3 the diameter
of the screw) to drill a pilot hole. If your new screw
is smaller than the smallest drill bit you can get,
then try using the point of an awl, or perhaps even a
straight pin or sewing needle to make the pilot hole.
Getting the new screw started in a pilot hole will
ensure that it enters the wood precisely where you
want it, and also helps prevent the new screw from
stripping out as you drive it in.
If you don't plan to install a new screw in
the hole, and if you wish to repair the celluloid
finish at the hole's location, then snip the plug flush
with the surface before the glue dries and use
another piece of dowel to force the plug a bit
farther into the hole so it ends up very slightly
below the surrounding surface. Then use black
fingernail polish (or some other matching color if
your accordion is not black) very sparingly just on
top of the plug, being careful not to get it on the
surrounding celluloid. Don't try to fill the hole with
fingernail polish all at once. It is better to build it up
in thin layers after each preceding layer dries.
When you finally have the fingernail polish flush
with the surface, stop. If you have kept the
fingernail polish confined to the diameter of the
hole, your repair will be small and inconspicuous
and will not need further finishing.
cause, the leather is no longer able to make a good
seal. Peel it off and use a narrow flat blade
screwdriver or similar scraping tool to remove the
residue and the old glue. Take care not to damage
the plastic trim bead that usually forms the outer
wall of the shallow channel.
Replacement gaskets are adhesive backed
foam rubber. This material is a bit thicker and more
resilient than the original leather, and will seal
better. It is available in long rolls in two different
widths (3/16" and 1/4") from FRM Enterprises in
Montreal for $12 or $13 per roll. A roll is enough for
several accordions. Just get the roll width that
matches your old gasket, cut off what you need,
peel off a few inches of one end of the paper
backing protecting the adhesive, and press the
gasket into place, taking care to keep it properly
aligned and lying flat in the channel, peeling off the
backing as you go. Try to make the gasket all one
piece in order to minimize the chances of a leak at
one of the end joints.

REPLACING A BELLOWS GASKET

If you have a leak at one of your bellows

gaskets, replace the gasket. Pull the bellows pins,
split the accordion, and determine whether the
gasket is located on the bellows or on the cabinet.
The old gasket is likely to be leather, mounted in a
3/16 to 1/4 inch wide shallow channel on the
bellows frame, but is sometimes mounted on the
treble or bass cabinet. With time, the leather
shrinks, the cabinet warps, the bellows frame
warps, or the bellows pins loosen up. Whatever the

ACCORDION REVIVAL
37
George Bachich

I begin and end with a steep bevel cut
across the gasket to allow a long side by side lap joint
where the two ends join. This eliminates the need to cut
the new gasket quite as precisely to the correct length.
However, simply butting the square cut ends snugly
together will suffice, if you get the length cut exactly
right. As you round the corners on your bellows frame,
stretch it a bit to fit the curve and press it firmly into
place a fraction of an inch at a time to ensure a
good fit and stable anchorage around the corner. If
the gasket surface is double or triple wide along the
front of the bass section by the bass switches,
simply cut and fit additional strips of the gasket
snugly against one another as required to fill the
space to the same extent that it was filled by the
original gasket.
You will occasionally find that the new
gasket material is not thick enough to seal the joint.
In that case, try applying a second gasket over the
first one. If you can get the bellows pins in without
excessive force, this double gasket will probably
solve the problem. However, if the double gasket
turns out to be too thick, that is, if there is danger
ACCORDION REVIVAL
George Bachich
that forcing the bellows pins into place will enlarge
the holes or perhaps split the bellows frame, then
peel it all off and start over, looking for a different
solution.
Check the mating surfaces of the bellows
frame and accordion cabinet for warpage with a
straight edge. If identifiable high spots are found,
sanding them down may provide sufficient room
for the double gasket. Also look for screws,
brackets, internal microphones, wires, etc. that
might be preventing the bellows frame from
uniformly and snugly contacting the mating surface
in the cabinet. In extreme cases you might lay in a
second layer of gasket just where the single
thickness gasket continues to leak, thus avoiding
excessive pressure on the bellows pins in the areas
where a single gasket is thick enough.
If you have the thickness just right, when
you put the accordion back together you should
have to slightly compress the new gasket by
pressing down lightly on the treble section in order
to allow the bellows pins to be pushed into place
with moderate pressure. If they go in too tightly,
they might damage the bellows frame. If they go in
too loosely, the gasket may still leak. You will be
rewarded for getting it right because few things are
better than a nice airtight accordion.
REPAIRING CRACKED OR BROKEN WOOD
You will probably eventually encounter an
accordion with a cracked cabinet, perhaps from
being dropped. The most common crack is under
the bass cover around the bass cover mounting
screws, where the rather fragile wood structure
sometimes cracks along a line between the two
screws at one end of the cover, so the screws won’t
hold. Another fairly common crack is in the wood
supporting the lower end of the bass machine, or
between the slots in the wooden bass piston guide
at the bottom of the pistons. The worst kind of
crack is at the corners of the treble cabinet where it
joins the bellows, because not only does air leak
through the crack, but the resulting loose fit around
the bellows frame often causes the bellows gasket
to leak, as well.
38
 The good news is that nearly all these
cracks are repairable, but I have seen some pretty
shoddy failed attempts to glue and tape these things
together, so I think it might be useful to review the
correct way to repair cracked or broken wood.
The first rule is that the crack must be glued
and clamped. Just pouring glue into the crack will
not suffice, as it will create a very weak joint certain
to crack open again, probably immediately. For a
strong glue joint, the glue must be in a very thin
coat over a fairly large area of contact between the
two sides of the crack, and allowed to cure
overnight under clamping pressure, with the two
sides of the crack pressed firmly and tightly
together by the clamps.
The second rule is that you must have your
clamps ready ahead of time so you can set them
immediately after you glue the joint. After you have
brushed on the glue is not the time to go searching
for clamps, nor is it the time to discover that the
clamps you have selected will not fit or will not
hold, or will not stay in place on a curved surface.
All the details of the clamping must be worked out
in advance, and the clamps actually installed and
tightened before you glue anything, just to make
sure it will all work as planned. Once you have
proven that your clamping arrangement works,
remove the clamps, spread Elmer's wood glue in
the joint, and reapply the clamps.
Sometimes even this will not hold,
especially if the wood is thin and the pressure
forcing the crack open is great. Such is the case with
cracks at the corner of the treble cabinet where it
joins the bellows. The plywood wrap around these
corners of the treble cabinet is very thin to allow
the bellows frame to fit snugly down inside the
cabinet, so the faces on either side of the crack are
very small, not affording enough contact area to
provide a structurally strong joint if simply glued
and clamped.
Whenever a simple glued joint will not
suffice, you will have to fabricate some kind of
doubler across the joint. If it is a wooden doubler or
a corner gusset, it, too must be glued and clamped
in place after the crack itself is clamped securely
closed by its own set of clamps. If there is not room
for a wooden doubler or gusset of sufficient
thickness and strength (such as at the corners of
ACCORDION REVIVAL
George Bachich
the treble cabinet facing the bellows), you can
fabricate an aluminum corner bracket and glue and
screw it in place. In this case, the screws are merely
clamps that are left permanently in place. Naturally,
the bellows frame will have to be mortised to fit
around the aluminum corner bracket, or the
bellows frame will not fit back into the treble
cabinet.
No two cracks are the same, so it is
impossible to write detailed instructions that will
apply in every case, but walking you through a
repair I recently made will help illustrate the basic
procedure, and may provide some ideas for
repairing the next crack you encounter.
Clamping a rounded corner may seem
daunting at first, because the usual spring clamps
and screw clamps will not fit. But if you are
creative, you will figure out some way to clamp it. I
used a one inch wide nylon cargo strap around the
cabinet, tightened by the little hand winch that
comes with the strap. I modified the strap to
eliminate the steel hooks, which I feared would mar
the accordion finish. I ground off the rivet and
removed and discarded the short strap with its
hook. Then I removed the hook from the long strap
and anchored one end of that strap to the winch
with a bolt and nut to replace the rivet I had ground
off. I wound the other end of the strap around the
spool of the winch and used the winch to tighten
the strap around the treble cabinet until the
cracked corners closed. Naturally, I had to first
remove the bellows strap snaps and shoulder strap
brackets to allow the cargo strap to fit snugly
against the celluloid finish. I used a soft rag as a pad
to protect the celluloid finish from being marred by
the metal winch.
I found a short piece of scrap aluminum
tubing with the same outside radius as the inside
radius of the treble cabinet corners. I cut the short
length of tubing into quarters, circumference-wise,
so each of my corner brackets started out as a 90
degree curve. I trimmed these down to maybe 70 or
80 degree curves on my belt sander, as I wanted
them just wide enough to allow getting my screws
into solid wood on either side of the crack. I used a
center-punch to locate four holes in each of them,
then used my drill press to drill those holes to
match the outside diameter of the small brass wood
39
screws I had on hand, which were short enough not In the morning I released the cargo strap
to go all the way through the wood. I then used a and reinstalled the reed blocks, shoulder strap
countersink mounted in the drill press to brackets, bellows strap snaps, and bellows. What
countersink the heads of the flathead screws flush the previous day had been a worthless, unplayable,
with the aluminum, so they would not interfere cracked and leaky mess, was now a perfectly
with the bellows frame. playable accordion. I scraped just enough glue out
With the cargo strap tightened to of the cracks to make room for a few thin layers of
completely close the cracks, I held the new brackets black nail polish to color the repair to match the
in place on the accordion with small spring clamps accordion finish. What had been 1/8” wide gaping
while I used the brackets as templates to drill tiny cracks were now almost invisible. It was a very
pilot holes in the wood. After drilling the first pilot satisfying repair.
hole for each bracket, I put a screw in it to hold the
bracket firmly in place while I drilled the rest of
them. I wrapped masking tape around my pilot hole
drill bit to use as a depth gauge to avoid drilling all
the way through to the outside finish, and I drilled
by hand, holding and turning the drill chuck with
my fingers.
Using just two screws to hold each corner
bracket in place, I set the bellows in place, marked
the bellows frame at the edges of both corner
brackets, and used a box cutter to hand carve
mortises in the bellows frame corners to
accommodate the thickness of the new corner
brackets. I removed the corner brackets from the
cabinet to use as templates to carve the bellows
frame corner to exactly the right curvature and
depth for a snug fit.
Note that all this was in preparation.
Nothing had been glued yet. I released the cargo
strap, cut small pieces of waxed paper to fit
between the strap and the outside face of the
accordion at the cracks, to prevent any glue that
might squeeze out of the crack from gluing the
strap to the accordion. Only then did I put glue into
both cracks, using a narrow piece of .002” metal
feeler gauge to work the glue thoroughly down into
the bottoms of the cracks. Once I was sure that the
entire inside faces of the cracks were thoroughly
coated, I put the waxed paper in place and
tightened the cargo strap until the cracks were once
again completely closed, forcing most of the glue
out of the crack.
With the cargo strap still firmly tight, I then
brushed glue onto the aluminum corner brackets
and onto the wood behind them, and installed the
screws to clamp them in place. I let the whole thing
dry undisturbed overnight.

ACCORDION REVIVAL
40
George Bachich
 motor). The wood is soft and not very thick, so
INSTALLING A BACK PAD several twists of the drill under moderate pressure
should be enough to drill your pilot hole through
One of the easiest and most economical the tape and the wood. Twist one of your screws
ways to enhance the look and feel of your accordion partway into the hole to begin cutting the threads,
is to install a back pad, which helps protect the then back it out, remove the tape, put the male snap
bellows from your clothing and vise-versa. Back in place and install the screw. Snug is enough. Don’t
pads are normally held on by four snaps. The over-tighten it, or you may strip the threads out of
female halves of the snaps are usually pre-mounted the thin wood.
in the back pad, and the male halves of the snaps Snap the back pad onto that snap, position it
and the screws for attaching them to the back of the square with the accordion, and press one of the
treble keyboard are usually supplied loose with the other snaps hard against its masking tape pad to
pad. Make sure the supplied screws are not longer make a circular impression in the tape. Mark the
than necessary to penetrate the snap and the wood, center of this circular impression with a pen or
as you do not want the screw point interfering with pencil, and drill your pilot hole through the mark.
the action of any of the treble keys on the other Tap the threads and install the snap just as you did
side. with the first one. Repeat with each of the two
Set the accordion on its feet and position the remaining snaps.
pad where you want it. Make sure you have the
right size pad, as they come in various sizes. The
pad should not be so large that it sticks out past
either end of the accordion, and it should probably
be at least large enough to reach within one inch of
either end. I like mine to reach just about to the
beginning of the curve on the bellows corners. In
the other direction, I like my back pads to extend
about an inch past the bass side of the bellows, but
many are installed flush with the bass side of the
bellows; it’s your choice. You can slide it up or
down to suit yourself. Although they are typically
installed within an inch or so of the edge of the
keyboard, this is not critical, as this part of the
accordion does not move much relative to your
clothing.
Make sure the pad is square with the
accordion, then place a one inch square of doubled
or tripled masking tape approximately centered
under each of the snaps. You will use these to mark
the exact locations for the screw holes. You are
doubling it to allow you to make a better
impression of the snap in the thicker, more
compressible multiple thickness tape.
Start by marking just one screw location on
the tape. Choose a drill bit no larger than 2/3 the
diameter of your screw, and drill the pilot hole very
carefully so as not to punch through the thin wood
and damage one of the keys on the other side. I drill
by hand, using a drill bit and chuck only (no drill

ACCORDION REVIVAL
41
George Bachich

ACCORDION
REPAIR
2 wax, which will break away fairly easily as you
RENEWING TREBLE VALVES
Renewing, refacing, re-valving; whatever
you choose to call it, replacing the felt/leather
facing on your treble valves will make your
accordion use less air and will reduce the clattering
of the keyboard. Old hard felt is less effective as a
cushion, and compressed felt allows the key to
travel farther and faster before closing. Both factors
contribute to a noisy, clunky keyboard. Re-valving
and re-leveling will go a long way toward making
your keyboard look, feel, and work like new.
Begin by removing the treble grille and
treble switch assembly, and disassembling the
keyboard. Unless your accordion has a tone
chamber, you can technically re-valve without
disassembling the keyboard, but by taking all the
keys out you will be less likely to drop brittle wax
debris into your treble register slides or into the
reed blocks when you twist off the pallets. This is
also your best chance to clean under the treble keys
and to clean the spindles, as well as to install new
felt stops under the keys, and/or adjust the depth of
the keyboard action. See the article on setting up a
treble keyboard for specific instructions.
Next, measure the thickness of the felt and
leather laminate on your treble pallets. Some
accordions have different thicknesses on the white
and black keys. If your accordion has a tone
chamber, the valves in the chamber may have a
different thickness facing from those outside the
chamber. Technically, you can change these
thicknesses, but doing so will significantly increase
the amount of bending you will have to do on the
key rods. This is particularly troublesome on keys
in the black key row, which often have very short
rods. If your accordion has just leather facing with
no felt cushion behind it, you may choose to add
ACCORDION REVIVAL
George Bachich
some padding, but the easiest way is to match the
original thicknesses.
Once you have all the keys out, note how the
pallets are fastened to the key rods. Your pallets
will most likely be fastened to the rods with reed
twist the pallet off the rod. However, some pallets
have small plastic sleeves that slip over the ends of
the key rods, which in most cases slip off and back
on fairly easily. A few accordions have the pallets
glued to the key rods, in which case this next step
may not apply, which is to remove the pallets from
the key rods. If they are fastened on with wax, you
may be tempted to leave them on to save the work
of re-waxing them, but you will probably dislodge
some of them during the cleaning process anyway,
and once off the rods the pallets are easier to
handle, so you might as well take them off right at
the beginning. The black key pallets are sometimes
a different height, length, and/or width than the
white key pallets. If so, keep them separate.
Strip the old valve facings off your pallets
and scrape off the old glue. Applying heat may help
soften the glue, so you might try using the modified
soldering iron described in the article on installing
a new bellows.
Check to make sure pallets are not arched.
Place them flat side down on a flat table and try to
push a .003" metal feeler gage under the center and
ends. If you find .003" or more clearance under any
part of a pallet, sand it flat. If it is too thin to sand
flat, then either replace it or glue on another thin
layer and sand that flat. Finish by sanding lightly to
cross hatch the surface for better glue adhesion.
You want a nice flat, clean surface to apply the new
facing.
Select the valve facing material of
appropriate thickness for each class of pallet. The
traditional Italian valve facing material from FRM
Enterprises comes in sheets large enough to do a
whole accordion for about $18. You will have to cut
the sheet into strips of the proper width to fit your
pallets. I use a wheel cutter (available in fabric
stores for about $20), a metal ruler/straightedge,
and the pallet itself to gauge the width of the strip.
Once you have it cut into strips, use the wheel
cutter and straight edge to cut off lengths to fit your
pallets.
42
 Your pallets are most likely to be wood, but
may also be plastic or metal. If you have metal
pallets you may choose to use a thin coat of hot glue
or fabric glue for better adhesion, but if you have
wood or plastic, use Elmer's white glue. Lay your
newly cut valve facings on your work table felt side
up. With a small brush, paint an even, thin coat of
glue onto the bottom of a pallet. You want thorough
coverage, but you don't want to leave any excess
glue that might soak into the felt and harden it. Be
sure to get the right pallet matched to the right
thickness valve facing, then center it carefully over
one of your valve facings, press the glued pallet
onto the felt, and leave it to dry. Repeat for each
pallet.
Before proceeding any further, be sure you fully
understand the article on setting up a treble
keyboard, including its specific instructions on how
to set the depth of action and level the keyboard.
This is your chance to get your keyboard set up
exactly the way you want it.
Once you have decided on the proper height for
your black keys, install all the black keys (sans
pallets) back into the keyboard (if your black and
white keys are all on one spindle, you may be
tempted to install the white keys also, but you will
have an easier time if you don't). Place all the black
key pallets into position, carefully centering them
over their ports and lining all their front edges up
against a straight edge, making sure they won't
interfere with operation of the white key pallets.
Use your keyboard leveling/bending tools to bend
each key rod as required to center it in the groove
in the top of its pallet and to cause the rod end to lie
level and flat in that groove at the same time that
the top of the black key is at the proper height and
exactly level with all the others.
When you have all the key rods properly
adjusted, wax them into the pallets. For details, see
the article on waxing with a modified soldering
iron. Take special care not to let any molten wax
run down the sides of the pallet far enough to foul
the felt padding or leather valve facing. If this
happens, you will have to replace that leather/felt
valve facing (don't panic; it is easy to replace).
ACCORDION REVIVAL
George Bachich
Even though all pallets were lying flat on their
ports when you waxed them in, shrinkage of the
wax as it cools might lift one end of the pallet, so
check all corners of each valve with a feeler gauge
made from a thin piece of paper. Use your bending
tools to rotate the pallet as necessary for a perfect
seal all around, and to tweak the rod as necessary
to center the pallet over its ports, and to get your
black keys exactly level.
Repeat these same procedures for the white
keys, then check for any valves that leak under
bellows pressure. Use your paper feeler gauge and
your bending tools to diagnose and cure any such
leaks, and for a final leveling of the keyboard. When
all is well, reinstall the treble switch assembly and
treble grille, and play yourself a congratulatory
song.
SETTING UP A TREBLE KEYBOARD FOR SHALLOW
ACTION
One of the nicest things you can do for yourself
if you don't already have it, is to set up your
keyboard for nice shallow action. Especially of you
play fast or use glissandos in your music, you and
those around you will appreciate what a nice
shallow action does for your playing. By shallow, I
mean somewhere between 3/16 and 1/8 inch,
measured right at the end of the white keys. This is
clearly a matter of personal preference, but I find
anything over 3/16 inch a bit cumbersome, and
anything less than 1/8 inch does not provide
enough tactile feedback. Besides, some of the valves
on your accordion may not open far enough to
allow the bassoon reed to sound if you set the
action too shallow.
By the way, all the following is based on the
assumption that your accordion does not have a
tone chamber. If it does, the same basic
considerations apply, but the job is much more
complicated, difficult, and time consuming because
each treble key has two valves mounted to it. One of
the valves is in the normal position and easy to
adjust, but the other is in the tone chamber, where
it is difficult to reach and to see, and therefore much
43
more difficult to adjust properly. The challenge is
that both valves have to close simultaneously and
seal perfectly at the same instant that the key
arrives at the correct level with all the other keys.
With some experience and the right tools this
challenge is manageable, but the first keyboard you
set up should probably not be on an accordion with
a tone chamber. Since this article is directed
primarily toward those who have not previously set
up a keyboard, it is tailored to non- tone chamber
accordions.
To find the minimum practical white key travel
for your accordion, remove the treble grille and
identify all the white keys (if any) that have short
key rods with their valves located in the black key
row, nearest the keyboard. If you have a normal full
size 41/120 accordion with 19" keyboard, you
probably will not find any. But if you have a ladies'
size or intermediate size, or if you have an extended
keyboard with more than 41 notes, you will very
likely find that from 1 to 3 of your white keys have
stubby little key rods. They are usually C keys or E
keys. The problem is that due to their shorter lever
arm these valves do not open as far as the other
white key valves for the same amount of key
deflection, and if you make the action too shallow,
they may not open far enough to allow enough air
to flow through the reeds behind them to properly
sound the bassoon reed, which requires more air
than the others. This is particularly troublesome if
the bassoon reeds are located at the rearmost ports
because the rear of the pallet, being closer to the
fulcrum, does not lift as far off the ports.
Some accordion designers eliminate this
problem by using compound levers on some or all
of these keys. They attach the valve to a long lever
hinged at the forward side of the foundation plate.
This lever is lifted near its center by the stubby key
rod, thus doubling the lift on the valve. If your
accordion has no white key valves in the black key
row, or if it has compound levers on those notes,
you can relax, because the lower practical limit of
white key travel is lower than you would want it in
any case. But if you find one or more without
compound levers, choose the lowest of those notes
to test.
ACCORDION REVIVAL
George Bachich
With the Master switch on, and with light
bellows pressure, play that note normally and
measure the depth of the key deflection required to
make all the reeds on that note respond
satisfactorily. This is the minimum practical key
travel for this key, and unless you want to make the
stop under this key lower than all the other key
stops (not recommended), it is the minimum
practical travel for all of your white keys.
Next, decide how shallow you want your key
action to be. As long as that measurement is greater
than your practical minimum, you have no worries.
If it is less than your practical minimum, you will
either have to compromise or redesign your
accordion to have compound levers. Whichever
course you choose, the white key travel you select
is the basis for the rest of your work on this project.
There are two ways to limit the key travel to
your chosen value. You can limit how far up the
keys can travel, and you can limit how far down
they can travel. You will probably do a little of both.
Upward travel is adjusted by bending the key
rod. When the valve is closed, the key is just so high,
and cannot go higher without bending the rod. (see
the article on bending key rods and making bending
tools). You will bend the key rods to set the key
height exactly where you want it, usually flush with
the ends of the keyboard cabinet. This usually looks
the best, and is also very convenient, because you
can simply place a long straightedge across all the
keys, resting directly on top of the cabinet at each
end and bend the key rods until all the keys just
barely touch the straightedge and are not deflected
by the straightedge when you press the
straightedge down onto the ends of the cabinet. Any
resulting movement is very easy to see, so this
method allows very precise keyboard leveling.
Make your initial bends as close as possible to
the keys, and as far as possible from the pallets. If
significant bending is required, you will find that
one end or the other of the pallet has lifted off the
foundation plate, which, if uncorrected, will cause
the valve to leak. Make your second bend to correct
44
this as close to the pallet as possible. Naturally, this
second bend will impact the level of your key, so
you will have to make another bend as close to the
key as possible to correct that. You may go back and
forth several times before you finally get it right.
The point to remember is that bends made to raise
or lower the key should be made close to the key,
and bends to rock the pallet into parallel with the
foundation plate should be made close to the pallet.
Check all corners of each pallet with a feeler gauge
cut from thin paper. For a perfect seal, you want to
feel equal drag on the paper as you pull it out from
under each corner.
Once you have leveled your keyboard (set the
upward limit of white key travel and got every
valve sealing perfectly), the next step is to take out
all the treble keys (see the article on disassembling
the treble keyboard). Also remove the long felt strip
(key cushion/key stop), which you will find glued to
the cabinet under the ends of the white key bodies,
and the short felt or leather key cushions/stops
glued to the cabinet at the end of each black key
slot. Scrape off any old glue and felt residue.
As you have surmised by now, the downward
travel is limited by felt stops (cushions) placed
under the keys (green in the photo below). The
stops are under the key body, not under the keytop
overhangs at the ends of the white keys. Putting
stops under the white keytop overhangs is a sure
fire recipe for broken or delaminated keytops.
If you have a wooden keyboard like the one
above, you will notice that the keyboard cabinet
slots for the black keys are shorter than the slots for
ACCORDION REVIVAL
George Bachich
the white keys. Assuming you made sure your keys
were numbered as you took them out, by counting
short slots and long slots up from the bottom of the
keyboard you can easily determine which keys go
where. If your keyboard is aluminum, the slots may
all look the same, in which case you will have to
count more carefully, especially if your white and
black keys have separate numbering systems.
Install a white key and an immediately adjacent
black key in their proper positions near the center
of the keyboard. You are choosing the approximate
middle in order to be able to see and measure
under the keys, and to be able to test various
thicknesses of key stop material without taking the
keys out each time. You are placing a black key
immediately adjacent to a white key to allow setting
the black key upward travel limit at the point where
the top of the black key is exactly parallel to the top
of the white key when they are both at their
upward travel limits.
When you have properly adjusted that black
key's upward limit, measure the difference in
height between the white and black keys at rest
against their upward stops (i.e., with both of their
valves closed). Fabricate two wooden shims exactly
this height by about 1/2 inch wide and 2 inches
long. You will eventually tape these shims onto the
cabinet ends in line with the ends of the black keys,
so the straightedge can be rested on these shims
while you level the black keys.
The next steps are to select the right
combination of materials to use as white key stops
to limit their downward travel to exactly the
distance you selected early on, and to select the
correct materials to use as black key stops to
prevent the black keys from submerging below the
level of the white keys when the white keys are at
rest at their upward limit (you don't want excessive
black key travel to cause you to inadvertently
depress a white key while playing). The single
white key and black key you have installed are your
test beds for selecting the right material
thicknesses.
If the clearance under your single white key
45
(measured at the future key stop location) is not
more than 1/8 inch in excess of your chosen key
travel dimension, you can use felt of the correct
thickness to stop your key where you want it to
stop. However, it may not be wise to use felt thicker
than 1/8 inch, because it will compress too much,
giving the keyboard a mushy feel. In case the
clearance under your white key is more than 1/8
inch in excess of your chosen key travel distance,
you will need to fabricate a long wooden shim of
the correct thickness and width to be glued and
clamped in place under the 1/8" felt white key stop.
Select your black key stop material in the same
way, and cut individual pieces to glue into place,
using one of the old stops as a pattern. These are in
a much more difficult place to clamp, so if your
shims (if any) are not too thick, consider making
them of scrap leather and gluing them to the wood
with fabric glue, which sets much more quickly. If
you make your new black key stops wider or longer
than the originals, take care that they will not
interfere with the operation of the black keys or the
adjacent white keys. Try your various shims and
cushion (key stop) materials under your test keys
before gluing anything in place.
avoid the temptation to hold the key and bend the
rod. If you have an old style wooden key with the
key rod driven into it like a nail, this could tear the
rod out of the key, or loosen it, which opens an
entirely new can of worms. If you have aluminum
key rods that extend all the way through the key,
you may overstress the key hinge. Stick to the
standard procedure, which is to grip the rod with
two bending tools, one on either side of the point
where you want it to bend.
If this standard procedure is clearly not
working, then the nuclear solution is to twist the
pallet off the key rod, clean all the old wax out of
the pallet and revalve it, as the old valve facing is
likely to have a waffle pattern impressed into it by
the ports under it, and you will probably not be able
to get it precisely back into position to seal properly
(see the article on renewing treble valves). With the
pallet off, use pliers on the end of the key rod to
bend it into the proper position to lie flat in the slot
on top of the re-valved pallet when the key is level.
When you have it right, center the pallet over its
ports, align it with neighboring pallets, and wax the
key rod back into the pallet.

