Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[The Happy Wanderer]

I just bought a used Cingolani PA, and I have been enjoying it, except for one thing. The bass strap is too long. When I bought the accordion, they asked me if I wanted new straps, and I said yes. It seems that they changed the bass strap too.

Unfortunately it is too long to be made snug on my hand, and this is making playing a bit difficult.

I have tried tightening the straps, but the tightening wheel won't go any tighter.

Does anyone have any tips on making it shorter? I'm afraid I don't have the original bass strap.



I suppose I could always call the shop where I ordered it. They should be able to fix the issue.

[Sandy Flett]

A temporary fix would be to wrap some fabric around the strap until it feels right.

[The Happy Wanderer]

I've been thinking. When you change the bass strap on a box, is it hard to tighten the first time?

[Sandy Flett]

As long as the screw-in part of the strap is properly located in the thread of the adjusting wheel it should not be hard to adjust. Would it be worth seeing how much it unscrews to ensure it is up to its endstop?

[Steve_freereeder]

As long as the screw-in part of the strap is properly located in the thread of the adjusting wheel it should not be hard to adjust. Would it be worth seeing how much it unscrews to ensure it is up to its endstop?

Yes - Sandy has a valid point. If there is some resistance, it is just possible that the shop has managed to get the bolt and rotella wheel cross-threaded. Try unscrewing the strap completely so that the bolt end comes out. Check to see if any threads are mangled and then try reinserting the bolt carefully to ensure that it is screwing in properly. If cross-threading was the cause of the problem and the bolt threads are now uselessly mangled, my advice would be to remove the strap entirely (undo the screws holding the other end too) and mail it back to the shop explaining the situation and ask them to send a replacement.

On the other hand, if all seems well with the rotella wheel and bolt, and if the strap is still too long even when screwed right in, then the best remedy is to shorten the strap a little at the other (lower) end. It will be secured by some sort of clamping plate screwed into the body of the accordion. Remove the screws to release the strap. Using a sharp blade, cut a small length off the end of the strap: a half-inch should be enough in the first instance, then reassemble the strap/clamp. You will probably need to pierce the leather strap with a sharp pointy thing to allow the screws to pass through it in their new positions.

[jonm]

If the new strap is thicker than the old, it is worth checking that it is not jamming in the slot and appearing to have used all the travel.

[Malcolm Clapp]

Be careful not to overtighten the adjusting rotella; stop as soon as you feel a resistance. They break easily on the cheaper models, though I've never heard of Cingolani, so don't know what sort of quality it might be.

And keep in mind that shortening by 1/4" at the fixed end can make a fair difference. Many people take off far too much and end up with a strap that will be too short.


 

[The Happy Wanderer]

Thanks for the replies! 

I kind of doubt that they would install the strap wrong, as the shop (Liberty Bellows), has been in business since at least 2007, and also repair accordions. Of course, mistakes do happen. 


Supposedly the Cingolani brand was the lower-mid range of PAs in the 60s, sold mostly around Chicago. It is made in Italy, so I suppose that it has Italian reeds. The rotella wheel is made of metal it seems, but I assume there is a mechanism it turns.


This accordion is 16 3/4" wide from the white keys. It's smaller than a full size PA, and lighter too, yet it has all 41 keys, and all 120 bass buttons. Even though it's a "smaller" PA, it still is quite large. Is it possible that the strap is intended for a full size PA?


The new strap does seem a bit wide (I never saw the original strap however), but it doesn't seem to be getting jammed.


One thing I would like to point out, is that where the strap meets the wheel, there is a visible screw plate thing. Is this how the strap attaches? I've never unscrewed a strap, how do you do that?




Some pictures. I really like how this accordion looks. If it ever broke, I would probably have it restored. 





The only other issues beside the strap, is minor cosmetic damage, and two buzzy reeds. No jingling though. 



Edit: I went over to the Accordionists forum, and searched about straps being too long. I found a thread, and one person mentioned that neotech straps (what was installed on my PA) are often too long. It would appear that is the issue on my PA.

