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[Matthew]

Dear All,

I purchased a lovely old Hohner Erica D/G off a forum member last year, and it has been great. But, last night, whilst messing about with it I noticed a slight cool breeze on my fingers and realised there is a small leak from the bass end. I had a look inside, nothing seems amiss, but clearly some air coming in, I think, from the palettes... they are the wooden blocks over the holes yes? Anyway, it played as normal... so my question is:

Is some small leakage of air okay? Or is this the point where hard-core players go to town trying to sort it so they don't feel the breeze! I have OCD lol, so these things concern me!!

Thank you. 

[Lester]

Lovely old Hohner and slight air leak are synonymous, so if it is not affecting the way it plays I would let sleeping dogs lie.

The problem with small air leaks is finding them, old Hohners can have leaking pallets, the soundboard may need resealing to the casework, leaks around screws etc that penetrate the soundboard

[Theo]

If you can feel the air escaping on your hand then in my opinion that is a reasonably large leak and if you follow the air upstream you should be able to identify the source.  When you have identified it you might need to ask here again for suggestions about how to fix it.

[Anahata]

What Theo said, and also when Martyn White overhauled my Oakwood he fixed many tiny leaks (bellows gaskets, pallets mainly) and it was amazing to play afterwards. You might not realize what you are missing.

[Matthew]

Thanks chaps for all the advice.

I have just had the bass plate off, and used the lip test to find leaking air - and lo and behold, one of the palettes was just 2mm off center, revealing, slightly, the hole underneath... so I gently bent it back and now no air leak!!

Thank God! Though now I am keen to get an old broken melodeon so I can really try and fix one... I think I am now suffering from MAD.

My wife WILL be pleased. 

[Henry Piper]

Well done Mathew, !!   I,m glad your still enjoying the Erica, but beware once MADness takes hold you'll be disassembling and re-assembling melodeons all day.!!
Henry.

[gettabettabox]

There are some out there...who believe that a melodeon should be airtight.
A solicitor friend of mine is very fond of the word..."reasonable." 

[Matthew]

Haha... reasonable? Yes - I like that!

Hi Henry - yes, the Erica is my favourite box - far more responsive than the several that have now come and gone. Have you got any other D/Gs at the moment ready for new homes?

[Henry Piper]

Haha... reasonable? Yes - I like that!

Hi Henry - yes, the Erica is my favourite box - far more responsive than the several that have now come and gone. Have you got any other D/Gs at the moment ready for new homes?

'Fraid not Mathew, not at present, although I still have a Box of Bits that will one day become a D/G !!   and another box that will be a C/F , but Ive just not had the time to work on them. I will keep you in mind when I eventually get round to it !!!
H