Once you are happy with your selection,

remove your test keys and glue and clamp the long
wooden shim in place (if you are using one) using
Elmer's wood glue or equal, and glue your black key
shims (if any) in place with the glue of your choice.
When the glue has dried, glue your chosen felt key
cushions/stops on top of the shims, using a very
light coat of Elmer's, wood glue so as not to allow
excess glue to soak into the felt and harden it. If you
are also changing the felt trim under the white key
overhangs, now is the time to do it.

Now you are ready. Install the black keys first

Once you have your black keys level and sealing
and use your bending tools to level them (with the
perfectly, reinstall the white keys, which were
wooden shims taped in place under the ends of the
previously leveled. Play the accordion to check for
straightedge, naturally). As with the white keys,
leaks. If any leaks are felt or heard, first try high
bends made to raise or lower the key should be
inward bellows pressure with the Master switch on
made close to the key, and bends to rock the pallet
to see if enough air is leaking to sound a reed, in
into parallel with the foundation plate should be
which case you can identify the note by ear. Be
made close to the pallet. This is particularly
aware that you will be hearing the piccolo reed, so
challenging on black keys with short key rods, but

ACCORDION REVIVAL
46
George Bachich
the leak may be an octave or two farther down the
keyboard (pitch-wise) than you initially think. With
the grille still off, you should be able to identify the
leaking pallet by pressing down on it to see if that
temporarily stops the leak. When you have
identified it, adjust it to seal properly using the
procedures above.
If you cannot readily identify the leaking note
by pitch, set the accordion on its feet and use the
bellows leak down procedure described in the
article on finding leaks. When you finally have
eliminated all leaks, put the grille back on and use
your nice shallow keyboard action to play your
favorite song.
WAXING WITH A MODIFIED SOLDERING IRON
When you need to wax but the job is too small
to justify firing up your wax pot, use a modified 15
watt soldering iron. Bigger irons produce too much
heat and will cause your wax to smoke, driving off
volatile compounds and causing premature aging
and embrittlement of the wax. Even a 15 watt iron
produces too much heat unless you modify the tip
to dissipate it.
Make a heat sink/waxing tip from a piece of
copper flashing and rivet it to your soldering tip.
Longer soldering tips are better because they allow
more secure mounting of the heat sink. The heat
sink should be approximately 3/4 inch wide by 1
1/4 inch long.
Remove the insulation from a short piece of
solid (not stranded) copper electrical wire and cut
it into two short lengths to use as rivets. Before
removing the soldering tip from the iron, file one
side of the last 3/4 inch of it flat to provide more
bearing surface for the heat sink. Then drill two
holes in it the same diameter as the wire, with the
holes centered on the flat surface and 1/2 inch
apart.
Hold the copper heat sink firmly against the flat
ACCORDION REVIVAL
George Bachich
side of the soldering tip and use the holes in the
soldering tip as a template to drill matching holes
along the longest centerline of the heat sink. Clean
off all burrs, then place the heat sink back on the
flat side of the soldering tip, align the holes, and
install the rivets.
Trim the rivets so they protrude about one wire
diameter beyond the assembled waxing tip on each
side. Hold the heat sink and soldering tip firmly
together while you set the rivets with a few light
taps of a hammer on an anvil. The rivets should
flare to about 1.5 times their original diameter.
Reinstall the finished tip into the soldering iron,
and you are ready to go.
For this kind of waxing you need to have your
wax formed into rods about the diameter of a pencil
so you can melt the wax against the waxing tip and
feed it into the work as it melts. Line a wide,
shallow flat bottomed container with waxed paper.
Pour hot wax into the container to a depth of about
1/4 inch. After it cools, cut it into strips about 1/4
inch wide and peel them off the waxed paper.
Alternatively, you can set your block of reed wax in
the sun to warm it to near body temperature, then
cut off pieces to roll between your palms until they
are the size and shape you want.
You can use this waxing iron to deliver molten
wax to precisely where you want it. Just plug in the
iron a few minutes ahead of time so it can come to
operating temperature before you begin. Place the
hot waxing tip into the area requiring wax and feed
the end of a wax rod into the tip, just as you would
feed solder or welding rod into a soldered or
welded joint.
47
 This works very well for sealing air leaks, for
waxing pallets to key rods, and for waxing in a few
reed plates. You can even wax an entire reed block
this way, but the work goes faster with a wax pot
and waxing spoon. That operation is described in
another article.
ADJUSTING KEY TENSION
While you have your keys out is an excellent
time to adjust your key tension, especially if high or
uneven key pressures are making your accordion
hard to play. Key tension is adjusted by bending the
key springs. Grip the free leg of the spring as close
to the coil as possible (but not through the coil)
with needle-nose pliers and bend that leg with your
fingers. Bend it toward the fixed leg to reduce the
required key pressure; bend it away to increase the
pressure. With the key below, changing the spring
angle from about 90 degrees to about 45 degrees
reduced the key pressure from 5 ounces to 2 1/2
ounces.
I have seen accordions requiring as much as 5
or 6 ounces to depress a key (very hard to play), but
I prefer key pressures in the neighborhood of 2 1/2
to 3 1/2 ounces. I try to set the key springs to allow
the key to start moving at about 2 1/2 ounces of
pressure and to be fully open at about 3 1/2 ounces.
Don't be tempted to reduce the pressure much
below that, because weaker springs don't seal the
valves as well and don't return the keys as quickly.
ACCORDION REVIVAL
George Bachich
You can easily make a simple scale to measure
key pressure. I used a weak coil spring that I made
by winding .025" diameter stainless steel wire
tightly around a 5/16" bolt. I used some recycled
plastic parts to make my scale plunger and housing,
but you can just as easily make yours from wood or
metal. As the left end of the plunger presses on the
key, the spring tends to resist the travel of the
plunger through the housing. As the coil spring
compresses, the length of the plunger emerging
through the top of the housing is directly
proportional to the pressure on the plunger. Lines
marked around the perimeter of the plunger
indicate how far the plunger has traveled relative to
the housing, and thus how many ounces of pressure
you are putting on the key.
You can use a postage scale to calibrate your
scale in ounces, or you can calibrate it using the
keys of an accordion whose key pressure you like,
simply by marking a line on your plunger at the
point where spring pressure of your scale begins to
open those keys. I wrapped a gummed paper label
around my plastic plunger, and marked my 2, 3, 4,
and 5 ounce lines on that. My green housing is a
plastic drive gear from an old fax paper roll, but you
can use anything handy. Just drill a hole through it
large enough for your plunger to pass with very
little friction. A washer to retain the bottom of the
spring, and a couple of wire pins installed through
holes drilled through the plastic plunger complete
the design.
WAXING WITH A WAX POT AND SPOON
48
 In the accordion factories in Castelfidardo, they
still wax reeds into the reed blocks with a wax pot
and spoon. Prior to visiting there, I found it difficult
to wax with a spoon, and preferred to use an eye
dropper. However, the eye dropper is not without
its problems, most notably the frequency with
which it clogs up with wax that cools within it. I was
therefore quite happy to observe and learn how to
properly use the spoon. Properly used, it is a fast
and convenient way to wax reeds into their reed
blocks.
Think of the spoon as a fountain pen. The flat
sides of the spoon are its reservoir, and the forward
point is the pen point. Heat the spoon in the wax
pot until it matches the temperature of the wax.
This takes only a few seconds. Withdraw the spoon,
shake off some of the excess wax with one quick,
light shake, and immediately rotate it to the
horizontal. In this position the wax adheres to the
sides of the spoon. As you rotate the rounded
edge up toward the vertical, the molten wax flows
toward the straight edge on the bottom. As you tip
the point downward, the wax flows along the
straight edge toward the pen point. By coordinating
this rotation and tipping you can precisely control
the rate at which wax runs off the point. Use this
"fountain pen" to "write" the wax onto the work. To
stop the flow, simultaneously tip the point back up
to level and rotate the spoon back to horizontal.
ACCORDION REVIVAL
George Bachich
When it runs out of wax, dip it into the wax pot
again.
The people in the factories wax very quickly by
rotating the reed block around in one hand to cause
the molten wax to flow along the channels between
adjacent reeds. This allows them to use the spoon at
near maximum capacity. I have not yet developed
this coordination skill, so I hold the reed block level
and still, while I move the spoon along the channels,
frequently rotating it around to deliver the wax at a
slower rate. Even so, this is much faster than using
the soldering iron with the modified waxing tip (see
the article on waxing with a modified soldering
iron).
For a wax pot I use a small (1 quart) electric
"crock pot" slow cooker. I use the high heat setting
initially to melt the wax, then turn it down to low. If
left on high, my pot will overheat the wax, causing it
to smoke as the more volatile compounds are
driven off by the excess heat. If allowed to continue,
this smoking would cause premature aging and
embrittlement of the wax. The best temperature for
the wax is around 220 degrees Fahrenheit. At this
temperature it is thin enough to flow freely, yet not
hot enough to smoke.
It is also hot enough to burn you pretty badly if
you spill it on yourself, so be careful. And always
keep in mind that wax is flammable. Keep open
flames away from your wax pot.
I buy my reed wax already mixed in one pound
bricks from Frank Romano of FRM Enterprises in
Montreal for about $19 per pound. I think Frank
currently has a $300 minimum order, so check his
online catalog for other things you might need (he
is a good source for high quality reasonably priced
shoulder straps, bass straps, felt/leather valve
facing material, and just about anything else you
might need to repair your accordion). You can also
mix your own reed wax. There are various formulas
in use, but all are mostly beeswax, with varying
percentages of pine resin and a small amount of
linseed oil. I have no experience mixing my own,
and therefore cannot advise you on the exact
proportions to use.
49
MAKING AN OVER-SIZE AIR RELEASE VALVE
After playing a Giulietti or a Petosa with their
relatively large air release valves which allow
closing the bellows quickly and easily with a
minimum of whooshing noise, I always felt rather
let down to have to go back to a normal accordion
with its pathetically small, slow, and noisy air valve.
When I push that air release button I want instant
results. So I enlarged the air release valves on all
my favorite accordions. Now I can close my bellows
quickly and quietly.
Open the accordion at the bass side, take out the
bass reed blocks and set the bass cabinet bellows-
side-down on the work bench. Remove the bass
cover and locate your air release valve, button, and
linkage. Examine both sides of the bass foundation
plate right around the valve port, note any
obstacles (reed block mountings, register slide
linkages, bass strap adjustment screw, etc., and
decide whether there is room to enlarge the valve,
how much, and in which directions. Take into
account the need for the linkage arm to reach
across the center of the new larger pallet, and for
the pallet to lift off its port when you push the air
release button.
Scavenge a bass pallet from a junk accordion,
strip off the old valve facing, wax, and glue, and
reface it with new felt/leather laminate. See the
article on re-valving for more specific instructions.
Remove the old air release valve by twisting it off
its linkage arm. Place your new valve over the hole
in the position you want it to occupy, re-bend the
linkage arm as required to fit, including a vertical
jog if the new pallet is taller than the original, and
ACCORDION REVIVAL
George Bachich
trace the valve perimeter with a pencil. Take out
the new valve and its linkage and mark the
perimeter of the enlarged hole you want to make,
keeping it a minimum of 1/8 inch inside the
previous tracing, so your new valve will have at
least 1/8inch bearing/sealing surface all around the
new hole.
Use a round file such as a chainsaw file to
enlarge the old hole out to your latest markings.
Clean up all the sawdust, place the new valve into
position, centered within its previously traced
outline. Reinstall the linkage, check the height of
the air release button, and bend the linkage arm as
required to set the button at the correct height
relative to the bass cover. Use your modified
soldering iron to wax the pallet to its linkage arm
(see the article on waxing with a modified soldering
iron for more details).
Reinstall the bass cover, reinstall the bass reed
blocks, reattach the bass cabinet to the rest of the
accordion, and test the operation of your new air
release valve.
The basics of this procedure can be used to add
an air release button to an accordion that does not
have one. In this case, you can either scavenge the
linkage and button from a junk accordion and
modify it to fit, or you can fabricate a new linkage
assembly from scratch. If you fabricate from
scratch, see the article on replacing bass buttons for
tips on how to install the button onto your new
linkage.
INSTALLING RHINESTONES ON BASS BUTTONS
Most accordions came from the factory with a
dimple on the C button, but many of us also like
some tactile identification of the Ab and E buttons.
It is fairly easy to add rhinestones to these buttons.
It is even easier to just dimple them, but I think it is
useful to have a unique tactile cue on the C, so I
generally use rhinestones on the other two.
To install a rhinestone you must first dimple
the button by drilling a conical hole in the top of it,
then glue a conical glass rhinestone into the hole, so
if you want dimples, you just omit the rhinestones.
Whatever the final goal, the drill tends to push the
button down, so if the button is still mounted in the
accordion, you need some way to hold the button
50
up while you drill. I use a hemostat that I have
modified to have a circular gripping surface to
minimize damage to the sides of the button. I put
the hemostat loosely in place, forcing some
neighboring buttons down flush so the hemostat
can lie flat on the bass board and grip the Ab or E
button near the bottom. Then I clamp the hemostat
in place to keep the gripped button from
depressing.

On accordions it is always best to drill by hand.

For most drilling I use a drill chuck taken from an
old drill motor to grip the drill bit and I turn it by
hand. For drilling bass buttons I have a modified
(sharpened to 45 degree angle, rather than the
standard 30 degree) 5/32" drill bit mounted rigidly
in a brass knob, with a close fitting rigid plastic tube
around the drill bit to act as a stop, allowing the
drill to penetrate only to the depth of the conical
back of the rhinestone. If you drill too deeply, the
rhinestone might not stick up far enough to be
noticed. The short piece of thin walled brass
tubing fits over both the button and the plastic tube
to keep the drill bit centered on the button.
Of course, all this is even easier if you have
the piston out of the accordion, and it is not too
hard to get them out, if you are so inclined. Just
remove the note piston cap strip, as in the photo
below, lift the desired piston out of its slot and fish
it out through the top of the bass keyboard. It will
take a little patience to get it back in and properly
engaged with its bell crank lever, but the ease
of drilling your button in a bench vise makes it
worthwhile.

Alternatively, I sometimes drill a small pilot

hole in the center of the button, then enlarge the
hole with the 5/32" drill bit. In this case the pilot
hole keeps the drill centered.

ACCORDION REVIVAL
51
George Bachich

When I have drilled to the desired depth, I put a
small drop of Superglue into the hole and set the
rhinestone in place. In just a minute or two it sets
and the accordion is ready to play. To minimize the
chances of gluing your fingers together, it is a good
idea to wear latex gloves when working with
Superglue. I handle the rhinestones by sticking a
small screwdriver to the top of the rhinestone with
a bit of reed wax, leaving the conical bottom clean
for best adhesion. I use a wooden toothpick to press
the rhinestone down and free it from the
screwdriver, then to clean up any excess superglue
that oozes out from under the rhinestone before it
dries.
I use 4.0-4.1mm Swarovski crystal
rhinestones from Fire Mountain Gems. You can
ACCORDION REVIVAL
George Bachich
order online at firemountaingems.com. Order stock
number H20-4835CY for clear, order stock number
H20-4843CY for emerald. Other colors are
available. They cost a little over a dollar for each
package of 12, but the shipping on my last order
was $7.65, so to minimize your average cost get lots
of them. Use a 5/32” (4mm) drill bit (sharpened to
45 degrees) with a stop set to allow you to drill only
as deep as the tapered point. This gives the correct
angle and depth of hole to fit the conical back of the
rhinestones.
Here is a nice clean installation.
REPLACING BELLOWS TAPE
Bellows tape serves to strengthen the bellows
folds, protect the cardboard from abrasion, and
enhance the appearance of the accordion. Keeping
the bellows tape in good shape can prolong the life
of the bellows. It is normally stuck to the underlying
bellows fabric with a glue that allows it to be peeled
off without damaging that fabric, so when your
bellows tape becomes tattered and frayed, you can
peel it off and replace it without destroying the
bellows.
Replacing bellows tape is time consuming and
therefore expensive if you have someone else do it,
but it is not difficult to do yourself. Bellows tape is
available in 19mm wide x 50 meter rolls in a variety
of colors from Frank Romano of FRM Enterprises in
Montreal, for about $36 per roll. I think FRM
52
requires a minimum order of $300, so you will have
to combine your tape order with some other items
to make it economical, or find another source.
The first step is to prop the bellows open. Pull
all the bellows pins (keeping them in order) and
separate the bellows from the treble and bass
cabinets, marking it as necessary to allow you to
reassemble it in the correct orientation later. Cut
two pieces of 1/8 inch plywood or masonite
particle board about 3 inches wide x about 1/2 inch
less than the outside width of your bellows. These
should be made to fit snugly into the interior folds
of your bellows, one at each end so they can be used
to hold the bellows open while you work. Drill a
1/2 inch diameter hole at the exact center of each
piece. Cut a piece of 1x1 wood molding about 14
inches long and make a tapered point on each end,
to fit into the holes. Insert the plates into the last
fold at each end of the bellows, stretch the bellows
open, and insert the pointed rod into both holes.
This should hold the bellows open while you work.