The post by Tom is the post I am citing. He says to tie it in a knot, but I'm not sure about that.
http://www.accordionists.co.uk/viewtopic.php?t=1191&p=13523

Would applying some sort of padding work?

Edit 2: I found this shoulder strap pad on Amazon. While it's not intended for accordion straps, would this work?
http://www.amazon.com/Cosmos-Comfort-Shoulder-Messenger-Fastening/dp/B009YP1K7Y/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1447941973&sr=8-2&keywords=strap+padding

[Steve_freereeder]

The new strap does seem a bit wide (I never saw the original strap however), but it doesn't seem to be getting jammed.

One thing I would like to point out, is that where the strap meets the wheel, there is a visible screw plate thing. Is this how the strap attaches? I've never unscrewed a strap, how do you do that?

It's very simple. You just keep turning the rotella wheel and eventually the bolt on the end of the strap will pop out. 
To put it back, just insert the bolt back into the socket and turn the wheel in the other direction.

The post by Tom is the post I am citing. He says to tie it in a knot, but I'm not sure about that.
http://www.accordionists.co.uk/viewtopic.php?t=1191&p=13523

Would applying some sort of padding work?

Advice from Sheffield accordion players:
Nah then, mi flower - gi' o'er chuffin' abaht wi' knots an' paddin' an' aall. Jus tek us tips like wot we've tell'd thi an gerrend o' t' chuffin strap cut off.  Tha weighn't need much tekkin off, a quarter or arf inch'll mek all t' difference, si thi. Na need ter be freetened o' t' job, jus tek care an' tha'll be arreight.   

[The Happy Wanderer]

The new strap does seem a bit wide (I never saw the original strap however), but it doesn't seem to be getting jammed.

One thing I would like to point out, is that where the strap meets the wheel, there is a visible screw plate thing. Is this how the strap attaches? I've never unscrewed a strap, how do you do that?

It's very simple. You just keep turning the rotella wheel and eventually the bolt on the end of the strap will pop out. 
To put it back, just insert the bolt back into the socket and turn the wheel in the other direction.

The post by Tom is the post I am citing. He says to tie it in a knot, but I'm not sure about that.
http://www.accordionists.co.uk/viewtopic.php?t=1191&p=13523

Would applying some sort of padding work?

Advice from Sheffield accordion players:
Nah then, mi flower - gi' o'er chuffin' abaht wi' knots an' paddin' an' aall. Jus tek us tips like wot we've tell'd thi an gerrend o' t' chuffin strap cut off.  Tha weighn't need much tekkin off, a quarter or arf inch'll mek all t' difference, si thi. Na need ter be freetened o' t' job, jus tek care an' tha'll be arreight. 

Bolt thread is in fine shape. :)

I guess it's too long. 



Another unrelated issue is that I noticed the bellows folds have some small mold/black dirty areas, yet there is no moldy smell. How do you remove black (mold?) spots from the bellows? They aren't spots exactly, just black areas in the white folds.

[Rob2Hook]

Mold is difficult enough to kill and can only rarely be totally leached out.  Although your bellows are fabric lined, I would strongly advise against applyiong bleach - or they soon wouldn't be fabric lined and anyway you can't rinse the bleach off so it will cause long-term damage.  On cloth it is sometimes possible to bleach out green mould marks, but the black variety is there for good. 

Perhaps one should rejoice that it doesn't smell mouldy - and even that would be better than smelling like a public urinal (bleached)!  For the moment, it is what it is and you'll have years of playing it and planning the exact shade the replacement bellows should be.  Bellows last indefinitely, so long as you could afford the replacements in fact.

Rob.

[Kimric Smythe]

Sounds like the strap is just sized wrong, there are about 5 strap sizes, and about 25 accordion sizes. I typically have to trim a strap to fit the accordion often using the old strap and asking the customer if the old one is a bit long or short.
 You really need "jiffy rivets" to change the strap length on a lot of models, and the strap hardware on the old strap sometimes needs to be transferred to the new.

 You can try a old DRY toothbrush to the stains, this helps sometimes.