The second step is to remove all the old tape

and glue. Slip a dull blade under the corners at each
end of a tape to allow you to grasp the tape with
your fingers and peel it off. Smooth the underlying
surface as well as you can without damaging the
underlying fabric, because any irregularities or
lumps you leave will telegraph through the new
tape.
Choose one side of the bellows to do on the first
day. If you are not yet good at this, it might be wise
to start with the back. Mark all the metal corners
with a pen or with a straight row of short pieces of
masking tape so you can keep the ends of your tape
well aligned and flush with those markings. Cut
your new bellows tapes to the right length to fit the
folds on the bellows side you have chosen. Fold
each tape in half the short way and put a firm

ACCORDION REVIVAL
53
George Bachich
crease down the middle of it to help keep it
centered along the bellows fold. Lay five or six of
the tapes out upside-down on a sheet of masking
paper or newspaper and apply the glue to the tapes
with a small brush.
Use the special bellows tape glue from FRM
Enterprises, which is designed to release, making
your bellows repairable in the future. If you use
Elmer's or something similar, the next time
someone needs to change a metal corner or repair
your tape, they will not be able to do it without
damaging the bellows fabric and perhaps even the
cardboard, and that will be the end of the bellows.
Using the creases as your guide, center the first
tape on a bellows fold with both ends aligned with
your markings on the metal corners and press it
firmly into place, using a damp cloth between your
fingers and the tape. The tape will tend to flex back
open until the glue begins to set, so you may have to
repeat this a few times until it finally holds. When
you have the first five or six tapes installed in this
manner, run the damp cloth over them all once
more to wipe away any excess glue, and repeat the
process with five or six more tapes. When you have
all the tapes installed and all the excess glue
cleaned off, remove your interior props, close the
bellows, and place a 30 pound weight on it (another
accordion in its hard case works well), and let the
glue cure overnight. The next day repeat this
process for the next side and so on until you have
all four sides done.
You will notice that the end folds are a special
case. These folds (like all the rest) were taped
before the bellows was glued to the bellows frame,
so nearly half the tape is stuck in the glued joint and
will have to remain there. You cannot pry this joint
apart without destroying the bellows. The best you
can do is to cut these tapes a bit narrower and tuck
one edge of the tape as far down into the glued joint
as you can without damaging the joint.
Alternatively, if the tape on these folds is not
damaged and if you are re-taping with the same
color tape, you might consider leaving the end folds
alone.
If you want to put a design into your bellows
tape with a contrasting color, install the design first,
using short tape segments, then cut your regular
tape to length to fit all around it (butting up to it)
ACCORDION REVIVAL
George Bachich
and install that last. Do not install the design on top
of your regular tape, as this double taping will
thicken your bellows so your bellows straps will no
longer close.
New bellows tape can be applied over old
bellows tape, and wider than normal tape (24mm
wide) is made for this purpose. However, if you
take this shortcut you will have to move your
bellows straps and/or snaps, or replace them with
longer straps. In that case, you will have some old
screw holes to fill, including repair of the celluloid
finish. For suggestions on how to do that repair, see
the article on repairing stripped out screws.
To return to the table of contents for this page, click
here
REPLACING BASS BUTTONS
It is not unusual to have to replace a bass
button or two. Some prior owner may have
butchered the button trying to mark it in some way.
I have seen them with notches sawn into them
apparently with a hacksaw, creases melted into the
top apparently with a hot knife, and even with one
side melted away where some misguided soul
apparently touched it with a hot soldering iron. I
have seen oversize jewels glued on top, and huge
dimples drilled into the wrong buttons. I have also
seen several buttons scratched and scraped,
apparently by sliding on concrete or asphalt.
Whatever the problem is, it can usually be solved by
replacing the button.
If your buttons are black, finding a matching
button will be fairly easy. Just make sure you get
the correct diameter. The height is not so critical, as
the depth of the piston insertion into the button can
be varied to make up the difference. If your buttons
are red, gold, or some other color, getting an exact
match will be difficult. Cerini in Castelfidardo sells
new buttons, and so does FRM Enterprises in
Montreal, but color choices are limited. Look first to
any junk accordion you or your local repairman
might have lying around. Junk accordions should
never be thrown away, as they are excellent sources
54
of hard to find parts and materials, including bass
buttons.
Once you have your replacement buttons in
hand, disassemble your bass machine to the extent
required to extract the pistons with damaged
buttons (see the article on disassembling and
reassembling bass machines). Carefully measure
the overall length of the piston/button assemblies
so you will be able to push the new buttons onto
the pistons just far enough to match this overall
length for each piston.
To remove the old button, hold the piston
with the damaged button in the fingers of one hand
and twist and pull the button off with the other
hand. If it will not come off, clamp the piston into a
bench vise, or into a vise-grip pliers, which in turn
is to be clamped into the bench vise (taking care not
to bend the piston or to damage any if the pins or
dogs pressed or stamped into the side of it), and
heat the side of the piston with a soldering iron
until the plastic or glue begins to soften just enough
to allow you to pull the button off.
Once you have the old button off, measure the
diameter of the end of the piston that must go into
the new button. Drill or ream the pilot hole in the
bottom of the new button to exactly this diameter if
you intend to glue it, or to just a few thousandths of
an inch smaller if you intend to weld it (that is, if
you intend to heat the piston to the melting
temperature of the plastic button and force it into
the pilot hole in the button, so that as the melted
plastic around the pilot hole cools, it will adhere to
the piston). In either case, drill or ream your pilot
hole to a depth 1/16 inch greater than that
theoretically necessary to allow pushing the piston
into the button far enough to make the new
assembly exactly the same length as your pattern.
This allows room for some small amount of plastic
or glue that may be pushed to the bottom of the
pilot hole by the advancing piston.
Whether you choose to glue or weld, the next
step is to install the button onto the piston, taking
care to make the overall length exactly match your
previous measurement. When the plastic cools, or
the glue dries, as the case may be, reassemble your
bass machine, taking special care to ensure that
every button goes exactly back where it came from
and that every pin or dog on each piston properly
ACCORDION REVIVAL
George Bachich
engages its bell-crank levers. Reinstall the bass reed
blocks, the bass cover and the bass strap, and
reinstall the assembled bass cabinet onto the
bellows. Check the bass machine for proper
operation to make sure no buttons are sticking and
all chord buttons are playing all the correct notes.
To return to the table of contents for this page, click
here
DISASSEMBLING A BASS MACHINE
For various reasons, you may have to remove
or disassemble a bass machine. For instance, if one
or more bass valves is leaking and you are unable to
solve the problem working from the reed block
side, then the bass machine will have to be totally
removed to gain access to the bass valves. If your
bass machine is not removable as a unit, then you
will have to disassemble it piece by piece.
Other problems that can require at least partial
disassembly of the bass machine include a bass
valve hanging open due either to sticking "pipes"
(bass valve bellcranks), worn cam levers on the
pipes, or worn valve lifters (cam followers) on the
valves. You might also encounter a broken
actuating lever on one of the pipes, cracked or
broken wood mountings for the bass machine, or
pistons bent too badly to straighten without
removing them first.
Whatever the reason for disassembling your
bass machine, you must make sure that you will be
able to put it back together correctly, as each of the
(usually 120) bass button pistons and each of the
(usually 24) pipes is unique, and must go back in its
original position.
The easiest way to do this is to make a rack to
hold the bass button/pistons in their proper
positions relative to one another as you take them
out. I drilled seven rows of twenty holes in three
pieces of plywood that I then stacked with spacers
between, to provide a separate chamber for each
button from any accordion up to 140 bass. An
easier way, if you have a junk accordion, is to
salvage and use the bass keyboard, which already
has the 120 holes drilled in it.
55

After you remove your bass strap and bass
plate, your bass machine should look something
like this.
Before you begin the disassembly, take a few
moments to observe how your bass machine is
constructed and how it works. This will help you
understand how to keep its various parts in order
and how to put it back together. By observing and
understanding, you will also learn some things
about accordion design and how the bass machine
is really a simple mechanical computer that
assembles chords on command. After going through
this little exercise, whenever you look at a bass
machine you will see order and symmetry and an
elegant design, rather than the chaos and
unfathomable complexity that you may be seeing
now.
Take your time.
Relax.
Get in touch with yourself and your machine. It
is a beautiful machine that makes beautiful music,
and in a few moments you will understand how it
does it.
With the bass cover off, push any bass chord
button and observe that the button is on the top
end of a long piston which has three pegs or tabs
ACCORDION REVIVAL
George Bachich
along one side of it (some older accordions have
four pegs or tabs on their seventh chord pistons).
Observe that each peg contacts a lever and forces
that lever to move with the piston. Observe that
there are four neat rows of levers, all lined up with
four neat rows of pegs on the pistons.
Notice that the bottom end of the piston passes
through a slot in a wooden guide, and that the
bottom of the piston has a sharp 90 degree bend to
prevent the piston from coming out of the slot
when valve spring pressure forces the piston
upward as you release the button.
Rest the tip of a small screwdriver or similar
tool against the bottom end of the piston (90 degree
bend) and rest your finger on the button at the top
end. Rock the piston gently up (toward the button
end) and down and notice that there is a small
amount of clearance between each peg and the
lever it engages, and that you can therefore rock the
piston up and down by some slight amount without
causing any levers to move.
Notice that each piston has four possible
locations for pegs or tabs, that only three of them
are used, and that the position not occupied by a
peg varies from piston to piston. As you peer down
into the bass machine, notice the other tiers of
pistons nestled beneath the top tier. Also notice that
every second piston (button) in the top tier passes
through a hole in the diminished chord row of the bass
keyboard, and that the ones in between pass through
holes in the seventh chord row. Notice that in the second
tier down, every second piston (button) passes through a
hole in the minor chord row, and that the ones in
between pass through holes in the major chord row.
Notice that each piston has a slightly different bend in it
in order to accommodate this arrangement.
Looking farther down inside the bass machine, you
can see a tier of longer pistons with its own slotted
wooden guide, and you will notice that every
second piston (button) in this tier passes through a
hole in the fundamental bass row and the ones in
between pass through holes in the counterbass
row.
As you press one of these fundamental bass or
counterbass note buttons, you will observe that the
single peg (or tab) on the side of its piston engages
a single lever and causes it to move with the piston.
Notice that the bottom end of that lever is fixed to
56
one of 12 slender steel rods (technically bell cranks,
but commonly called pipes) lying under the pistons,
and that this pipe rotates when the lever moves.
With a bright light illuminating the area directly
under these pipes, observe that as the pipe rotates,
one of the 12 note pallets lifts, opening a note valve,
and as it opens it also lifts an adjacent chord valve
pallet.
Find the fundamental bass note button (not the
counterbass button) that opens the valve at one end
of the pipes (where it is easiest to see) and observe
that the pipe has a short cam lever on it that lifts a
cam follower on that note pallet arm, opening the
note valve as the pipe rotates. Notice that the note
pallet arm extends past the end of the pallet and
engages the underside of a similar extension on the
chord pallet arm, causing the chord valve to open
whenever the note valve opens.
Now press the major chord button next to that
same fundamental bass button, and watch the
chord valve open while the corresponding bass
note valve stays closed. Do the same, one at a time,
with the minor, seventh, and diminished buttons in
that same diagonal row of buttons (chord family).
Notice that in each case the first pipe rotates,
forcing its cam lever to lift the chord pallet, thereby
opening the chord valve, and realize that this chord
valve is for the root note of all the chords in this
chord family. Understand that this particular pipe
and its cam lever, along with two of its levers that
engage pegs on these four pistons, cause the bass
machine to play the root note whenever you push
one of these chord buttons.
As you press each of these chord buttons a
second time, use your bright light to observe which
other two valves open, along the row of 12 chord
valves. Understand that these other two valves are
the other two notes that join the root note to make
up each of these chords.
Observe that each valve is operated by only one
cam lever and pipe, but that each pipe has many
levers on it, each extending upward to engage a peg
on the side of a chord piston that uses that
particular note. Focus on just one of these pipes for
a moment. Push one of its levers downward (away
from the bass buttons) and observe how many
other levers move with it, and which pistons have
pegs that engage these levers. Whenever any one of
ACCORDION REVIVAL
George Bachich
those particular chord buttons/pistons is pushed,
one of the pegs on the side of its piston engages one
of the levers on this pipe, causing this particular
pipe to rotate and the valve it controls to open. The
other two pegs on that piston each engage a lever
protruding from one of the other two pipes whose
notes comprise the chord played by that button.
Notice that there are 12 chord valves and 12
chord pipes, and that there are also 12 note valves
and 12 note pipes. The note pipes operate the
valves that control the two lowest octaves in your
bass reed set, while the chord pipes operate the
valves that control the (usually two or three) higher
octaves. Each pipe in each set of 12 pipes is
dedicated to a single note of the 12 note chromatic
scale. Chords are played by rotating three pipes
simultaneously, thus opening three separate valves.
The bass machine assembles chords for you by
opening the three correct note valves whenever
you press any single chord button.
Just as the chord valves and note valves are
arranged in your bass machine, so are the reeds
arranged in your bass reed blocks, because directly
behind each valve lie the reeds for that note.
Therefore, if your chord valves line up with your
note valves (on some Russian accordions they
don't), then all the reeds for that note line up across
the various reed blocks. In other words, if the first
reed in one reed block is Bb, then the first reed in
each of the other reed blocks is also Bb, although in
another octave.
You can use this knowledge to determine how
the bass reeds are organized within each reed
block. Some accordions have their bass reeds
organized in chromatic scale order, while some
have them arranged in accordance with the circle of
fifths. You can easily determine which system you
have by observing the operation of your bass
machine.
Press your C note button and observe which
valve opens. Now press the F or the G button. If a
valve right next to the C valve opens, your bass
reeds are arranged in accordance with the circle of
fifths. If you must press a B button a C# button to
get this valve to open, then your bass reeds are
arranged in chromatic scale order. Either way, by
identifying which button operates the valve at each
end of your 12-valve array, and therefore which
57
note lies at each end of the row of valves, you can
now fill in the names of all the notes in between.
With this knowledge, you can see which three notes
are being played by each chord button.
This is academic, I know, but if you have gone
this far, and used your knowledge of the bass
machine to deduce the arrangement of your bass
reeds and to determine which notes comprise each
chord, then you are to be congratulated for being
truly in touch with your machine. You can now
safely disassemble your bass machine with
confidence that you will be able to get it back
together correctly, so let us begin.
In order to get the pistons out, you must first
remove the cap strip (usually wood) over the guide
slots at the bottom of the pistons. It is usually held
in place by four or five small brass wood screws.
Removing this cap strip allows the diminished and
seventh chord buttons to be lifted out of their
slots. Pull the buttons down into their holes as you
remove the pistons one by one and place them in
your rack. However, the minor and major chord
buttons cannot be removed until first removing a
thin plastic barrier that rests in a slot in the button
side of the slotted wooden guide. Sometimes this
plastic separator is held in place by several short
narrow strips of plastic glued across the outside of
the slot. In other cases it is held in place by tiny
nails or by friction alone.
When you get all the chord buttons out, you will
have to remove their slotted wooden guide, which
is held in by two large wood screws, one at either
end. Once this is out, you will have access to the
note buttons, which are retained by their own
separate cap strip, which also must be removed.
In most accordions it is easier to take the note
buttons out through the top of the bass keyboard
rather than pulling them down into the accordion.
Once all the buttons are safely in your rack, you
can remove the pipe retainers, usually including a
flat brass or aluminum strap across each end
of both sets of pipes (chord set and note set) and
two bent wire retainers in between. The straps and
wire retainers are anchored by small brass wood
screws.
ACCORDION REVIVAL
George Bachich
Before removing the pipes or disturbing their
order, take note of the logic of their arrangement.
You will be removing and storing the pipes in order,
but in case they get mixed up you want to be able to
get them back into the proper order. There are two
common arrangements for the chord pipes, one for
accordions with their bass reeds laid out in the reed
blocks in accordance with the chromatic scale (by
far the most common) and one for those with their
bass reeds mounted in accordance with the circle of
fifths.
In accordions with their bass reeds arranged in
accordance with the chromatic scale, you will see
that the chord pipes are arranged in order of the
position of their cam lever along the pipe, which
puts the pipes in the same order as the reeds.
Usually, the pipe that opens the valve for the first
reed in the reed block goes in first. It has its cam
lever (which actually lifts the valve), at one end of
the pipe. The pipe that opens the valve for
the second reed in the reed block goes in second. It
has its cam lever (which actually lifts the valve), a
short distance from the end of the pipe. As you
ascend the chromatic scale (and travel along the
reed block and the associated row of bass valves),
each successive chord pipe cam lever is located just
a bit farther from the end of its pipe, because the
valve it opens is just a bit farther down the line of
valves. The last cam lever opens the last valve in the
row. The cam levers line up like stair steps along
the row of valves, the first cam lever opening the
first valve, the second cam lever opening the second
valve, and so on, with the last cam lever at the
opposite end of the pipe opening the last valve.
The note pipes might be arranged slightly
58
differently. While still generally in chromatic scale
order, part of the order may run up the scale and
part of it may run down. For instance, in one I
recently had apart (see the photo immediately
above), the first five note pipes operated valves 1
through 5, then the sixth pipe jumped to valve 12
and from there the sequence continued backwards
down through valve 6.

In accordions with their bass reeds arranged in

the reed blocks in accordance with the circle of
fifths (i.e., in the same order as the bass buttons)
the pipes are arranged differently, in the order
required to put the notes back into chromatic scale
order. In other words, the first pipe opens the first
note of the chromatic scale, and the second pipe
opens the second note in the scale, just as
before, but the second note in the chromatic scale is
not the second valve in the row. It is located farther
along the row, and so its cam lever is located
Getting the pipes out of order is not a problem
farther down the pipe. It is not nearly as easy to
with accordions with removable bass machines,
visually determine the proper order of the chord
because the entire bass machine, buttons and all,
pipes in this arrangement, because the cam levers
and sometimes even including the bass board, is
do not line up like stair steps.
fastened in with just a few screws or clips,
The important thing is to recognize and
sometimes as few as two. Remove these few screws
remember the proper order, or at least be sure you
or clips, lift out the bass machine as an assembly,
can figure it out logically, because there
and you have instant access to the bass valves.
are about 479 million possible ways to put them
Once you have finished your work on the
back (the number of possible 12-permutations of
valves, you will have to reassemble the bass
12 = 12! = approximately 479 million). If you put
machine. If your work included re-valving, you
them back in random order, the odds are about 479
will have to set up the bass machine as you
million to 1 against you getting the right order on
assemble it. Setting up the bass machine involves
the first try. If you try 1 permutation every 3
setting the bellcrank actuating levers at the proper
minutes, working 8 hours a day, 5 days a week, 50
angle to engage the pegs on the sides of the pistons
weeks per year, you will try 40,000 permutations
with a minimum of lash, but not zero. Instructions
per year and it will take you 9,475 years (over 100
for setting up the bass machine can be found in the
lifetimes) to try all the possible permutations. So
article on re-valving the bass side.
before you take the pipes out, make sure you
understand how they must go back in.

To return to the table of contents for this page, click

Here is your disassembled bass machine:
here

INSTALLING A NEW BELLOWS

New bellows are so costly that we rarely replace

them unless we have to. But replacing them can
help make your old accordion look and feel like

ACCORDION REVIVAL
59
George Bachich
new, and you can minimize the cost by doing it trim around the bellows frame, so I made a copper
yourself. Just cut the old one off and glue the new scraping tip for my 30 watt soldering iron ($5 from
one on. Orchard Supply Hardware). It is constructed very
However, don't get in a hurry to cut the old bellows similarly to the copper waxing tip I made for my 15
off just yet, because it takes two or three months to watt soldering iron, except I used a heavier gauge of
get a new one made and delivered. Measure the copper for the scraper.
length, width, and depth of folds of your old one
precisely in millimeters. Give the bellows maker
those measurements along with the number of
folds, the metal corner style number, and the colors
you want for the leather corners, the bellows fabric,
and the bellows tape. I get mine from Fernando
Marconi in Castelfidardo.
You have to reuse your old bellows frames because
they were custom made to precisely fit your treble
and bass cabinets. Once you have the new bellows
in hand, use a box cutter to cut the old bellows off
your old bellows frames, but not before marking
each frame on its front side so you will be sure get
them both installed in the proper orientation on the
new bellows. Cut the cardboard as close to the
wooden bellows frames as possible without If heat does not soften your glue, you will have
damaging the wood. to scrape it off the hard way, with a box cutter and a
lot of elbow grease. In that case, expect to spend
two to three hours scraping. Once you have them
clean, get them both oriented with their previously
marked fronts pointing in the same direction, and
make sure the bellows is going to be a good fit. Glue
the new bellows onto the frames one at a time as
follows.

Paint Elmer's white wood glue onto the mating

surface of one of the bellows frames with a small
brush. Make sure you get a good even coat all over
the mating surface, then add a small bead all the
way around on top of that without brushing it out.
You want just enough glue so that it slightly oozes
out all around when you put the bellows on, but not
so much that it runs out and makes a mess.

The hardest part of the job is scraping the

remaining cardboard and glue off the bellows
frames. You want to get down to the bare wood to
ensure a flat mating surface and a strong glue joint
between the old bellows frame and the new
bellows. You can sometimes speed up this process
by applying a bit of heat to the old glue. A heat gun
is not advisable because you risk melting the plastic

ACCORDION REVIVAL
60
George Bachich
 With the bellows frame lying flat on your work
table with the glue side up, set the new bellows
down on it ensuring that you have it perfectly
centered. Press it lightly down and with a damp rag
wipe off any excess glue that appears from the joint.

Place a 30 pound weight on top of the bellows

(I use my test bellows, which has a heavy box of
bolts inside, with an accordion on top of that), and
let the glue dry for at least two hours, continuously
cleaning off any excess glue, taking care not to wipe
it into the bellows folds.

After two hours, remove the weights, carefully

turn the bellows over, and repeat the process for
the second bellows frame, taking special care to get
the marked front sides of both bellows frames
pointed in the same direction. This time leave the
weights on overnight. In the morning you will be
able to install your new bellows and immediately
start breaking it in.

RE-VALVING THE BASS SIDE AND SETTING UP

THE BASS MACHINE
If you determine that your bass valves are
leaking, check first to see if some foreign
object might be lodged under any of the valves (see

ACCORDION REVIVAL
61
George Bachich
the article on finding leaks). Next, check to see if section) and shake out whatever debris you missed.
any of the bell crank (bass pipe) levers are resting At some point you should also remove the bass reed
tightly enough against their piston pegs to keep a blocks and shake them out because some debris
valve from firmly closing. Often, these two steps probably got into them.
will reveal the problem. However, it is not
uncommon to find bass valves leaking due to
deterioration of the felt or leather, due to poor
alignment at the factory, or due to some kind of
structural failure of the mounting of the pallet
arms. The following photo, shows a failed glue joint,
which allowed spring pressure to arch the hinge
bar upward, putting three pallets out of parallel
with the foundation plate and causing those three
valves to leak.

Strip the old valve facings off the pallets and

scrape off the old glue. Measure the thickness of the
old valve facings and procure some new valve
facing of the same thickness (I get mine from FRM
Enterprises in Massachusetts). Use your roller
cutter to cut strips of valve facing one note pallet
wide and do the same for the chord pallets. Then
cut individual valve pads from the strips, 12 to fit
your note pallets and 12 for your chord pallets. Glue
the new valve pads/facings onto the pallets and set
them aside to dry. Use a thin coat of glue to prevent
For leaks caused by valve misalignment or
any of it from soaking into and hardening the felt.
deterioration, you will have to remove the bass
machine in order to gain access to the valves.
Unless you have a removable bass machine
(perhaps 5% of accordions have them), you will
have to disassemble the bass machine piece by
piece and remove the pipes one at a time. See the
article on disassembling the bass machine for
instructions and an important warning about
keeping the pipes in order.
Once your bass machine is totally out of the
way, you can remove the pallets, but first close all
the slides you can, and protect the slides and the
remaining open ports with a small sheet of paper
that you can move along as you twist each of the 24
pallets from its pallet arm. Catch as much of the
crumbling wax debris as you can, in order to
prevent it from falling into the slides or down into
the reed blocks. When you have all the pallets out,
set the accordion back upright (resting on the bass

ACCORDION REVIVAL
62
George Bachich
 position and from a slightly different angle than it
did before. Decades of use have created a unique
wear pattern on the mating surfaces of each cam
and its cam follower, and changing the pallet height
alters the relationship that created this wear
pattern so the surfaces no longer mate properly.
This results in noisy operation and high friction
that can cause valves to stick open. The remedy is
to grind these worn mating surfaces smooth with
fine emery cloth and polish them with crocus cloth.
Check them with a magnifying glass under a bright
light to verify that you have both surfaces smoothly
polished.

Check all pallet arm hinge points and

hardware for security and proper alignment,
repairing any loose or misaligned mountings. Make
sure all pallet arms rotate freely on their hinge
points. Bend all pallet arms as necessary to exactly
center them over their ports, taking care not to
over-stress the pallet arm hinge points. In other
words, support the pallet arm with one bending
tool while you bend it with another. The goal here is
to center the pallet over the ports, and since the
pallet arm rests in the groove along the centerline
of the pallet, centering the pallet arm is an essential
step. Polishing a cam

Polishing a cam follower

This is your best chance to resurface the cams
and cam followers to ensure smooth operation.
Don’t skip this step, because re-valving always
results in slight changes in pallet height and thus in Once you have the cams and cam followers
the height of the cam follower. This means the cam sanded smooth and brightly polished, set all pallets
will strike the cam follower in a slightly different in position, trimming any corners as necessary to

ACCORDION REVIVAL
63
George Bachich
ensure clearance between the pallet and the
surrounding structure. Use a pair of bending tools
to bend the pallet arms as required to make them
lie flat in their pallet grooves (avoid putting too
much stress on the pallet arm hinges and
mounts). Significant bending of these arms will be
required if your new valve facings are not exactly
the same height as the old. Remove the pallets to
verify that all pallet arms are still centered over
their ports, and correct any mis-alignments.
Reinsert the pallets under the pallet arms,
place the springs in position over the pallet arms,
and verify that none of the note pallet arms are
contacting the underside of any of the
overlying chord pallet arms. During play, the note
pallet arms will lift the chord pallet arms, but you
want a small amount of clearance between them to
ensure that the chord pallets will rest firmly closed
until their corresponding note buttons are pushed.
A few thousandths of an inch is all the clearance
you need. If you can see the note pallet arm move at
all before it contacts the underside of the chord
pallet arm, or if you can hear a faint click as the
rising note pallet arm contacts the underside of the
chord pallet arm, you have enough clearance.
With all adjustments made, it is now time to
wax the pallets to their pallet arms. Use the
modified soldering iron to apply enough heat to
make the wax flow all around and under the pallet
arm and down into the groove, but not so much that
the wax flows down over the side of the pallet (see
the article on waxing with a modified soldering
iron). Press down evenly on the pallet to ensure
that it lies flat on the foundation plate as the wax
solidifies.
ACCORDION REVIVAL
George Bachich
When the wax and the pallet arms have cooled,
check again to make certain that no note pallet
arms are contacting the undersides of their
overlying chord pallet arms. Bend the ends of the
chord pallet arms up as required to obtain a few
thousandths of an inch clearance. Also check for
leaks before you reassemble the bass machine. One
way to check for leaks is to place the accordion on
your workbench accordion stand (see the article on
disassembling the accordion for some tips
on making a workbench accordion stand) and lift
the bass section to expand the bellows. Let the
bellows close under the weight of the bass section
plus some moderate pressure from your hands and
listen closely for leaks as the bellows closes. If you
push down very hard, you can cause air pressure in
the bellows to force the bass valves open on any
accordion, but they should stay closed under a few
pounds of pressure, such as in normal playing.
Another way to check for leaks, working from
the reed block side, is to remove the reed blocks
and check each valve with a paper feeler gauge. If
you don't feel significant and uniform friction all
around the edges between the leather valve facing
and your feeler gauge, the valve is not seating
properly.
Check very carefully for leaks, because this is
your last chance to correct any problems before
assembling the bass machine. Detecting a leaking
valve later could cost you half a day's work to
64
disassemble and reassemble the bass machine
again in order to gain access to your leak.
Don’t be discouraged if you find some leaks. It
is common for the wax to shrink as it cools, lifting
one end or the other of the pallet. The remedy is
simple. Use your modified soldering iron to melt
the wax again, taking greater care this time to keep
the pallet lying flat while the wax cools. As a final
check before reassembling the bass machine, check
for uniform pressure and friction under each end of
each pallet with a paper feeler gauge. A strip of
paper ¼ inch wide by 4 inches long works well. Do
not install any pipes until you are satisfied that all
pallets sit flat and evenly firm against the
foundation plate, and that there are no leaks.
It is best to let the new valves rest on their
seats under spring pressure at least overnight to
allow most of the initial compression to occur prior
to assembling and setting up the bass machine.
Setting up the bass machine means adjusting the
clearance between each of the pipe levers and the
piston peg that drives it. No matter how carefully
you have tried to match your new valve facing
material to the original, it is bound to be of at least
slightly different thickness. This means that even if
the bass machine was perfectly adjusted before, it
will be out of adjustment after installing the new
valve facings. The initial compression of the felt or
foam cushions will also alter the adjustment.
When you are satisfied that the initial valve
compression has occurred, that all pallets are lying
flat and tight against the foundation plate, and that
you have no leaks, reinstall the note pipes in proper
order, making sure that the lifting cam on each one
fits under the cam follower on the pallet arm. Check
each one for smooth operation before installing any
pistons.
Install the note button/pistons one at a time,
making sure at each piston that none of its pegs
contact their bell crank levers when the lifting
cam is touching the underside of the cam follower
on the pallet arm, as this would eventually cause
the corresponding note pallet to leak. Provide some
clearance between the peg and the lever as follows.
You can save time and minimize the amount of
bending by first bending the lifting cam lever (the
ACCORDION REVIVAL
George Bachich
single short lever that contacts and lifts the cam
follower on the pallet arm) on each pipe to provide
minimal lash at the first lever you adjust on that
pipe. Bending the lifting cam to put the first lever
into proper position relative to the piston peg
should put all the other levers on that pipe in pretty
close adjustment also. For minor adjustments of
subsequent levers on that same pipe, bend the lever
rather than the lifting cam. Bending the lifting
cam later would put all the previously adjusted
levers on that pipe out of adjustment.
You must maintain at least some minimal
amount of lash (clearance) between each of the
pegs on the side of the piston and the lever it will
contact when that button is pushed. However, don't
allow too much clearance, as this could cause the
button to rest lower than the others and might
cause some notes of a chord to sound later than
others. Barely perceptible clearance is enough. A
50th of an inch (1/2 mm) is about the most you
should allow.
You control this clearance by slightly bending
the lever while preventing the pipe from rotating.
You can prevent the pipe from rotating by firmly
holding two or three other levers on the same pipe.
I use 4-inch long pieces of 1/8-inch o.d. steel tubing
(automotive brake line) slipped down over the
levers as bending tools. Pushing two or three levers
in one direction while pushing one lever in the
opposite direction should cause the one to bend,
but sometimes one of the others bends, too, and if
this is one you have already adjusted, it will now be
out of adjustment. For this reason, you must check
the clearance at each peg and lever a second time,
after all levers are initially adjusted.
65

A further complication stems from the fact that
if one lever is too tight against a piston peg, it will
hold the bell crank (pipe) in such a position to
create clearance at all other levers on that pipe.
When you go back and properly adjust the tight one
a bit farther from its peg, it allows all the other
levers on that pipe to rotate closer to their pegs. If
that rotation exceeds the clearance at one of those
pegs, that peg will now be too tight. When that one
is eased, another may become too tight. You may
have to chase these diminishing clearances back
and forth along the pipe to make certain none of its
levers are tight against their pegs. This is extremely
important, because as the new valve facings
compress slightly over time under spring pressure
and the impact of repeated closings, the clearance
in the linkage will be slightly diminished. If there is
ACCORDION REVIVAL
George Bachich
no clearance to begin with, the compressed valve
will not seal, and you will have an external leak.
Once all the note pistons are installed and their
levers are adjusted, install the wooden cap strip
onto the slotted guide. Warning: if any of the cap
strip screw holes have stripped threads down
inside the slotted wooden guide, do not force the
next larger screw size into the hole, as this will
probably crack the wood and bulge it into one of
the slots, causing that bass button to stick. The best
way to repair a stripped screw hole is to glue in a
soft wood plug and tap new threads into
that. The softer the wood, the smaller the risk of
splitting the slotted guide when you thread the
screw into it.
You can help prevent splits by temporarily
supporting the segment holding the screw. Wedge
thin plastic strips alongside the pistons in the slots
on each side of this segment while you drill your
pilot hole and tap in the new screw. Or take those
pistons out and fill the slots snugly with wood or
plastic plugs. But don’t force your plugs in too
tightly, or that, too, might crack the slotted guide.
Even with this support you must be very careful not
to split the wood. If it splits despite your best
efforts, you will have to glue and clamp it back
together, then use a thin metal file to clean the
affected slot as required to allow the piston to move
smoothly through it.
Once the note piston cap strip is securely in
place, install the slotted wooden guide for the chord
pistons and install just the major and minor chord
pistons. Naturally, you must adjust the clearance
between each of the piston pegs and its lever as you
go. Once again, you can save time by bending the
lifting cam on the pipe to set the proper clearance
at the first lever on that pipe. That should put
all subsequent levers on that pipe into pretty close
adjustment so relatively little bending will be
required on those subsequent levers.
Once all the major and minor chord pistons are
in, install the plastic separator strip in the slot in
the button side of the slotted guide and secure it
with the little plastic tabs glued over the slot (or
with screws or nails if that is how it was initially
secured). Take special care not to drop any of the
plastic tabs, as they will fall down between and
66
under the pistons and will be very difficult to
retrieve. You won't want to leave them down there,
either, as they could lodge under a valve and cause
a leak. When the plastic separator is secured, install
the seventh and diminished pistons, adjusting the
levers for each as you go, then finally the wooden
cap strip.
It is a good idea to check for leaks at every
stage; after the pallets are waxed in, after the pipes
are installed, after the note pistons are installed,
after all the major and minor chord pistons are in,
and again at the end. This way, if you detect a Here it is again with the clips released.
leaking valve somewhere along the way, you will
know that you caused it during the current
assembly stage, making it far easier to find and
correct the problem.
With your bass machine reassembly and setup
complete, it is time to reinstall the bass cover,
making sure to guide the air release button through
its hole as you go. Install the bass cover screws, re-
secure the bass strap, and play yourself a
congratulatory song. By properly setting up your
bass machine, you have just completed one of the
more challenging accordion repair tasks. For even Now the bass machine is slid partly out of the
more challenging accordion repair task, see the accordion.
articles on "Sorting out mixed up bass pipes" and
"Sorting out mixed up bass buttons."

REMOVABLE BASS MACHINES

Whenever we must get access to the bass
valves, we really appreciate having a removable
bass machine, because it saves us the work of
removing 120 bass buttons one at a time, their
supporting structures piece by piece, and all 24
bass pipes one at a time, just to get at the
valves. Instead, we just remove two to four screws,
or sometimes just release two spring clips, and… And it’s that simple. We now have access to
voila! The bass machine slips right out and we have the valves.
instant access to the valves.

Here is a photo of one with just two brass clips

holding the bass machine and bass plate in place.

ACCORDION REVIVAL
67
George Bachich
 reeds and valves are in chromatic scale order, then
you can assume that the note pipes must be
arranged basically in the order of the positions of
their cam levers along the pipe. That is, the one
with the cam lever nearest to one of the ends will
go in first, under the shortest valve arm, the pipe
with its cam lever second nearest to that same end
will go in second, under a slightly longer valve arm,
and so on. However, as described in the chapter on
disassembling the bass machine, in some
accordions there are some discontinuities in that
order, and some sections may even be in reverse
order.

These discontinuities will become obvious

When finished working on the valves, just
slide the bass machine back into position and snap
the two clips in place. Now, that’s the way to design
an accordion.
To return to the table of contents for this page, click
here
SORTING OUT MIXED UP BASS PIPES
If you or a previous owner have disassembled
the bass machine and got the pipes out of order,
and if you do not know the proper order, you have a
serious problem. Because there are so many
different possibilities (12! = just over 479 million
for the note pipes and another 479 million for the
chord pipes), you can never hope to get it right
through random trial and error. To have any hope
of success, you must deduce their proper order,
which may not always be possible.
Start by sorting the note pipes separately
from the chord pipes. This is simple because each
note pipe has three or four short levers in addition
to the cam lever, while each chord pipe has many
more and much longer levers.
Next, determine the order of the reeds in the
bass reed blocks by sounding them and naming
their notes. Label each valve (directly under each
reed you identify) with the name of its note. If the
when you come to a valve whose cam follower lever
is not long enough to reach out over the cam lever
on what you might expect to be the next pipe. At
this point you will have to find another pipe whose
cam lever is properly positioned to lift this cam
follower. In fact, you may have to back out a few
pipes to find the correct new starting place.
This would be a good time to look for evidence
of wear on the underside of the valve lifting arms,
which if present will tell you where the cam levers
formerly contacted them. Use a light and a small
mirror to examine the undersides, and mark the
location of the worn area on top of the arm with a
pencil or a permanent marker. If you are lucky
enough to find such wear, then your puzzle is
solved. All you have to do is install each pipe in the
position that will cause its cam lever to contact the
underside of the valve arm at the old wear point.
If the accordion is new enough that no wear is
visible, then at this point you will be faced with
some inevitable trial and error. However, you
should always be focused on the big picture,
looking for the right new pattern and the proper
place to begin that pattern, rather than trying
random pipes. The point is, there is definitely a
pattern; the arrangement is never random.
The notes will be sequential in chromatic scale
order, either up or down, possibly with some
discontinuities and possibly with some segments
progressing up the scale and some progressing
down the scale.

ACCORDION REVIVAL
68
George Bachich

Labeling each of your remaining pipes with
the name of its note will help you recognize and
continue patterns. Each of the twelve pipes
(whether note pipes or chord pipes) has its one and
only cam lever positioned along the pipe so it can
only reach one valve lifting arm, and that valve
lifting arm is on the valve for that pipe’s note. Since
you already have the valves labeled, matching the
pipes with the valves is a simple matter. The only
hard part is labeling them because they are so
small. I use a piece of masking tape stuck to one of
the pipe’s levers like a flag.
Once you recognize the pattern developing in
the order of the pipes, it will be simple to select the
next pipe to install, at least until you reach another
discontinuity and must discover the new pattern
for the remaining pipes. If you fail to discover the
pattern, you will have no real hope of ever getting it
back together properly.
If the reeds are mounted in circle of fifths
order, you can still assume that the pipes will be in
some kind of chromatic scale order, but you will
also know that they will not be in the order of the
positions of their cam levers along the pipe, which
makes it much more difficult to visually identify the
pipe that belongs in any given location. As in the
process for chromatically ordered reeds and valves,
you will have to label each of the valves with the
name of its note, then find the pipe that has its cam
lever correctly positioned to open this valve, and
label it, too. You still don’t know which pipe goes in
first, but figuring that out will be comparatively
easy, as there are now only twelve possibilities.
Start by comparing the lengths of the cam
follower arms mounted on the bass valves.
Obviously, they have to reach out over the
assembled pipes far enough to reach the cam lever
on the pipe for that note. A very short cam follower
arm means the pipe containing the cam lever that
will open that valve cannot be too far away. A very
long cam follower lever indicates that its pipe is
probably farther out. Unfortunately, there may be
some ambiguity due to the fact that accordion
manufacturers do not always trim off the cam
ACCORDION REVIVAL
George Bachich
followers at just the right length. Some are left a bit
longer then they need to be.
Note that some of the valves have their cam
follower levers pointing the opposite direction, but
the same principle still holds. The pipe must be
close enough to that valve’s cam follower to allow
the cam lever on the pipe to contact and lift the com
follower on the valve. This knowledge, combined
with your knowledge of pipe order, should allow
you to deduce which pipe goes in first. Or at least
narrow it down to very few possibilities. After that,
it is just a matter of following the chromatic scale,
which is easy once you have each pipe labeled with
the name of its note.
Once you have the first pipe in its proper
place, find the pipe for the next note in the
chromatic scale, and install it in second place.
Continue up (or down) through the chromatic scale,
one pipe at a time. If you reach a point where this
does not work because the cam follower does not
reach the cam lever, then back up and try one of the
other possible pipes in first position, and work up
through the chromatic scale from there. When you
have the correct pipe in the first position, and all
the other pipes in chromatic scale sequence, all the
cam followers will reach their cam levers.
Naturally, you can also look for wear patterns
on the bottoms of the cam followers to see where
the cam has been rubbing on it, and position each
pipe so its cam rubs at the same spot as it did
before.
As a final check, in the case of note pipes,
install the note buttons and verify that each one
properly reaches its pipe lever and that the proper
valve opens when the button is pushed (for
instance that the C valve opens when the C button is
pushed). In the case of chord pipes, install the chord
buttons and verify that the pegs on the side of each
one contact the three or four levers that open the
three or four valves required to make up the right
chord for that button. For instance, verify that the
three pegs on the side of the C major piston contact
the levers that rotate the C, E, and G pipes and that
the C, E, and G valves open when the C major button
is pushed.
69
SORTING OUT MIXED UP BASS BUTTONS
Each of the bass buttons is unique and
must go back in its original place for the bass
machine to work properly, so they must be kept in
the proper order to ensure that they go back where
they belong. If they get mixed up, they will not fit
properly and the bass machine will not operate
properly. Although I have encountered and
repaired some accordions that came to me with a
few of the buttons inadvertently switched with
others, and thus playing the wrong chords, I have
never had to straighten out one that was
completely jumbled. I cannot say for certain that it
is possible, particularly with regard to the chord
buttons, since the number of possible permutations
is astronomical and only one of them will work.
However, I have received inquiries from
people who have suffered this misfortune, so I have
prepared this advice, in case it ever happens to you.
You may need to modify this procedure slightly to
account for the diagonal orientation of each chord
family row, but the basic principles should apply.
Please note that this procedure is based on the
assumption that your note pipes and chord pipes
are already installed in the proper order.
First note that all the longest pistons are
note pistons and therefore belong in the two
bottom rows of holes in the bass board (assuming a
120 bass accordion). Notice that each note piston
has just one peg on the side of it that must engage a
lever on one of the note pipes. Notice also that there
is a slightly different distance from the button
board to each note pipe, and a corresponding set of
twelve different distances from the top of each
button down to the peg on the side of its piston.
Sort all the note pistons in order according to the
distance from the top of the button down to the peg
on the side of the piston. This should give you eight
piles of three pistons and four piles of 4 pistons.
Next, identify the note controlled by each
note pipe and label the pipes with their note names.
You can do this by sounding the reed that lies
behind each valve and identifying the note by ear or
with your electronic tuner. Hint: Identifying any
two adjacent reeds will allow you to determine
whether your bass reeds are laid out in accordance
with the chromatic scale (most likely) or in
accordance with the circle of fifths, (less likely),
ACCORDION REVIVAL
George Bachich
which will in turn allow you to extrapolate and
label all the other reeds without actually sounding
them. Now that you know the names of the notes
played by each valve, you can easily determine
which pipe opens any particular valve and
therefore can assign the proper note name to each
pipe.
Knowing which pipe plays which note tells
you which note is played by the pistons of any
particular length, measured from the top of the
button to the peg, because only the three or four
pistons of the proper length will properly reach the
three or four actuating levers on that pipe. In other
words, the longest pistons play the note controlled
by the most distant pipe, the shortest pistons play
the note controlled by the closest pipe, and so on.
This allows you to assign a note name to each pile
of pistons.
With each pile now labeled with its note
name, use your knowledge of the bass button layout
to determine which three or four holes in the bass
button board match each pile of note pistons.
Now sort each of your twelve piles of
pistons into two sub-piles according to the angle of
the offset bend between the flat part of the piston
and the button. It is easy to do this by laying the
piston on edge on the table and seeing which
buttons are thereby lifted farthest off the table.
These have the greatest offset angle in order to
reach the fundamental bass row of holes, and
therefore are your fundamental bass row pistons.
The pistons with the smaller offset angle are your
counter-bass row pistons.
70

ACCORDION
REPAIR
3 educate yourself and to rescue as many old
TUNING BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Why is there so little information available
about repairing and tuning accordions? Why
haven't experienced repairpersons and tuners
shared what they know? Could it be because they
want to guard the source of their livelihood? Could
it be because they think repairing and tuning
accordions is a trade that must be learned over a
lifetime or through an old world style
apprenticeship under expert supervision, and that
sharing a little knowledge with novices would only
get people into trouble? Could it be that even
though they are good at repairing and tuning, they
are not so good at communicating what they know?
Could it be simply that there are so few of them and
so few of us that they seldom meet anyone who
wants to know what they know? If so, then they
may sense that the market for their knowledge is so
limited that it is simply not worth the time and
expense to put what they know into a cohesive,
coherent, communicable format.
It seems to me that all of these reasons are
valid, and that with so many good reasons for the
existing information void, it could continue
indefinitely if I don't do something about it. So I
plan to fill that void, first with this website and later
with a another book, which I am currently
calling PIANO ACCORDION REPAIR MANUAL AND
TUNING GUIDE.
The information posted on this website will
endure only as long as I continue living and paying
the rent on the website server. When that ends, it
will all disappear with a click of the server owner's
mouse unless I put it into a more lasting format;
hence the book idea. I don't expect the book to be a
big seller volume-wise, because it will serve only
ACCORDION REVIVAL
George Bachich
this very tiny niche market that you and I occupy,
but to make it even remotely possible that I will be
able to recoup the expense of publishing it, I am
reserving all copy rights to all the material posted
here. Please use the information you find here to
accordions as possible, but do not duplicate any of
it for commercial purposes. Thank you for your
consideration.
I am not a master accordion repairer/tuner.
I have had no formal education or apprenticeship in
repairing and tuning. I'm quite certain that I do not
know everything there is to know about repairing
and tuning accordions. I have learned some things
about repairing and tuning by reading what others
have written, but unfortunately, until now there has
been very little available.
I have learned primarily by experimenting,
and that means often making mistakes and
correcting them. I have made many mistakes and I
have learned enough from correcting them that I
am now quite comfortable doing most repairs and
tuning dry and light musette (LMM and LMMH)
accordions. However, I am just beginning to learn
about tuning full musette (LMMM and LMMMH)
accordions.
Even though it is still very much a work in
progress, I think writing down what I have learned
so far may be of value to others taking a similar
path. It also provides an opportunity for those who
know more about tuning than I to critique what I
have written, should they be so generous as to do
so.
The internet provides a wonderful forum
for disseminating information, and for discussing
and revising that information. It puts all our heads
together, and provides unprecedented
opportunities for learning from each other. I have
learned much about repairing and tuning
accordions by doing it. I learned some more by
organizing what I have learned into what I hope is a
cohesive, coherent, communicable format,
presented here. Since publishing this website I have
learned still more from several of my readers who
have shared their knowledge and experience. I
hope to continue learning by hearing other people's
reactions to what I have written. If you see some
way to improve or expand upon on what I have
71
written, then I am eager to hear what you have to
say.
George Bachich
gbachich@accordionrevival.com
April 2014
ACCORDION TUNING OVERVIEW
Reeds go out of tune for many reasons, and filing
the reed is not always the best remedy. It is best to
understand why each reed is out of tune before
trying to correct its tuning by filing or scratching
the reed tongue. Always look for clues that might
indicate the cause of the problem and correct any
such problem before tuning. Tune the reed only as a
last resort. If you tune first, and correct the original
problem later, the reed will once again be out of
tune because of the filing or scratching you did.
Dirt - For instance, dirt and grime add weight to
the reed tongue, throwing it out of tune. Dirt can
also increase friction and drag. Cleaning a dirty
reed will often put it back in tune, or at least closer
to it, so whether or not you see any dirt, wax, or
grime on the reed tongue, clean it thoroughly
before attempting any tuning (but not before you
establish your tuning bellows base reading and
tuning bellows target for that reed). See the chapter
on cleaning reeds and the chapter on using the
tuning bellows.
Rust - Rust on the reed tongue throws it out of tune
by adding weight to it (iron oxide is heavier than
iron). You should brush off all the rust using one of
the small brass wire brushes described and shown
below. However, after the rust is removed the reed
will still be out of tune because it will now be
lighter, due to the loss of the iron bound up in the
iron oxide). Whenever rust is involved, cleaning,
then filing the reed is the only way to get it back in
tune. See the chapter on Putting File to Metal.
Cracks - Metal fatigue cracks throw reeds out of
tune, and filing will not help, at least not for long,
because the crack will continue to develop,
throwing the reed farther out of tune as it develops.
Discard any cracked reed.
ACCORDION REVIVAL
George Bachich
Loose rivet - If the steel rivet (sometimes a screw)
holding the reed tongue to the reed plate is not
extremely tight, more of the reed tongue can lift off
the reed plate as the tongue swings, effectively
increasing the length of the tongue, thereby
flattening the pitch. If a reed is difficult to tune
because its frequency wanders more than that of its
neighbors in response to changes in bellows
pressure, try resetting the rivet before tuning.
Misalignment – A loose rivet can also allow
the reed tongue to drift out of perfect alignment
with the vent. Misalignment of the reed tongue in
the vent will usually silence the reed, but slight
misalignment can sometimes allow it to keep
working, while causing a metallic ringing noise as
the tongue brushes lightly against the side of the
vent on each oscillation. The friction caused by this
metal on metal contact slows the reed significantly,
throwing it out of tune. Very slight misalignment
can cause the reed to go flat without making any
ringing noise. The best remedy in all these cases is
to correct the misalignment. See the chapter on
Aligning Reed Tongues.
Bad Leathers - A stiff, curled, loose, or missing
leather can throw a reed out of tune by up to ten
cents or more. Surprisingly, until you think it
through, the reed tongue that is thrown out of tune
is often the one alongside the defective leather,
rather than the one under it. The best remedy is to
replace the leather.
New leathers - A new leather anchored differently
than the original (glued along more or less of its
length than before) can also throw a reed out of
tune (this time the one under it), by up to five cents
or more. The easiest and surest way to correct this
(once you have replaced the leather and rechecked
the tuning in the accordion in order to determine
the actual tuning error with the new leather) is to
retune the reed with a scratcher or a file.
Cracked wax - Cracked wax can throw a reed out of
tune by allowing the reed plate to vibrate relative to
the reed block (rather than transferring all its
vibration energy into the reed block). This usually
also causes a significant decrease in volume relative
to neighboring reeds, and often creates a buzzing
sound, but sometimes, in the early stages, the only
symptom is the reed being out of tune on the flat
side. If you scratch or file such a reed to tune it,
72
your victory will be temporary at best, because the
reed will continue vibrating itself loose, going
farther out of tune until it finally goes silent and
falls out. Then when you wax it back in, it will be
out of tune because of all the filing you did.
Especially if both tongues on the same reed plate
are sounding flat, check for cracked wax by
pressing the reed plate against the reed block with
your thumbnail while the reed is sounding on your
test bellows. If the finger pressure causes the reed
pitch to sharpen, you will know that the wax has
separated from the reed plate, allowing the reed
plate to vibrate around the reed tongue. In this case,
remove the reed from the reed block, clean all the
old wax off the reed and off the reed block, and wax
the reed back in with fresh reed wax. Then put the
reed block back into the accordion and check the
tuning again.
A change in the weather - Changes in temperature,
humidity, and barometric pressure all impact air
density, which is one of the factors determining the
frequency at which reed tongues vibrate. Changes
in air density affect all the reeds in a similar
manner, though, so if all the reeds were tuned
under approximately the same atmospheric
conditions, the accordion should at least remain in
tune with itself as atmospheric conditions change.
However, if the tuning job is not completed under
the same atmospheric conditions under which it
was begun, the reeds tuned under one set of
conditions will not be exactly in tune with those
tuned under different conditions. For instance, a 20
degree Fahrenheit change in temperature can
change the tuning of a reed by 2 or 3 cents.
Microphones, plugs, etc. – Anything installed on top
of a reed block that hangs over the edge impinges
on the reed tongue’s environment. The reed
responds to changes in its surroundings by
changing its frequency. This can easily be
demonstrated by hanging your thumb over the
edge of a reed block right over a reed you are
sounding on your test bellows. With your tuner
turned on, you can observe the change in tuning as
you move your thumb into and back out of the reed
tongue’s immediate vicinity. Installation of
microphone systems after the accordion has been
tuned often result in one or more reeds going out of
tune. You will have to decide whether to relocate
ACCORDION REVIVAL
George Bachich
any such obstacle or to tune the affected reeds to
compensate for the obstacle’s presence.
Register slides out of alignment - If the register slide
is not in the fully open position, the reeds along that
bank of reeds can be out of tune. In that case,
moving the slide to the full open position will put
them back in tune.
Normal wear – Sometimes no reason can be found,
in which case we conclude that the reed has gone
out of tune as a result of normal wear. This is a cop-
out, of course, because there is always a reason,
perhaps as simple as the wax being harder than it
was at the last tuning, but if we cannot find and
correct any of the above problems, we have no
choice but to tune the reed.
Note that tuning by scratching and/or filing would
be helpful only in three or four of the cases
described above (rust, new leather, normal wear,
and possibly microphones or plugs mounted to the
reed block). In all the other cases, scratching or
filing before solving the underlying problem would
actually be counter-productive, so investigate
before you file, and remedy any problems prior to
tuning.
SPOT TUNING
Tuning a few problem reeds without re-tuning the
whole accordion is called spot tuning. In this case,
the amount of filing is usually minimal, if any, and
most of the tuning is done with a scratcher. It is far
less work than a total re-tuning, because the reeds
are generally left in the reed block while you tune. If
just a few reeds are out of tune by more than you
can comfortably correct with scratching or diagonal
filing, you can take them out of the reed block
individually (after determining the magnitude and
direction of the correction needed), tune them to
within a few cents, then wax them back in for their
final tuning. That’s a lot easier than re-waxing the
entire reed block.
RE-TUNING
Re-tuning, i.e., altering the basic tuning by tuning all
the reeds to a different A, or changing a dry tuned
accordion to wet (see the chapter on Tuning
Musette Reeds), is a much bigger job than spot
tuning, as many more reeds are involved and you
will probably have to take the reeds out of the reed
73
block for the first stage of tuning. Re-tuning
requires a lot of filing in the first stage, and while
mounted in the reed block, adjacent reeds and
leathers get in your way, making filing difficult. If
you have a lot of filing to do, it is much easier to file
a reed the same way the reed maker does, with the
reed plate out of the reed block and firmly clamped
in a vise, with the leathers removed. See “Putting
File to Metal” for more details on the mechanics of
tuning.
SETTING REASONABLE STANDARDS OF
ACCURACY
Don’t be too obsessed with accuracy - Whatever the
nature of your tuning project, don’t waste time by
tuning to greater accuracy than is needed.
Electronic tuners are accurate to within 1/10 of a
cent, but trying to tune all the reeds in an accordion
to this degree of accuracy is a fool's errand for at
least four reasons.
First, most human ears cannot detect pitch
differences smaller than about three cents, so
especially on the lower notes there is little reason
to exceed that level of accuracy.
Second, the tuning of a reed varies from day to day
by up to a few cents due to changes in temperature,
atmospheric pressure, and humidity (all factors
impacting air density). You can spend a lot of time
meticulously tuning only to discover the next day
(or even later the same day) that all the frequencies
are off again.
Third, some reeds can vary by a cent or more
depending on how long they play. A reed may start
out sharp and slightly flatten after sounding for a
second or two, in which case there is no rational
basis for choosing one condition over the other as a
basis for your tuning (do you want your whole
notes in perfect tune, or your quarter notes?).
Fourth, the frequency of the reed varies with the
volume (bellows pressure) because it flexes closer
to the rivet as it makes wider swings in response to
greater air flow. This brings more of its length into
play, lowering its pitch. It is very difficult to tune
every reed at exactly the same volume level, or even
to check the tuning of the same reed at exactly the
same volume twice in a row, so even if you
meticulously tune with great precision, you will
ACCORDION REVIVAL
George Bachich
find it difficult to duplicate or verify your results,
even just a minute later.
For a partial solution to this problem, see the
chapter on Tuning With a Manometer, but the fact
remains that extreme accuracy is nearly impossible
and not necessary, except in the case of the highest
notes in your musette reed set. See the chapter on
Tuning Musette Reeds.
But don’t be careless, either, as there are other
factors to consider which may make accuracy more
desirable.
First, even though the instrument's absolute
tuning will vary from day to day and at different
volume levels, the various reeds in it will be
influenced by the same external factors and will
respond in very similar ways, thus keeping them
more or less in tune with each other. So even
though under certain conditions the accordion may
be slightly out of tune with your electronic tuner or
even with other instruments, it will be in tune with
itself, which is the most important thing.
Second, even though we cannot hear the
difference between two pitches two cents apart
played sequentially, we can hear the harmonics and
possibly the beat created when they are played
together, and this contributes significantly to the
quality of the sound. Similarly, the natural
harmonics and beats created by certain intervals
and chords may vary enough to be noticeable to
some people with well trained ears (especially at
the higher pitches) even though the individual
notes may not be perceptibly out of tune. At the
lower pitches these harmonics are much less
audible and much less sensitive to small tuning
errors.
Set reasonable standards of accuracy - For these
reasons, if I am tuning an entire instrument, I tune
dry reeds to within one cent at the highest pitches,
to within three cents at the lowest pitches, and to
within 2 cents near the middle of the accordion's
range. If I am spot tuning, I tune to within one or
two cents of the average of several neighboring
reeds. After all, the whole accordion may be slightly
out of pitch on the day I am spot tuning due to the
factors listed above, in which case if I tune one reed
to exact pitch as indicated by my electronic tuner,
that reed may be out of tune with the rest of the
74
instrument. It makes far more sense to check other
reeds nearby, eliminate the outliers, and take an
average of the rest. Then tune the subject reed and
the outliers to within one or two cents of that
average.
Accuracy is most important in musette tuning -
Note that the above standards apply only to dry
reeds. You will find that when tuning musette
reeds, a tuning error of a couple of tenths of a cent
can make a noticeable difference at the higher
pitches. However, in that case you are usually
tuning to the beat, rather than to an absolute note
value. When tuning to the beat, all that matters is
the difference in pitch between the two reeds. This
difference can be controlled with great precision
because both reeds are sounding together, are
operating under identical atmospheric conditions,
and are responding to the exact same bellows
pressure. Even if atmospheric conditions and/or
bellows pressure are different next time, causing
both notes to be sharper or flatter, they will both be
impacted in approximately the same way. The
difference between their frequencies will remain
pretty stable, and so will the beat, which is all that
matters when you tune to the beat. See the chapter
on Tuning Musette Reeds.
THE REAL ESSENCE OF TUNING: INVESTIGATION,
ANALYSIS, AND PLANNING
While it is true that tuning accordion reeds involves
removing metal from the reed tongues (see the chapter
on Putting File to Metal), the real essence of tuning lies in
investigation, analysis, and planning. Whether tuning an
entire accordion or merely spot tuning a few problem
notes, before putting file to metal it is absolutely
essential to develop and adhere to a tuning plan that tells
you how much to change the tuning of each reed tongue
and in which direction.
Investigation
A=440? - The first step of your investigation is to
learn or decide whether this is or will be an A440
accordion or whether it is or will be tuned to some other
value for A. An A440 accordion has the A above middle C
(the second A up in the clarinet reed set) tuned to 440
hertz, and all other notes follow from that. You will find
ACCORDION REVIVAL
George Bachich
accordions tuned to A440, A441, and A442, as well as
other values. I found one 1933 model tuned to A446.
The easiest way to determine which value of A forms
the basis of your accordion’s original tuning plan is to
use a strobe tuner or "virtual" strobe tuner to examine a
few of its bassoon reeds or bass reeds to find which A
setting gives you an indication of zero cents deviation, or
at least the smallest average deviation. Naturally, this
investigation must be done with the reeds still mounted
in the accordion, because they will vibrate at different
frequencies once you take them out of the accordion. You
should choose to investigate the bass reeds or the
bassoon (L) reeds because they are always straight
tuned, whereas one or more sets of your clarinet (M)
reeds may be wet tuned, which would give you a
misleading result. Piccolo (H) reeds, can also be checked,
but being smaller, they are more vulnerable to being out
of tune due to an accumulation of dirt and grime, which
could also give you a misleading or ambiguous result.
You can tune your accordion to any A you want, but
discovering and adhering to the original basic tuning is a
much easier task than switching to a different value of A.
Adhering to the original tuning plan will require much
less filing on fewer reeds, and you will probably be able
to do it without removing the reeds from the reed blocks.
Wet? Or dry?- The second step of your investigation
is to determine whether the accordion is wet or dry
tuned. That is, does it have more than one set of M reeds,
and if so, is one or more of those sets tuned slightly off-
pitch to create a tremolo effect (wet tuning, often called
musette tuning) when both (or all three) sets play? (For
clear instructions on how to identify your accordion’s
reed configuration, see Chapters 4, 5, and 8 of PIANO
ACCORDION OWNER’S MANUAL AND BUYER’S GUIDE,
available on the "Owner's Manual" page).
If you have two M sets, to determine if it is wet tuned
you simply listen for the tremolo. If your ear is not
already trained to recognize tremolo, then set your
treble switches to play just one M set. Play a single note
and while sustaining that note hit the switch that allows
just one other M set to play that note along with the first.
75
If you suddenly hear tremolo, it means one of those
reeds is slightly out of tune. If you hear tremolo on
nearly all notes when both M reeds for those notes
sound, the detuning is probably intentional, meaning you
probably have Musette tuning. If you hear tremolo on
just a few, you probably have a dry tuned accordion in
which those few reeds are out of tune. If you hear
tremolo when just one clarinet reed is played along with
a corresponding bassoon or piccolo reed, then one of
those reeds is definitely out of tune.
If you have three M reed sets, then you certainly
have musette tuning. Use your strobe tuner to identify
which set is supposed to be on concert pitch (I call that
the clarinet reed set), which set is tuned sharp, and
which set is tuned flat (I call these detuned reeds the
musette reed sets). In some LMMM and LMMMH
accordions both musette sets are tuned sharp, with one
being sharper than the other, in which case you will
discover this during your investigation. If you have an
A440 accordion and an iPhone or an iPad, you can more
conveniently investigate all this by using the "Strobe
Tuner Pro" app from Marcus Cavanaugh, inc. ($2.99 at
the iPad App Store).
Once you have identified which reed sets are which,
label the reed blocks accordingly for future reference. I
label each row on each reed block: “bassoon white”,
“bassoon black”, “clarinet white”, “clarinet black”,
“musette white”, “musette black”, etc. (remember, each
reed set is divided approximately in half, with each half
mounted on a different reed block).
Analysis and planning
If you have a dry tuned accordion and wish it to
remain dry, there is relatively little analysis and planning
to do. You will simply plan to tune all reeds including
bass reeds to concert pitch, based on the A (440, 442,
etc.) of your choice. If you adhere to the original basic
tuning, you will probably not tune every reed, but rather
just those that are out of tune by some minimum
amount, such as 2 cents or 3 cents or more, especially for
the lower notes. See the chapter on tuning dry reeds.
ACCORDION REVIVAL
George Bachich
If you have a musette accordion (or if you are
converting your dry tuned LMMH accordion to musette,
the first step in your tuning plan will be to tune all the
dry reeds (the bass, bassoon, clarinet, and piccolo reed
sets) to concert pitch (based on the proper A for your
accordion). But the second and more interesting step is
to develop a tuning plan for your musette reeds. Before
tuning any musette reeds, you must first arrive at a
musette tuning plan that achieves the tremolo beat
progression you want to create.
If you are merely spot tuning to correct a few bad
sounding notes, then you will want to analyze and
understand your accordion’s original musette tuning
plan (beat progression), so you can tune those few
problem reeds to fit the current plan. But if you are
tuning the whole instrument, your goal may be to alter
its tuning plan/beat progression to one that sounds
better to you.
Many possible tuning plans - For LMM and LMMH
accordions, establishing a tuning plan begins with
deciding what beat progression you want. For instance,
do you want to hear one beat per second (bps) on the
lowest F, with the beat frequency gradually and steadily
increasing as you ascend the 41 note harmonic scale to
four bps on the highest A? Do you prefer to hear two bps
on the lowest F, progressing to eight bps at the highest
A? Maybe one bps progressing to six bps is more to your
liking, or two to four, or some other progression.
Although my American ear does not appreciate tunings
wetter than these, in some parts of the world some
people claim to like tunings as wild as 4.5 bps at the low
F and as much as 30 bps at the high A.
76
 Thierry Benetoux, in THE INS AND OUTS OF THE One way to come a bit closer to these curves is to

ACCORDION, briefly describes four different beat create a linear progression of cents deviation between

progression curves, running four full octaves from the successive notes, rather than a linear progression of beat

D# below our lowest F (which I will call F1) to the D# frequency. That is, make the incremental decrease in

above our highest A (which I will call A4 (because it is cents deviation between any two adjacent notes be

the fourth A on our 41 key keyboard). Mnsr. Benetoux constant, rather than making the incremental increase in

describes his vibrato beats in terms of beats per minute, beat frequency be constant. The result is very similar,

but if we divide his numbers by 60 to convert to beats except that a little less of the increase in beat frequency

per second, and if we plot out his curves, then truncate occurs in the lower half of the keyboard and a little more

them to fit our 41 key piano accordion keyboards, we of it occurs farther up the scale. The increase in beat

come up with these four curves: frequency as you advance pitch-wise up the keyboard is

"American att." runs from 0.7 bps at F1 to 3.5 bps at still very smooth and the beat frequency increase

A4. between any two adjacent notes is still barely

"American" runs from 0.9 bps at F1 to 4.2 bps at A4. perceptible, if at all, but the overall sound of the

"Light musette" runs from 1.6 bps at F1 to 5.3 bps at accordion will be slightly different because the beats will

A4. all be a bit slower near the middle of the keyboard than

"Musette" runs from 2.2 bps at F1 to 7 bps at A4. they would have been if you had used a linear beat

Although Mnsr. Benetoux has drawn simple straight progression.

lines to represent each of his curves, none of his curves

are actually simple straight lines. If you plot them on
graph paper with the 41 key scale across the bottom, you
can readily see that they all have an inflection point
somewhere in the first half of the keyboard, after which
the curve rises more steeply.

ACCORDION REVIVAL
77
George Bachich
 only hard and fast rule is to avoid abrupt changes. No
note should beat at a significantly different frequency
from its immediate neighbors. If you are not yet sure
what you want, then before tuning your accordion to a
new beat progression, you should listen to many
accordions, analyze the beat progression of one you
particularly like, and duplicate that tuning on your own
accordion.
For a quick comparison of several different beat
progressions, visit the Fisitalia website and play the
short recordings of the six different tunings they offer.
Unfortunately, they don't precisely define the full beat
progression of each tuning, and the notes played for
comparison are only through a one octave C chord near
the low frequency end of the keyboard, but you can
easily tell the difference, learn to count the beats, see for
yourself how the beat frequency increases as you
For LMMM and LMMMH accordions (called “full
advance up the scale, and perhaps decide which tuning
musette” accordions), you must not only decide on a
sounds best to you. However, keep in mind that their
desired beat progression for each of the two musette sets
recordings do not reveal the tunings at the high end of
paired individually with the dry clarinet set, but you
the keyboard, where the beats would be faster, and
must also consider the beat progression that will result
where really fast beats can sound really awful. Here is
when all three are played together. I don’t yet know how
the link.
to predict that beat progression, so I can offer you little
guidance on this, other than to suggest that you analyze
Analyzing beat progressions - One way to analyze a
the beat progressions of the individual pairs in a
beat progression is to compare the beat on each note to a
similar accordion whose tuning you like and duplicate
metronome beat. Several digital metronomes are
that in your own accordion.
available as free downloads. I use an iPad app called Epic
The main point is that there are a very large number
Metronome. I like it because it has a moving graphic
of different tuning curves (beat progressions) possible,
presentation of an old fashioned mechanical metronome
and the one that is right for you depends on your
arm swinging back and forth across the screen, and that
personal taste. Whatever your choice, you must then
visual representation is easy for me to monitor while I’m
establish the desired beat frequency for each note in
counting the musette beat. I set the metronome for 30
between. You might want a nice linear progression, with
beats per minute, then I count the beat during two full
the beat increasing by the exact same amount between
swings of the arm, which is four seconds. I divide that
any two successive notes on the scale, or you might want
count by four to get the beat frequency to the nearest
to increase the beat slowly through the first octave or so,
quarter beat per second (bps).
then increase it more rapidly the rest of the way up the
keyboard. Another possibility is to increase the beat to
If you have not yet trained your ear to count the
some maximum near the middle of the keyboard and
beats, you might start by singing silently along with
keep the beat frequency constant from there on up. The
them, la-la-la-la-la-la, matching each "la" to one of the

ACCORDION REVIVAL
78
George Bachich
beats. For faster beats, it helps to think in terms of pairs,
triplets, and quadruplets of "la". For instance, while you
might not be able to count ten individual "la"s per
second, you might be able to count two quadruplets and
a pair. With this technique, I can count with confidence
up to about 12 bps, which to my taste is beyond the
desirable range.
By counting the tremolo beat for each note, you can
accurately plot the tuning curve for any light musette
accordion (LMM or LMMH). As you plot the beats for
each note, you are likely to find some deviations from a
smooth curve. If you assume these deviations are caused
by specific notes being a little out of tune, you can ignore
them in order to plot a smooth curve (or a straight line)
as a model for tuning your other accordions.
However, for some of the wider tunings that you
might encounter in some full musette (MMM, LMMM or
LMMMH) accordions, you might not be able to count the
beat near the upper end of the keyboard range, because
it is too fast. In this case, unless you can hear the beat in
terms of its pitch as an overtone (can anyone do this? I
ACCORDION REVIVAL
George Bachich
don't know!), you will have to revert to tuning those
notes entirely in terms of cents.
BPS versus cents - Although I think it is most
informative to speak of musette tuning (at least light
musette tuning) in terms of beat, most people still speak
of it in terms of cents. For instance, I once saw a list that
showed American musette as 10 cents sharp, Italian
musette as 15 cents sharp, French musette as 20 cents
sharp, Irish as 25 cents sharp, etc. I have seen some
sources suggest tunings as wild as 32 cents sharp.
Aside from the fact that these wider tunings would
sound awful to me, I think their descriptions are
misleading, because they seem to suggest that the entire
range of notes should all be tuned to the same cents
deviation, which is never the case. Sometimes the given
number refers to the deviation at the low F on our
keyboards, and sometimes it refers to the deviation at
A=440. But it never refers to the deviation at the highest
A.
Regardless of the cents of deviation used at the low
end of the keyboard, the deviation is always reduced as
we progress up the scale. If it were not, few of us would
like the sound. Tuning the high end or even the middle of
the keyboard of an LMM or LMMH accordion to large
deviations creates a beat so fast that to most American
ears it sounds more like fingernails on a blackboard than
a beat, and it definitely grates on our nerves. (In MMM,
LMMM, and LMMMH accordions, it is said that the
presence of the third reed makes the wider tunings
tolerable. I plan to do some experimenting on this in the
near future as I develop tuning plans for my LMMM
acordions.)
Regardless of the amount of deviation, or of the
differences among our individual tastes, we don’t hear
the cents, we hear the beat. The beat frequency is
extremely important to the quality of the sound. When
tuning musette reeds, we most often tune them to the
beat, rather than to some nominal number of cents sharp
or flat. Our tuning plan is based on a desired beat
progression. What we hear and what we really seek to
79
control is the tremolo beat frequency measured in beats
per second. It therefore makes much more sense to
describe musette tuning (at least light musette tuning) in
terms of beat, rather than cents, and to specify how the
beat changes as we progress up the keyboard.
Understanding the relationship between hertz, bps
and cents -The problem with this approach is that our
tuning equipment is calibrated in cents, (one cent equals
1/100 of a semitone), so to be able to use our tuners to
achieve a desired beat, we must also understand the
exact relationship between cents and beats per second.
Unfortunately, that relationship is different for each
note. Generally, one cent of difference in pitch has less
impact on the beat frequency at the lower notes and
more impact at the higher notes. This is because the beat
frequency is exactly equal to the difference between the
two note frequencies expressed in hertz, and because
each cent represents more hertz at the higher notes.
For instance, at the lowest clarinet F on our
keyboard (174.6 hertz), each hertz of difference (bps)
equates to about 10 cents. Near A=220 hertz, each hertz
equates to about 8 cents, at A=440 hertz, about 4 cents,
at A=880 hertz, about 2 cents, and at the highest clarinet
A on our keyboards (A=1760 hertz), each hertz is only
about 1 cent (for a more complete discussion of why this
is so, see Chapter 27 of PIANO ACCORDION OWNER’S
MANUAL AND BUYER’S GUIDE). The mathematical
formula for determining the number of cents equivalent
to one beat per second at each note boils down to the
following:
For any given note whose frequency in hertz (cycles
per second) is F, the frequency of a note one cent higher
is F x 2 to the 1/1200 power, the frequency of a note 2
cents higher is F x 2 to the 2/1200 power, and so on,
right on up to a note 100 cents higher, i.e., a full semitone
higher, having a frequency of F x 2 to the 100/1200
power (the same as the 1/12 power of 2, which is the
basis for an equal temperament 12-note scale).
ACCORDION REVIVAL
George Bachich
Musette tuning calculations - (We won’t actually do
much calculation here, but if even the passing discussion
of math bores you, skip now to the cheat sheet.)
For a convenient example, let’s take the case of a
note 10 cents higher than frequency F. According to the
formula, this higher note has a frequency of F x 2 to the
10/1200 power. The hertz difference between these two
note frequencies is F x 2 to the 10/1200 power minus F.
This hertz difference is exactly equal to the beat
frequency that will be generated by playing these two
notes together (for a clear, plain language explanation of
why this is so, see Chapter 27 of PIANO ACCORDION
OWNER’S MANUAL AND BUYER’S GUIDE). Since we are
comparing two notes exactly ten cents apart, this beat
frequency is the number of tremolo bps that result from
ten cents deviation at this particular note. To get the
number of cents deviation required to generate just one
tremolo beat per second, we must divide 10 by this
number.
For instance, applying this formula (F x 2 to the
10/1200 power) at piano A4 (440 hertz), tells us that a
note ten cents higher has the frequency 442.55 hertz.
Subtracting F (440) from 442.55 gives us the difference
between these two notes, which is 2.55 hertz. Since each
hertz of difference generates one beat per second, we
know that these two notes played together will generate
a beat of 2.55 bps. In other words, ten cents of difference
generates a beat of 2.55 bps at A440. Dividing 10 by 2.55
tells us that 3.92 cents difference generates one beat per
second at A440.
The cheat sheet - This formula may appear difficult to
evaluate, but in fact it is quite easy on an Excel
spreadsheet, and I have done it for you and posted the
results below. The chart shows how many cents
difference are required at each note to achieve 1 bps
tremolo beat. Double that many cents will generate a 2
bps tremolo beat. If you want to generate a 3.25 bps
tremolo beat on a particular note, multiply the cents
value of 1 bps by 3.25.
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 This is your cheat sheet. It allows you to quickly
calculate how many cents correction you need to apply
to the current tuning in order to alter the current beat
pattern to fit your tuning plan for each individual note. It
is the single most essential ingredient for successful
musette tuning, yet I have never found it published
anywhere. As far as I know, this is its first appearance.

PROPER MUSETTE TUNING PROCEDURE

With this background information in mind, we can
now recap in outline form the proper procedure for
tuning a musette accordion, which is the most complex
type to tune. Details for steps 1, 2, and 3 have already
been provided. Details for steps 4, 5, and 6 are provided
later on. For a dry tuned accordion, skip steps 5 and 6.
Step 1: Determine the basis of its tuning (A=440, etc.).
Set your electronic tuner to this standard, and save the
setting (or the next time you turn it on, it may revert to
the default setting).
Step 2: Check all reeds for security and condition (wax,
leathers, rust, grime), and remedy any defects.
Step 3. Identify and label each reed set.
Step 4: Tune dry reeds as necessary
Step 5: Develop your musette tuning plan in terms of
the beat progression you want.
Step 6: Tune your musette reeds, one musette reed set
at a time.

This chart is an essential aid when we are tuning to Step 4: Tuning dry reeds
the beat. Let's say we hear a beat of 2.25 bps on one note
Using the tuning bellows - When tuning, it is
that, according to our tuning plan is supposed to produce
important to understand that each reed tongue will
a beat of 3.25 bps, that is, it should beat 1 bps faster.
vibrate at a different frequency in the accordion than on
Assuming this particular musette set is tuned sharp, the
your tuning bellows. This is due to several factors
chart tells us how many cents we need to further
including reversed air flow on the tuning bellows and
sharpen this particular reed in order to increase the beat
differences in physical surroundings. Although the reeds
by one more bps. If we are tuning a set that is tuned flat,
will have to be tuned outside the accordion on your
it tells us how many cents we need to flatten it. If the
tuning bellows, you will want them to be in tune when
beat of a particular note needs to be raised or lowered by
installed in the accordion. You must establish a tuning
0.75 bps, then multiply the number in the chart by 0.75,
bellows target value for each reed tongue that will put it
and so on.

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in tune once it is back in the accordion.

For your dry tuned reeds, measure how many cents
each reed tongue is out of tune, and in which direction,
while the reeds are installed in the accordion. Unless you
are using Dirk's Tuner, which can listen to more than one
reed at a time, you must turn off all reed sets other than
the one you are measuring.
If you have an A440 accordion, you can use the
Marcus Cavanaugh iPad/IPhone app referenced above,
but if you are tuning to some other value of A, then you
will have to use a strobe tuner or virtual strobe tuner
that can be set to that standard. I use the Peterson VS-II
Virtual Strobe tuner, which used to list for $359, but has
been discontinued and is now available used in places
like eBay, often for around $100. Express any deviation
you find as a correction factor. For instance if you find
that a reed is three cents flat, then your correction factor
will be to sharpen it three cents. Use the tuning bellows
to measure and determine when you have achieved your
correction factor.
For the sake of efficiency (to avoid opening the
accordion hundreds of times) measure the tuning of all
the reeds in one set (bassoon, clarinet, or piccolo) at one
sitting and make a chart showing the amount and
direction of the required correction for each reed tongue.
Then test those same reeds on the tuning bellows (still
mounted in their reed blocks, naturally, and with
leathers still installed), and note on the chart how far out
of tune each one appears to be on the tuning bellows and
in which direction. You will not be tuning to eliminate
this indicated error, as it will probably be different from
the real error noted while the reed block was in the
accordion. You will use this tuning bellows reading only
as a base line for calculating your tuning bellows target
value for each reed tongue.
Calculate the desired tuning bellows target value by
applying the correction factor determined while the reed
block was still mounted in the accordion, and note the
tuning bellows target value on your chart. Then tune the
reed tongue to that target value on the tuning bellows.
Use the tuning bellows just to measure the amount of
correction being made. The tuning bellows target value
will not be zero (zero cents out of tune) unless the reed
happens to have the same frequency inside the

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accordion as it does on the tuning bellows, which is at the correct target value for the reed tongue you are
uncommon. tuning and that you are tuning the correct tongue on the
For example, a typical reed tongue might be out of correct reed in the correct reed set, and that you are
tune by +6 cents (6 cents too sharp) in the accordion. In tuning it in the right direction (i.e., not inadvertently
that case you will note a required correction factor of sharpening it when you actually need to flatten it).
minus (-) 6 cents (flatten it by 6 cents to bring it to zero
cents out of tune in the accordion). If that same reed
tongue is out of tune by +9 cents on the tuning bellows,
your tuning bellows target value will be +3 cents (9
minus 6) and you will flatten it by 6 cents to get it there.
When you put it back in the accordion and test it again, it
should be exactly in tune.
As a final check after tuning to make sure your
allowed dry reed tuning tolerances are not too great,
play each possible dry pair of reeds (a dry pair being the
one you are tuning plus its octave mate from another dry
reed set) together and listen for any beat that would
indicate one of the reeds is out of tune, and retune any
problem pairs to eliminate the beat. For instance, if your
tolerances allow the low F in your bassoon set to be up
to 3 cents flat and the low F in your piccolo set to be up
to 2 cents sharp, and if both happen to be at opposite
extremes of their tolerance ranges, this 5 cent difference
might result in an audible beat when they are played
together. In this case, one of those reeds will have to be
tuned closer to the value of the other to eliminate the
beat. In most cases with these stated tolerances, the
pairs won’t be at opposite ends of their allowable ranges Organization, focus, and perspective- Skill, dexterity,
and will be well enough matched to preclude any and judgment are all required to successfully tune, but of
noticeable beat. Only if one of the reeds is near one limit equal importance are organization, focus, and
of the tolerance and the other reed is near the opposite perspective. It is important to be organized and focused,
limit will you have a problem. yet always keep in mind the big picture in order to avoid
Have a clear, well organized worksheet where you inadvertently tuning the wrong reed, or the wrong
can post the current tuning bellows reading, the tongue, or tuning in the wrong direction, or by the wrong
correction factor to be applied, and the resulting tuning amount.
bellows target value for each reed tongue. It helps to Many pitfalls - There are many opportunities for
color code the worksheet columns containing your inner error, confusion, or distractions to ruin your tuning job.
reed tongue readings, correction factors, and targets to For instance, your tuner could be set to A=442 or some
help prevent inadvertently reading the value for an other value not applicable to your accordion, which
external tongue while trying to tune an internal tongue. would give you the wrong readings for every reed. Or
Constantly double check to ensure that you are looking you could misread the tuner readout and write down

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that the reed must be sharpened, when it really needs to
be flattened. You could accidentally enter the value for
the inner reed tongue in the column for outer reed
tongue values, or on the line for a different note, or
accidentally write a minus sign when you meant to write
a plus sign, or misread your own handwriting. Once you
have the values written down, you could miscalculate the
correction required or you might calculate correctly but
use a wrong value in the calculation, perhaps due to
reading it from the wrong column on your chart.
Even if you avoid all measurement, calculation, and
tabulation errors and produce a perfectly accurate chart
of all the reeds and their required corrections and tuning
bellows target values, there are still plenty of
opportunities for error during the actual tuning of the
reeds. You might inadvertently tune the inner tongue to
the value desired for the outer tongue, or tune the wrong
reed altogether, or be on the wrong reed block, or
sharpen a reed when you should have flattened it. You
might be closing the tuning bellows (sounding the
interior reed) while thinking you are checking the tuning
you just did on the exterior reed. Whatever the reason
for the error, I know from experience that it is very
disheartening to find that you have taken metal off the
wrong reed tongue, or off the wrong end of the right reed
tongue.
You should never take your eye or hand off the reed
you are tuning. If you must look away to pick up a tool,
then keep your finger on the reed plate you wish to tune.
If you don't, you may find yourself tuning the wrong
reed. Practice on accordions of little value in order to
learn to systematically avoid all these pitfalls before
tuning an accordion of value.
Even if you have got everything right so far, and are
tuning the correct reed tongue in the right direction
toward the correct target value, you are still not out of
the woods. It is very easy to accidentally take off too
much metal and overshoot your tuning target. Most often
this happens when light filing or scratching is apparently
not changing the tuning (or maybe even changing it in
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George Bachich
the wrong direction) so you get a little more aggressive
with it.
This frequently occurs when your scratching or filing
is displacing (relocating) metal, but not actually
removing it, or perhaps displacing enough metal to
cancel out the tuning impact of any metal you remove.
For instance, filing the tip of the reed tongue (to sharpen
the pitch) can actually flatten the pitch by shifting burrs
of metal (mass or weight) toward the reed tip rather
than removing them entirely. Similarly, scratching the
lower third of the reed (to flatten the pitch) can
sometimes sharpen the pitch by plowing up tiny burrs
and shifting them toward the fixed end of the reed rather
than removing them entirely. If the next pass of the file
or scratcher finally removes these burrs, you will get a
sudden jump in the reed frequency, perhaps well beyond
your target value. Then you are faced with taking metal
off the opposite end to correct the overshoot. You can
avoid this trap by carefully and thoroughly scraping off
all burrs before taking each measurement.
In any case, the important thing to remember is that
you sharpen pitch by shifting the reed tongue's center of
gravity toward the fixed end, and you flatten pitch by
shifting the center of gravity toward the free end. You
can shift the center of gravity either by removing metal
or by shifting metal around. For more details on how this
is done, see the chapter on Putting File to Metal.
There are many other tuning pitfalls to avoid. If you
let your thumb or any part of your hand hang over the
edge of the reed block above the reed while sounding
that reed on your tuning bellows, the proximity of your
hand will flatten the pitch of the reed. This effect may
overshadow the effect of your most recent scratching or
filing, providing erroneous feedback and leading you to
erroneous conclusions about whether or not additional
filing is required. Not having the opening in the bottom
of the reed block fully over the opening in the top of your
tuning bellows will also give erroneous readings.
Gripping the reed block tightly while filing or scratching
a reed can compress or displace or wrinkle the leather
on some other reed, which can change that other reed's
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tuning. Similarly, replacing a leather can change the
tuning, especially if the length of the glued-down portion
of the new leather is not exactly the same as on the old.
When you begin tuning that reed, blindly applying the
previously determined correction factor may produce an
undesirable result. If rough handling or replacing
leathers has changed the tuning of any reed, a new
correction factor must be determined for that reed
before attempting to tune it. Naturally this requires
putting the reed block back in the accordion and
checking the tuning of that reed again.
Great care must be taken not to damage the reed
tongue or the reed plate while tuning. This is especially
important in the highest pitch reeds in the piccolo reed
set, say, from the highest A down to the C below. It is
very common to find these reeds silent due to being
damaged by excessive force during a previous tuning. I
have found them arched, cupped, twisted, even kinked.
Reeds with any of these defects are impossible to voice
properly, and should be replaced with new. However,
they can sometimes be straightened with a bit of tedious
careful work under 10x - 20x magnification (see the
chapter on “Straightening Piccolo Reeds”).
Reeds can be ruined by removing too much metal in
one place. Creating thin spots can theoretically change
the timbre and encourage cracks. Reeds can also be
ruined by bending them too far while getting them in
position to file, or by pressing too hard with the file or
the scratcher, or by filing or scratching without
providing proper support behind the reed tongue (the
smaller the reed, the more vulnerable it is to this kind of
mishandling). Inadvertently narrowing the reed tongue
or shortening its tip can ruin a reed by increasing the
clearance between the reed tongue and the vent.
Scratching or nicking the reed plate at the edge of the
vent can similarly ruin the reed.
Occasionally the file will drag a metal burr or metal
filing to the edge of the reed tongue, where it will wedge
between the reed tongue and the vent, preventing the
reed from sounding properly. These can usually be
removed by passing a .0015" metal feeler gauge between
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George Bachich
the tongue and the vent, or by dragging it along the edge
of the reed tongue, or sometimes by plucking the reed
until it vibrates freely. However, don't push the feeler
gauge too far into the vent, or you may damage or
dislodge the leather on the opposite side. And don't pull
the reed too far up to pluck it, or you may alter its
voicing.
More insidious is the effect of a tiny burr on the edge
of the tongue that serves to slow the reed just enough to
put it slightly out of tune rather than stopping it entirely.
This can mislead you into thinking the reed must be
sharpened in pitch, when all it really needs is to be wiped
clean. If you file it again before wiping it clean, you may
overshoot your target value. Similarly, the file or scraper
or your finger can drag soft wax or other contaminant to
the reed tongue and deposit it there, which will alter the
center of gravity and thus the frequency until you wipe it
clean. It is important to remove all wax from the top of
the reed plate before tuning any reed, in order to
minimize the possibility of dragging that wax onto the
reed tongue during tuning.
Occasionally, your efforts to support the interior
reed tongue from below will dislodge or damage the
interior leather, throwing the interior reed tongue
alongside of it suddenly out of tune and skewing your
readings for it. If you don’t notice this problem right
away, the erroneous and misleading feedback from your
electronic tuner may cause you to file or scratch more
than necessary. Once you discover and correct the
problem, you may find that you have significantly
overshot your tuning target and that you now have to
tune that same reed tongue back in the opposite
direction.
One major difficulty in checking the tuning and
determining correction factors is the fact that reed
frequency decreases (flattens) under higher air
pressures, especially on the lowest frequency reeds. You
might have a reed perfectly in tune at one bellows
pressure, yet the next time you test it you will get a
different reading if you use a slightly different bellows
pressure. This makes it impossible to tune efficiently, as
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you cannot tell whether the change in reading is due to
the scratching you just did, or to differences in bellows
pressures. And if you have one reed perfectly in tune at
one bellows pressure and another reed perfectly in tune
at some other bellows pressure, then whenever you play
those notes together, they will be out of tune with each
other.
Tuning at constant pressure with a manometer - This
problem can be avoided only by tuning and testing at
least all the low note reeds at the same bellows pressure
(the low notes are the most sensitive to pressure
changes). A simple home-made U- tube manometer can
be used to measure bellows pressure and to provide a
reference that allows you to apply the same bellows
pressure to every reed. I used some old clear plastic
medical oxygen hose for the tubing, food coloring to
color an ounce or so of water, an eye dropper to put the
colored water into the clear tubing. I mounted the tubing
on an empty white plastic gallon jug to hold it in the
proper U-shape, to support it in an upright viewing
To work properly, one end of the tubing must be
position, and to provide a white background behind the
open to the atmosphere and extended a few inches above
red liquid.
the liquid level to prevent any liquid from being blown
out under bellows pressure. The other end must be
looped to a similar height and connected to the bellows
through some convenient length.
To connect the manometer to the tuning bellows I
drilled an oversized hole in the top cover plate and used
a piece of foam rubber as a stopper to seal around the
hose. Before installing it, I made a hole through the foam
stopper and forced the hose through the hole.
To connect the manometer to the accordion I
remove the bass plate and the air release button and
valve, and insert the manometer hose into the air release
valve port, again using a piece of foam rubber as a
stopper to seal around the hose. I route the hose out
through the air release button hole in the bass plate and
reinstall the bass plate so I can play the accordion while
it is hooked to the manometer.
I mark the level of the liquid at rest in the
manometer on the plastic jug behind each leg of the U-

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tube with a felt pen, then while playing the accordion
normally, I note the fluctuations in liquid level with
varying bellows pressure and sound volume. Based on
those observations I select an appropriate liquid level
(bellows pressure) to use in tuning and mark that on the
jug behind each tube, one for each bellows direction.
When measuring the tuning of any reed in the accordion
or on the tuning bellows, I can now hold constant
bellows pressure at the appropriate level using the
manometer as a reference.
Atmospheric factors - Even at constant bellows
pressure, the tuning of any reed will vary from day to
day due to changes in air temperature, humidity, and
barometric pressure, all of which impact air density, one
of the important determinants of the frequency at which
any reed will vibrate. Expansion due to temperature
changes also minutely changes the length of the reed
tongue and hence the location of its center of gravity
relative to the fixed end, another major determinant of
the reed's vibration frequency.
We intuitively expect to see reeds slow down due to
an increase in temperature, as the reed tongue expands,
carrying its center of gravity away from the fixed end.
However, it is apparently not quite that simple, as on a
recent test of three reeds (Piano A3, A4, and A5) at three
distinct temperatures (48, 68, and 88 degrees
Fahrenheit) I found, contrary to my expectations, that all
three reeds were actually 1 ½ to 2 ½ cents sharper at 68
degrees than they had been at 48 degrees, although at 88
degrees the trend had reversed and the largest one was
back to being about half a cent flatter than it had been at
68 degrees. (I would need more data points to plot a
curve that would reveal at what temperature the trend
actually reverses for each reed.) I can offer no theoretical
explanation of why this reversal occurs.
Tuning variations due to temperature changes are
not a problem if all the reeds are tuned at about the same
temperature, because they will change together. But if
you tune one reed set on a 60 degree day and another on
an 80 degree day, you may have to compensate for the
temperature difference.
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The lowest notes often seem unstable - The lowest
note bassoon reeds are more difficult to tune because
they tend to drift in frequency, even at constant bellows
pressure. The higher notes vibrate at a consistent
frequency that your tuner can reliably measure to within
one tenth of one cent, but on the lowest notes the tuner
readout fluctuates, sometimes by several cents,
sometimes eventually settling down to one value, but
more often oscillating through some range of values.
After you file or scratch, you can't know for sure how
much of the change in readout is due to your tuning and
how much is due to drift, or to measuring at a different
phase of the oscillation cycle. You have to take an
average, or decide to always use the value showing after
some arbitrary but consistently measured period of time,
such as two seconds after the reed first sounds. I
hypothesize that this drift may be due to the uneven
weight distribution along the length of the reed tongue
(the largest treble reeds are much thicker and heavier at
the tip), or it may be due to the large mass of the reed tip
intermittently mobilizing more of the reed tongue’s
length by occasionally lifting it off the reed plate closer to
the rivet. Whatever the reason, you will not be able to
tune these reeds to the degree of accuracy that is
possible at the higher notes.
Final check - Once all the reeds in a set have been
tuned, check the operation of every reed in both
directions on your tuning bellows (in case any have
become jammed by tuning debris) then put the reed
blocks back in the accordion and check the tuning again.
This will highlight any errors or discrepancies that you
will need to correct in a second round of tuning. Also
check for proper voicing, as the forces imposed on the
reeds during tuning can upset the voicing (especially on
the smallest reeds), and you will want to correct any
voicing problems at the same time you are correcting
any final tuning discrepancies.
Voicing the reeds - Voicing involves setting the free
tip of the reed tongue to the optimum height above the
reed plate. The optimum height is that which will require
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the least possible amount of air to get the reed tongue
moving, yet not so close that it chokes (balks under
sudden high bellows pressure). The proper height is
typically about one reed thickness, but this is really just a
starting point. The actual optimum height must be
determined by feel and by ear. If the clearance is too
great, the reed responds slowly and sluggishly, especially
under light bellows pressure, because too much air leaks
through the resulting excessive clearance around the
reed tongue. If the clearance is too narrow, the reed will
not sound at all under sudden high bellows pressure,
presumably because its initial stroke is too short to
accumulate enough spring energy to overcome the air
pressure and bounce back, as would be required for it to
begin oscillating. Finding the sweet spot can be tricky
because if the clearance is ever so slightly less than the
optimum, the reed can partially choke, that is, it can
refuse to sound immediately, but eventually get going,
which can sound a lot like a reed responding sluggishly
because it has too much clearance. This can fool you into
reducing the clearance some more, which will cause it to
choke completely on the next trial. Generally, if a reed's
threshold of response under very light bellows pressure
is identical to its immediate neighbors, it is probably
properly voiced. Any reed that requires more bellows
pressure than its neighbors probably needs voicing. For
detailed instructions on voicing reeds, see the article on
page "Accordion Repair 1".
Step 5: Developing your musette tuning plan
Developing your musette tuning plan involves
several tasks:
a) deciding what beat progression you want for each
musette reed set,
b) documenting the current beat progression for each
M set paired individually with the dry clarinet set,
c) comparing the existing beat progression to your
desired beat progression to get a tuning correction factor
measured in bps for each reed tongue,
d) calculating an equivalent tuning correction factor
measured in cents for each reed tongue,
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George Bachich
e) measuring each reed tongue’s current tuning on the
test bellows in terms of cents, and
f) applying the calculated cents correction factor to get
a tuning bellows target value (in cents) for each reed
tongue.
I usually complete steps a) through d) for the whole
reed set before going on to e) and f), which I complete
for each reed tongue just before I clean and then tune it. I
tune each reed tongue to match its tuning bellows target
value before going on to e) and f) for the next reed
tongue.
Here is a more detailed explanation of each task:
a) Deciding what beat progression you want was
covered earlier under “Many possible tuning plans”. To
be useful during tuning, it must be in the form of a list of
the desired beat frequencies to the nearest 0.1 bps for
each note on your treble keyboard.
b) Documenting the current beat progression was
partially covered earlier under “Analyzing beat
progressions”. To that I can add a few tips: With the
reeds in the accordion, and with the treble switches set
to play just the dry clarinet set and the single musette set
you are tuning, play each note in both bellows directions
and make a list of the current beats for each note in each
bellows direction. If switches don’t allow this reed
combination, then insert paper strips under the reed
blocks to block air flow to the rows of reeds you do not
wish to hear. If your accordion has more than one
musette reed set, repeat this for each of those sets
individually paired with the dry clarinet set.
c) Comparing the current beat progression to the
desired beat progression involves simple subtraction
and listing the correction required (in bps) in the proper
column for each reed tongue, paying careful attention to
the direction of the required correction.
d) Calculating an equivalent tuning correction factor
measured in cents is just multiplying the bps correction
factor by the cheat sheet bps-to-cents conversion factor
for that note.
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 I use a chart which I call my Musette Reed Tuning
Worksheet. It has 12 columns and 45 rows. The 4 top
rows are for labeling and grouping columns, and the
other 41 are dedicated 1 row for each treble note. The
first column contains the names of the notes, the second
and third columns are for entering the beginning bps for
each bellows direction (as measured with reeds in the
accordion), and the fourth and fifth are for listing the
correction required (in bps) for each bellows direction in
order to match the desired beat progression. The sixth
column is just a reproduction of my cheat sheet, listing
the cents per bps conversion factor for each note, and the
seventh and eighth columns are for listing the calculated
correction factor in cents for each bellows direction. This
much I complete before taking the reeds out of the
accordion.
The last four columns are for listing:
e) beginning cents deviation for each tongue as
measured on the tuning bellows, and
f) the tuning bellows target value for each tongue,
which is derived by applying the cents correction factor
to the beginning cents deviation for each tongue.
Step 6: Tuning Musette Reeds
To help keep the data properly organized and
Tune your musette reeds one musette reed set at a
prevent errors, I use yellow highlighting to denote all
time. Before removing the reed blocks from the
columns pertaining to inner reed tongues. The
accordion, make sure each row of reeds is properly
completed chart constitutes a complete formulation of
labeled, as discussed in “Wet or Dry?”, above. Establish
my musette reed tuning plan for one musette reed set.
the tuning bellows base line and the tuning bellows
target value for each reed as you go, as detailed in e) and
f) of step 5, above, then carefully clean each reed before
you tune it. Check it on the test bellows again to see how
much it improved due to the cleaning. Then tune each
musette reed tongue to its tuning bellows target value,
just as you did for the dry reed sets.
Correcting errors and newly discovered problems –
After all the musette reeds are tuned, put the reed
blocks back in the accordion and check every musette
reed pair again, in each bellows direction, making note of
any needed corrections to the beat frequency on a fresh
Musette Reed Tuning Worksheet. Use the cheat sheet
column to convert each bps correction factor to cents.

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Establish a new tuning bellows base line for each reed
tongue needing additional tuning, apply the cents
correction factor to arrive at a new tuning bellows target
value for each reed tongue needing additional tuning,
and tune each of those reed tongues to its target value,
just as you did the first time through.
Occasionally, you may discover that the beat
frequency for one of the pairs increases or decreases
with changes in bellows pressure. Even though the
higher note reeds are generally less prone to frequency
drift in response to changes in bellows pressure, in the
case of musette pairs the beat is so sensitive to minute
changes in frequency that if one member of the pair
drifts ever so slightly more than the other, the beat will
change noticeably. If your final check reveals a reed pair
whose beat varies noticeably with bellows pressure, then
one of those reeds may have a loose rivet. I don’t mean
“falling out loose”, or even “wandering off-center” loose. I
mean just barely loose enough to allow a tiny bit more of
the reed tongue to lift off the reed plate right next to the
rivet whenever you get the reed tongue swinging wide
by playing it at high volume. This increases the effective
length of that reed tongue, lowering its pitch. In this case,
you will have to identify which reed tongue is causing
the problem and reset its rivet.
If the musette set you are tuning is sharper than
your clarinet set, a slower beat under high bellows
pressure indicates the musette reed is going flat, while a
faster beat under high pressure indicates that the
clarinet reed is the culprit. If the musette set you are
tuning is flatter than the clarinet set, then a slower beat
implicates the clarinet reed, while a faster beat
implicates the musette reed. In either case, if the
problem occurs while opening the bellows, the inner
tongue is causing the problem. If it occurs while the
bellows is closing, the outer tongue is the one to repair.
You can also identify which reed tongue you have to
tighten by testing all four reed tongues individually on
your test bellows with the Marcus Cavanaugh tuning app
running on your iPad. Watch the readout as you vary
tuning bellows pressure. If the frequency of any one of
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those tongues wanders more under bellows pressure
changes than the other four, you will know to reset the
rivet on that tongue.
However you identify it, take the offending reed out
of the reed block, place one end of the problem rivet on
the edge of an anvil (just that rivet should contact the
anvil, not the whole reed plate, not any reed tongue, and
not both rivets) and give the other end of that rivet a
couple of light raps with a hammer. Don’t hit it too hard,
as you don’t want to distort the aluminum reed plate,
which is relatively soft.
Wax the reed back into the reed block, install it in
the accordion, and test that pair again. If your hammer
taps were sufficient, the problem will be solved, and the
beat will be stable. However, it may not be stable at
precisely the bps you want, in which case you will have
to retune the reed tongue whose rivet you reset. With
your cheat sheet in hand, it will be easy to arrive at a
new correction factor in cents and a new tuning bellows
target value, just as you did before.
Musette Tuning tolerances - A look at the cheat sheet
reveals that the tuning tolerances must be considerably
tighter for musette reeds than for dry reeds, especially
near the upper end of the 41 note scale. Tune to within
two cents of your target at the low end of the keyboard,
because at the lowest F, 2 cents equates to about 0.2 bps,
which is as much accuracy as you need. Gradually
decrease this margin of error as you ascend the scale,
until at the very top tune to the nearest 0.2 cents,
because at the highest A, 0.2 cents equates to about 0.2
bps. If each note is tuned to within 0.2 bps of your tuning
plan it will sound perfectly tuned to anyone. If you let the
tolerances wander to about 0.5 bps, some people (other
accordion tuners, mostly) will notice. Most people are
oblivious to beat frequencies, and will not notice
anything wrong unless the beat is way off, in which case
they will know it sounds bad, but they won’t know why.
Cleaning reeds
The time honored way to clean reeds is by taking
them out of the reed block, cleaning off the wax, and
soaking them in benzine or carbon tetrachloride. That is
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not practical if you are not re-waxing the accordion, and
in any case, I do not recommend using such toxic
chemicals. Some people clean them in a liquid bath in an
ultrasonic cleaner, but I can’t help wondering if there is
any water in that liquid, and if so, what happens to the
water that gets in between the reed plate and the rivet
tongue all around the rivet. I prefer to clean
mechanically.
I use a tiny brass wire brush which I make by pulling
individual tufts from a small wooden handled wire brush
available at hardware stores (find a brush with the
straight brass wire bristles, don’t buy one with curly
bristles). Grip each tuft individually near the bottom with
needle nose pliers and pull it out of the wood. Crimp a
short length of steel tubing (I use 1/8” automotive brake
line) onto each individual tuft to use as a handle, and
snip the bristles to about 1/4" long, making a stiff
narrow brush that fits down into the reed vent. Crimp
one tuft in each end of the tube and on a few of them
bend one set of bristles 90 degrees for working inside
the reed block.
These brushes work well for cleaning all but the
underside of the outer reed tongue (unless you remove
the reed from the reed block, in which case all surfaces
are equally accessible). If you are working with a reed
still mounted in its reed block, work from the outside, in
order not to have to remove the interior leather. Lift the
outer tongue and scrape the underside of it with a dull
blade, such as the edge of a .004” or thicker metal feeler
gauge, then pluck it to shake off the debris. This is not a
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perfect way to clean, but it is better than no cleaning at
all. Then check its tuning again. After cleaning the reed in
this manner you may have to file less than you originally
thought, and sometimes you may not have to file at all.
Sometimes cleaning alone brings the reed back into tune.
Don’t clean it before you establish its tuning bellows
target value, though, or you will have to put it back in the
accordion to establish a new correction factor.
Aligning reed tongues
If the reed is silent or flat because the reed tongue is
out of perfect alignment with the vent, you will have to
re-center it. With the reed removed from the reed block
and held up to a bright background, verify visually that
the spaces between the reed tongue and the vent are
equal on both sides of the tongue. This takes a bit of skill,
because if you do not look precisely straight on, or if
your viewing angles from either side of straight on are
not exactly symmetrical, one gap may seem wider when
it is really not. Sometimes it helps to rock the reed
tongue down into the vent before sighting through the
gap. Claudio Binci routinely centers his newly made reed
tongues by this method, and when he finishes, the
clearance on either side of the tongue is exactly .0015”.
Actually, the narrower the clearances, the easier it is to
detect any asymmetry.
The easiest way to re-center the tongue is to lever it
back to the proper position. Insert a thin blade into the
narrower space (midway along the tongue, so you can lift
the tongue far enough to insert the blade, but not too
close to the tip) and gently pry the reed tongue back to
center. Take care not to twist the reed tongue or to
damage the edge of the vent. If the reed tongue has
worked its way off-center, it can only be because the
rivet is too loose, so once you have it centered, you
should reset the rivet, as described above, in “Correcting
Errors and Newly Discovered Problems”. Naturally, you
must wax the reed back into the reed block when you are
finished.
Putting File to Metal
Tuning is mostly about investigation, analysis,
planning, organization, focus, and perspective, so it is
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appropriate that most of this tuning chapter has been
dedicated to those critically important ingredients of
tuning. However, that brings us to the remaining
ingredients, which are skill, dexterity, and judgment, and
this is where we finally put file to metal.
Re-tuning in three stages - If you choose to re-tune,
i.e., to alter the basic tuning by tuning to a different A, or
to change a dry tuned accordion to wet (see the chapter
on Tuning Musette Reeds), you should take the reeds out
of the reed block for the first of three tuning stages. Re-
tuning requires a lot of filing in the first stage, and
adjacent reeds and leathers get in your way, making
filing difficult. If you have a lot of filing to do, it is much
easier to file a reed the same way the reed maker does,
with the reed plate out of the reed block and lightly
clamped in a vise, and with the leathers removed.

The first tuning stage will be done with a file (except

for the tiniest piccolo reeds), filing straight across the
reed tongue (unless you are working on the tip, in which
case you file directly toward or away from the rivet) to
bring the reed to within a couple of cents of the final
value. You need not obsess over small deviations at this
stage, because the tuning will probably change anyway,
perhaps by several cents, when you install the reed
valves and wax the reed back into the reed block. You
will not be able to compensate in advance for this
change, because part of it is unpredictable. Sometimes
the reed sharpens when mounted in the reed block and
sometimes it flattens. Sometimes you get lucky and the
change is very small or even zero.
To check your progress during this first stage, place
the reed directly over the aperture on the tuning table
and draw air over the reed while managing your tuner.
An assortment of different apertures will be required to
fit the various reed sizes, so you must devise some way
to fit those various apertures to your tuning bellows or
tuning table. One way is to make a large opening in the
top plate of your bellows and make an assortment of
covers for this opening, each with a different sized

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aperture. One way to secure these covers is to slide them
into slots cut around the top interior edge of three sides
of a box mounted over the large aperture, as shown in
the photo below. I’m sure there are other ways, as well,
but in any case, you should line your apertures with
leather, fuzzy side up, to maintain a good air seal
between the reed plate and the bellows.
The second tuning stage is also done outside the
accordion, but with the reeds mounted (waxed) into the
reed block and with all reed valves (leathers) in place.
The goal at this stage is to bring the tuning to within a
cent or two of the desired final value. You will use a file
this time, too, but this time file diagonally so as not to
damage the leathers on adjacent reeds (you will
probably ruin a few leathers anyway, so have some
replacements on hand). It would be pointless to attempt
this tuning stage without the leathers in place, because
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George Bachich
installing them later would change the tuning again,
requiring an additional round of tuning.
The third and final tuning stage must be done in the
accordion because installing the reed block into the
accordion changes the tuning yet again. However,
understand that tuning in the accordion does not
necessarily mean actually filing or scratching the reed
tongue while the reed block is mounted in the accordion,
although this is sometimes done. For our purposes,
tuning in the accordion means measuring the tuning
deviation with the reed block mounted in the accordion,
then taking the reed block out to make the necessary
correction. This is because every reed tongue must be
supported while you file it, and the reed tongues facing
into the reed block can best be supported from the inside
of the reed block, which is most easily and reliably done
with the reed block out of the accordion.
In this final stage you will be eliminating small
deviations on the order of a few cents at most, so you
may be using a scratcher, rather than a file (especially on
the smaller reeds). If the needed correction is a cent or
more on the largest reeds, or more than a few cents on
the smaller reeds, you can start with the file (except on
the tiniest reeds, where files are too crude), but once you
have it within a cent on the largest reeds and within a
few cents on the smaller reeds, switch to a scratcher to
avoid overshooting your tuning target. On the tiniest
piccolo reeds, both the file and scratcher are too course
and crude, and you will be better off using only fairly fine
sand paper, perhaps around #220. See the chapter on
Tuning Tiny Piccolo Reeds.
Spot Tuning - If you choose not to alter the basic
tuning of your accordion, and if you are just tuning a few
reeds that are noticeably out of tune with the rest, you
will have a much easier time of it because in most cases
you will begin with the third tuning stage. If a few reeds
are out of tune by more than you can comfortably correct
with scratching or diagonal filing, you can take them out
of the reed block individually (after establishing the
needed correction, of course), rather than having to re-
wax the entire reed block.
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 When filing the tip of either an exterior or interior
Tuning with a file - Tuning with a file is a fairly
reed tongue, file directly toward or away from the rivet.
aggressive tactic, and requires a good sense of touch and
Slip a flat reed lifter under the tip to protect the reed
pressure, a good memory for how many cents of change
plate and adjacent leathers. Take great care to file only
results from any given amount of file pressure on the
the top surface, not the end or sides, as the clearance
various reed sizes, and considerable finesse. Files
between the reed tongue and the sides and end of the
remove lots of metal, so typically not much filing is
vent is critical, and you must not do anything to enlarge
required to bring a reed back into tune. Make one light
it. In handmade reeds and hand fitted reeds, this
stroke and see what difference that makes to the tuning,
clearance is only .0015, so even a very light file stroke
and based on that, estimate how many identical light
could double it, essentially ruining the reed. The smaller
strokes will be required to bring it in line with your
the reed, the more vulnerable it is to this kind of damage.
tuning bellows target value. Not all strokes are equal.
On the very smallest piccolo reeds, where the reed
With practice, you will learn to tell by feel how much
tongue may only be .002” thick, you dare not use a file at
metal you have removed with each stroke. If the file
all.
skips lightly over the reed, offering little resistance, you
obviously remove much less metal than if it seems to dig
in and offer significant resistance. One heavy stroke can
remove as much as many light strokes. Until you develop
a good feel for this, check your results frequently,
perhaps after each stroke, in order to avoid overshooting
your target.
When filing an exterior reed tongue to flatten its
pitch, file in the bottom third of the reed tongue. Insert a
reed lifter or metal feeler gauge under the reed tongue to
support it while you file. Extend the reed lifter or feeler
gauge out over the adjacent reed valve to protect it from
your file.

In order to file the tip of an interior reed tongue, the

tip of the tongue must be lifted up through the vent for
access. This is done by inserting a small tool, wood,

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George Bachich
metal, or plastic, in through the opening in the bottom of suffering permanent damage. As a general rule, if the
the reed block and out through the tip of the vent. Then reed does not have leathers, it is probably too small to
slip your flat reed lifter under the tip to support it evenly have its tongue lifted through the vent without
while you file. Be careful not to lever the reed plate out of permanently damaging it.
the wax mounting during the process. In these cases, you can use a scratcher near the tip,
taking special care to support the reed tongue evenly
from below while you scratch. With this technique, you
run the risk of cupping the end of the reed tongue due to
excessive pressure and/or inadequate support from
below. You also risk pushing burrs off the end of the reed
tongue, where they will interfere with the tongue’s
passage through the vent, either silencing the reed or
throwing it out of tune. If this happens, use the edge of
your reed lifter or of a .004” metal feeler gauge to scrape
the tip clean. Alternatively, you can take the reed out of
the reed block and tune it in your vise. The latter is by far
the best course of action for the tiniest of reeds.
One of your objectives while filing must be to avoid
creating stress concentrations that could lead to cracks.
This means don’t cut a groove across the reed, not even a
very shallow groove. Don’t remove metal from one tiny
area, or from just one edge of the reed tongue. The wider
the area and the thinner the layer removed, the better.
Your file must be perfectly parallel with the top surface
of the reed tongue, so it removes metal equally across
the entire width of the reed. The best tuning would be
invisible, blending in perfectly with the reed makers
original file marks. This degree of perfection is
practically impossible to achieve, especially when filing
diagonally across the reed tongue, but it is nevertheless a
worthwhile goal to keep in mind. The less conspicuous
your file marks, the better.

Tuning with a scratcher – When you are so close to

This does not work on the smallest few clarinet your tuning bellows target value that you think one more
reeds and on the top 20 or so piccolo reeds, because the file stroke might cause an overshoot, switch to using a
tongue is too short to survive so much bending without scratcher. This probably won’t occur on the largest

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George Bachich
reeds, where it takes several light file strokes to make a
cent of difference and where you are tuning to two or
three cent accuracy, but on the smaller reeds, where you
need more accuracy and where one file stroke can make
several cents of difference, you will be using the
scratcher often.
Unless you choose to remove the reed from the reed
block for tuning, you will also use a scratcher whenever
flattening the tuning of the interior reed tongue, simply
because you cannot get a file down into the vent. To
flatten the pitch, use the scratcher to remove metal from
the lower third of the reed tongue. If the cents change
you need is more than you can get from a few scratches,
remove the reed from the reed block so you can tune the
originally filed side of it with a file.
The number of cents change you can make with a
scratcher varies with the size of the reed. On the largest
reeds, you may only be able to get one cent or so without
severely gouging the reed tongue, which is never a good
idea. But on smaller reeds, you can use the scratcher to
flatten the pitch by up to a several cents.
To sharpen the pitch, you will use a file on the tip,
after lifting the tip out of the vent for access. If the reed
tongue is too small to lift out of the vent without
permanently deforming it, then remove the reed from
the reed block so you can scratch or file or sand the other
side.
Anytime you remove the reed from the reed block
for tuning, establish a new tuning bellows base line for it
by laying the reed directly on the opening in the top of
the tuning bellows. Then apply your previously
determined correction factor to get a new tuning bellows
target value, which will be different from the tuning
bellows target value you established for the reed
mounted in the reed block.
Tuning with a scratcher can be frustrating, because
the changes in tuning you get are sometimes not those
you expected, especially if your scratcher just moves
metal around without actually removing it (see the
discussion under “many pitfalls” in the Tuning Dry Reeds
section).
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George Bachich
Scratching lightly sometimes does not remove metal,
but simply lays over (flattens down) the ridges left by
the reed-maker’s file. This is especially likely on
handmade reeds, which are harder to scratch and which
often exhibit more pronounced file marks. Laying over
the file marks does not remove any weight, but it does
shift the center of gravity in the direction the tool was
traveling, and therefore impacts tuning, perhaps in the
direction opposite to what the tuner intended if he was
not aware of this subtle aspect of tuning.
However, you can use this knowledge to your
advantage in a way contrary to conventional wisdom by
working any part of the reed tongue downward (i.e.,
toward the fixed end) to sharpen the pitch, and working
any part of the reed tongue upward (i.e., toward the tip)
to flatten the pitch. Thus you can, if you wish, sharpen
the pitch by working with your scratcher on the lower
third of the reed tongue, and flatten the pitch by working
near the tip, exactly the opposite of the tuning procedure
normally described. You just have to go lightly to be sure
you are just laying the ridges over, rather than removing
any metal.
This technique is especially useful where you need
to change the tuning only slightly, say one cent or less, in
which case removing any metal at all can cause you to
overshoot your target, especially on the smaller reeds. It
is also a much gentler way of tuning that avoids the
higher pressures that can, if you are not careful, bend or
arch the reed tongue in a way that adversely impacts the
voicing or otherwise increases air leakage between the
reed tongue and the vent.
Naturally, this technique works best for the outer
reed tongues, on which you have good access to the filed
side. On interior reed tongues, unless you remove the
reeds from the reed block, you normally work on the
unfiled blue side of the tongue, where there are no
previous file marks to lay over, so to use this subtle
technique you would have to work through the small
opening in the bottom of the reed block, where it is very
difficult to see what you are doing. Due to those
difficulties, I don’t normally try that. I scratch on the
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unfiled side unless I have taken the reed out of the reed spaces than the relatively large and unwieldy tuning file,
block. producing less chance of damaging the reed plate or
Tuning with a Dremmel grinder - Some people tune adjacent leather. The high speed grinder removes metal
with just a file and a scratcher, and maybe some fine evenly over a larger area, leaving a smoother, cleaner
sand paper, while some others prefer to use a Dremmel surface, free of scratches, gouges, file marks (stress
grinder. There is great controversy on this point, with concentrations that can lead to cracks), and free of the
some people even saying they would refuse to own an troubling burrs that can skew tuning results. In short, I
accordion that shows evidence of Dremmel tuning, think that while a Dremmel tool in the wrong hands can
because they believe the Dremmel grinder ruins the do a lot of damage, refusal to tolerate tuning with a
reeds. Dremmel tool is probably rooted more in fear of change
I have never seen any evidence that Dremmel than in rational argument. I may experiment with a
grinding necessarily ruins reeds. The usual argument Dremmel on a junk accordion someday, to see if I can
against it is that the Dremmel grinder removes too much develop the skill, control, and confidence required to
metal. However, removing metal changes the tuning of tune effectively with it.
the reed, so if too much metal had been removed, the
reed would be out of tune. If the reed is in tune, that is Here is a reed that was apparently tuned (flattened) with
strong evidence that exactly the right amount of metal
has been removed. I have heard it claimed that if so
much metal must be removed to bring it into tune, then
the reed is no good anyway and should be replaced.
However, I doubt that the person saying this has ever
watched reed makers make reeds from scratch. They file
very aggressively, removing copious amounts of metal.
The amount of metal removed by a Dremmel grinder
during a typical tuning is infinitesimally small in
comparison.
I have always tuned with just a file and a scratcher
(and fine sandpaper for the tiniest reeds and for very
small adjustments on some larger reeds) for the same
reason that I always drill holes by hand. Power tools cut
very quickly and it is easy to slip and drill or cut too far,
and in an accordion, that can be especially damaging.
Hand tools operate more slowly, and seem easier to
control.

However, I think Dremmel grinders offer certain

advantages, and in the hands of a skilled operator, can
probably be safe and effective. There is less pressure
required, and thus less chance of bending the reed
tongue or rotating it out of perfect alignment with the
vent. The tiny grind stone is easier to maneuver in tight

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George Bachich
a Dremmel tool:

This reed was tuned (flattened) with both a Dremmel This reed was sharpened by filing at the tip, and also
tool and a file: flattened by scratching near the base:

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George Bachich
 reed tongues are so small that it is very difficult to see
what you are doing when tuning or voicing them, and
they are so fragile that the usual tuning tools are
inappropriate for tuning them. The smallest tongues are
only about .002” thick near the free end. This is only 2/3
the thickness of a sheet of normal 20# copy paper, so
they are very fragile. The teeth of a normal tuning file
can catch an edge and tilt it upward, putting a twist in
the reed tongue. The force necessary to make a scratch
with a tuning scratcher can easily cup or arch the whole
reed tongue if it is not very firmly and evenly supported
from below. Lifting the reed tongue through the vent so
it can be tuned from the outside would overstress it,
permanently bending or arching the reed tongue.
Attempts to lift or drop the tip to voice the reed can
result in only the tip bending, rather than the whole
tongue, as is required for proper voicing. Extreme care
must be taken when tuning and voicing these reeds, or
you will find yourself needing to buy new ones or to
spend a lot of time straightening the old ones (see
the chapter titled “Straightening Piccolo Reeds).

(Experienced eyes will detect that these are very old

reeds, cut narrower at the base than modern reeds. In
I tune these tiniest reeds with small pieces of #220
fact, these are from 1933.)
sandpaper glued to the ends of small wooden rods. If the
interior reed tongue needs tuning, I remove the reed
from the reed block so I can tune the filed side of the
tongue. I support the tongue during sanding by sliding a
.002” metal feeler gauge under it, and for the very
TUNING TINY PICCOLO REEDS smallest ones, such as the one pictured, I use a .0015”
It is not uncommon to find the highest piccolo reed feeler gauge. I establish the tuning bellows base line and
tongues (generally between the highest C and the highest measure my progress toward the tuning bellows target
A) arched, cupped, twisted, or kinked by excessive force value by placing the reed directly on my tuning bellows,
during tuning or voicing. The problems are that these rather than putting it back in the reed block each time.

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George Bachich
Only after I have reached my tuning bellows target value
do I wax the reed back into the reed block and put it back
in the accordion for a final check.
STRAIGHTENING TINY PICCOLO REEDS
If you need to straighten an arched, cupped,
twisted, or kinked piccolo reed tongue, you will have to
do it under fairly high magnification. The clearance
under a properly voiced high A reed is about .0015” (yes,
that is 15/10,000 of an inch). It is impossible to see that
tiny clearance without appropriate magnification. It is
likewise impossible to see arches, waves or twists of that
magnitude, yet the reed must be perfectly straight and
flat so the tiny critical clearance can be maintained along
most of its length. If it is arched or twisted so part of the
tongue is higher than that, excessive air will leak
between the tongue and the vent, and the reed will
respond slowly or not at all. If any part (other than right
at the fixed end near the rivet) is lower than that, it will
choke.
I use a 15x binocular microscope and work
under a bright light put very close to the reed. I clamp an
anvil (really just a paper clip bent to the appropriate
shape) to the base of the microscope, with the end of the
anvil extending horizontally into the field of view, and at
the proper height to be in focus (the depth of focus at
these magnifications is very shallow). I hold the reed
plate in one hand, a small bending tool (tiny
screwdriver) in the other. I use the anvil to support the
reed tongue near where I want it to bend, and apply
force with the bending tool to make the bend. I normally
rest the shank of the bending tool on the edge of the reed
vent and rock the tool into the reed tongue in order to
minimize the possibility that the tool might slip toward
the free end and cause only the tip of the reed tongue to
bend. If I am removing a kink, I slide a narrow strip cut
from a .0015” metal feeler gauge under the reed tongue
at the kink line to support it there while I press out the
kink with either the bending tool or the anvil, or
sometimes with both, one to hold the reed tongue firmly
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George Bachich
against the feeler gauge support, and the other to
actually make the bend. To remove twists, I use two
narrow strips cut from a .003” metal feeler gauge
clamped together to allow slipping the reed tongue
endwise between them, and I twist with that.
These are extraordinary measures. If you have a
new reed in stock or can easily get one, it is cheaper to
install a new reed than to spend a half hour straightening
the old one. But if getting a new reed takes time and if
the delay is intolerable, then you might choose to salvage
the old one. It can be done with the proper tools and
patience. Naturally, after any significant bending and
stretching, the reed is likely to be out of tune, so you
should expect to have to tune it. However, a new reed
will have to be tuned, also, so time-wise, that might be a
wash.
Tools and supplies needed for tuning:
Bellows pin pulling pliers
Flat and phillips screwdrivers
Tuning bellows
Stroboscopic tuner, such as Peterson VS-II Virtual
Strobe Tuner (about $300) or, if your accordion is tuned
to A=440, and if you have an iPad or iPhone, you can use
"Strobe Tuner Pro", an app for iPad and iPhone by
Marcus Cavanaugh (about $3). Dirk's Tuner, a pc
program available online as a download for $150, can
listen to up to three reeds at a time and give you a report
of the condition of each reed and the required
corrections in either cents or hertz. (Caution: sometimes
it hears only two of the three, and you can’t always tell
which one is missing, so you don’t know which value is
attributable to which reed.)
Tuning file
Tuning scratcher
Reed lifter to support reed tongues and protect reed
plates and leathers during tuning
Reed wax
Soldering iron modified for waxing (see article on
waxing with a modified soldering iron)
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 Reed leathers in all sizes
Normally closed tweezers for handling leathers
Sharp single edge razor blade for trimming leathers to
proper length.
Dull single edge razor blade for lifting and supporting
the smallest reeds during tuning.
Resin/alcohol glue (such as Indian Chief gasket shellac
available at auto parts stores) for gluing leathers to reed
plates.
Naphtha or lighter fluid to remove spilled wax residue
from reed plates and tongues.
Soft cotton rag (with a small spot dampened with
lighter fluid) for cleaning up spilled wax residue.
Plastic, ironwood, aluminum, or brass scrapers for
removing excess wax from reeds and reed blocks (avoid
using steel scrapers on aluminum reed plates, as the
relatively hard steel will scratch and damage the reed
plates).
Metal feeler gauges (for clearing stuck reeds, checking
clearance between tongue and vent, and for supporting
reeds while you file or scratch)
A final caution
Tuning can be a mind-numbing repetitive process.
The chart of tuning data for all the reed tongues can be a
blur of columns and numbers. It is very easy to become
bored, fatigued, distracted, absent minded, and careless
while tuning, and this all too easily leads to mistakes.
Here are some tips to help you stay organized and
focused.
1) Mark note values (note names) on the reeds or on
the reed block or on a piece of tape attached to the reed
block to help prevent tuning the wrong reed. Verify that
your tuner indicates the correct name of the note you are
tuning.
2) Mark the name of the reed set (bassoon white,
bassoon black, etc.) on each side of the reed block to help
avoid inadvertently tuning a reed in the wrong set.
3) Use worksheets or charts to keep tuning data
organized. Make a separate worksheet for each reed set
and label it clearly.
ACCORDION REVIVAL
George Bachich
4) Make worksheets illustrate the process and
numbers used to arrive at the tuning target for each reed
in order to facilitate double checking all calculations.
5) Highlight or color code all chart data relating to
inner reed tongues to help distinguish them from data
relating to outer reed tongues.
6) Use plus signs on all correction factors for reed
tongues that need to be sharpened and use minus signs
on all correction factors for reed tongues that need to be
flattened.
7) Circle each reed tongue's tuning target value as you
finish tuning that tongue, in order to reduce the
likelihood of inadvertently using that target value again
for some other reed.
8) Worksheets should show the initial tuning bellows
reading for each reed tongue alongside the tuning
bellows target value to facilitate keeping track of
progress toward the target value in order to better judge
how much additional filing or scratching will be
required. This will help avoid overshoots.
9) Be cautious and alert for errors. Double check all
calculations. If a target tuning value does not seem right,
that is, if it is very different from the target values for
neighboring reeds, then double check everything before
putting file to metal. It is far easier, and far less
disheartening, to correct mistakes on paper than on the
reeds themselves.
The full explanation of the formula for determining cents
per bps for each note.
An understanding of exactly how cents relate to
hertz (hz), why each cent equates to more hertz at the
higher notes, and how to calculate the exact number of
hertz that equates to each cent for any note, begins with
an understanding of our 12 note equal temperament
chromatic scale and the fact that with each octave, the
frequency in terms of hertz doubles.
At piano A1 the frequency is 55 hz. An octave higher
101
at A2, the frequency is 110 hz, at A3 it is 220 hz, at A4 it
is 440 hz, at A5 it is 880 hz, at A6 it is 1760 hz, and at A7
it is 3520 hz. Clearly, each of the 12 equal semitone
intervals in any higher octave is spread over a greater
number of hertz than its counterpart in any lower
octave. Since each semitone interval occupies a greater
range of hertz in the higher octave, it follows that each
cent (1/100 of a semitone) also occupies a greater range
of hertz in the higher octave.
We label basic tunings in terms of the note A (A=440,
etc.) because only the A notes in our scales have integers
(whole numbers) as their frequencies. All the other 11
note frequencies in each octave are then derived from
the frequency of the A according to a specific
mathematical formula that divides each octave into 12
equal pitch intervals.
This formula is exponential, rather than linear,
because our perception of pitch is not linearly related to
frequency. The relationship between frequency and our
sense of pitch is exponential (a linear relationship would
imply that each successive octave interval would occupy
the same number of hertz, rather than doubling each
time). This holds true within each octave, as well. That
means we cannot simply divide each octave into 12
equal numbers of hertz, but must instead assign each
successively higher note within the octave a greater
range of hertz than its predecessor, or the intervals
would not sound equal.
The formula that does this perfectly is an
exponential formula based on the fact that 2 raised to the
1/12 power multiplied by itself 12 times = 2. That is,
21/12 * 21/12 * 21/12 * 21/12 * 21/12 * 21/12 * 21/12 * 21/12 *
21/12 * 21/12 * 21/12 * 21/12
= 2(1/12+1/12+1/12+1/12+1/12+1/12+1/12+1/12+1/12+1/12+1/12+1/12) =
21 = 2
By assigning each successive note on the chromatic
scale a frequency equal to the frequency of the preceding
note x 2 raised to the 1/12 power, after 12 successive
ACCORDION REVIVAL
George Bachich
notes we arrive at a frequency equal to 2 times the
original note. In other words, this formula doubles the
frequency at each octave, while making each semitone
pitch interval sound equally spaced. Here is the formula
applied to calculate the frequencies of each note in the
octave immediately above A4:
A# = 440 x 21/12 = 440 * 1.059463094 = 466.1637614
B = A# x 21/12 = A * 22/12 = 440 * 1.122462048 =
493.8833013
C = B x 21/12 = A * 23/12 = 440 * 1.189207115 =
523.2511306
C# = C * 21/12 = A * 24/12 = A * 21/3 = 440 * 1.25992105 =
554.3652619
D=
D# =
E=
F=
F# =
G=
G# = A * 2 11/12 = 440 * 1.887748624 = 830.6093947
A = G# * 2 1/12 = A * 2 12/12 = A * 2 1 = 440 * 2= 880 Hertz
Just as each successive semitone interval within an
octave spans a greater range of hertz as we ascend the
scale, so does each cent interval within any semitone
span a greater range of hertz as we ascend through 100
cents to get to the next note in the scale. Thus, the
difference in terms of hertz between A4 and a tone one
cent sharper than A4 is less than the difference in hertz
between the two tones 25 cents and 26 cents sharper
than A4.
The formula that expresses this relationship
perfectly is very similar to the one used for assigning
frequencies to notes within an octave, and is based on
the fact that 2 raised to the 1/1200 power multiplied by
itself 100 times = 2 raised to the 1/12 power. In other
words, 100 cents = 2100/1200 = 2 1/12 = 1.059463094. So
+100 cents from note A becomes A# = 440 x 2 1/12 = 440
102
* 1.059463094 = 466.163761 hz. Thus, advancing 1 cent
at a time for 100 cents (i.e., a semitone) brings us exactly
to the next note in the scale.
This formula provides that a tone x cents sharper
than any given tone has a frequency equal to that of the
given tone multiplied by 2 raised to the x/1200 power.
For example, the frequency of a tone 1 cent sharper than
A4 is 440 x 2 raised to the 1/1200 power. Similarly, the
frequency of a tone 5 cents sharper than A4 has the
frequency 440 x 2 raised to the 5/1200 power. Thus, the
frequency of a tone 100 cents higher than A4 is 440 x 2
raised to the 100/1200 power, which is the same as 440
x 2 raised to the 1/12 power, which is the formula for
the frequency of the next note up the scale, A#.
Here is the formula applied to calculate frequencies
for some tones various numbers of cents sharper than
A4:
1 cent = 21/1200 = 1.000577790. So +1 cents from note A =
440.2542276 hertz
5 cents = 25/1200 = 1.002892288. So +5 cents from note
A = 441.2726067
10 cents = 210/1200 = 1.005792941. So +10 cents from
note A = 442.548894
15 cents = 215/1200 = 1.008701984. So +15 cents from
note A = 443.8288728
Notice that the number of hertz equating to -5 cents
(-1.2883 hz) is not exactly equal to the number of hertz
equating to +5 cents (+1.2726 hz), but they are so close
(within .0157 hz) that no one would ever hear the
difference, not even on musette tuning at the highest
notes. That is why it is okay to use the simplified "cheat
sheet", which uses a single conversion factor for tuning
either sharp or flat. No one can hear a .0157 bps
difference in beat frequency.
Now you know how to calculate the difference in
hertz between two notes any given number of cents
apart. Since each hertz of difference generates 1 beat per
second (bps) when the two notes are played together,
you now also know the number of bps that is generated
for any given number of cents difference. A very clear,
plain language explanation of why each hertz of
difference generates one bps can be found in Chapter 27
of PIANO ACCORDION OWNER’S MANUAL AND BUYER’S
GUIDE.

To calculate frequencies of tones various numbers of

cents flatter than A4, we take the reciprocal. In other
words,
-1 cent = 1/cent = 1/21/1200 =1/1.000577790 =
0.999422433, so -1 cent from note A = 439.000577567
-5 cents = 1/25/1200 = 1/1.002892288 = 0.997116053. So
-5 cents from note A = 438.7310634
-10 cents = 1/210/1200 = 1/1.005792941. So -10 cents
from note A = 437.4657865
-15 cents = 1/215/1200 = 1/1.008701984. So -15 cents
from note A = 436.2041584

ACCORDION REVIVAL
103
George Bachich