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[Richard Shaul]

Hello, I have just acquired a Stagi 20 button anglo concertina. Stagi are very much at the lower end of the concertina spectrum, but this one seems OK to me. One of the common problems, however is that when the action gets worn, the buttons get out of alignment and stick in the casing. The reason for this is that the button is attached to lever with a rubber spacer, and when the rubber wears out the button falls over. (relatively easy to fix by replacing the rubber spacer). Apparently the reason for this type of attachment is to allow for some lateral movement of the button as the lever swings through its arc. This got me thinking though. On this particular concertina, the distance between the button and the fulcrum point looks similar to that on a melodeon, but melodeon buttons have a solid fixing to their levers. So why is the lateral button movement considered to be a problem on the concertina but not on the melodeon?

[folkloristmark]

much less room for the action.Giving less room and choice for springs? Even the big German concertinas have leather to allow some movement and incidently the small hohners liliputs and Percies have buttons that move on the ends.It is possible to convert to an english anglo concertina type action with some work I have one I am thinking off.Its a very common problem with straight lever action cheaper concertinas.

[Winston Smith]

"the small hohners liliputs and Percies have buttons that move on the ends"


Mmmmmmmm! On my two, the buttons are firmly glued on, and look like they always have been. Mind you, I have a German concertina with wobbly, leather mounted, buttons which I'm dreading putting back together, eventually!

[Anahata]

That Stagi is unusual in having levers that long, and with only 20 buttons and quite widely spaced you probably could have them rigidly attached to the levers.

Most other concertinas have shorter levers, so bigger rotation angle, and also the buttons are small and closer spaced so there wouldn't be room for much rotation on the button, and the button holes would have to be slots. I don't think a concertina whose button tips moved laterally like that (and all in different directions!) would be nice to play at all, as you expect linear piston-like action in the buttons.

[Richard Shaul]

I've had another look, and, although the levers are quite long overall, the pivot point is closer to the button end, so there would be a fair amount of movement if the buttons were fixed, but thanks for the replies.

[folkloristmark]

Winston have a closer look the buttons are indeed glued firm to a wire loop that is then joined to the arm loop. At this joint there is approx 180 degrees movement possible as you will know when you remove the keyboard cover as I am sure you have. Powker work novice reassemble 10 mins, liliput 2 days. LOL. Just remove those little screws and lift the keyboard cover then time yourself i recon for you thirty seconds LOL again

As to concertinas other furoms are available but basically German action and english anglo action both allow some pivot of the buttons,Hinged or stapled. .

[folkloristmark]

Richard Hi.Here is a possible solution especially if its only one or two buttons, The extra spring are very cheap piano action springs and they are glued at the bottom and sliped over the button end . Trial and error. This is a very tricky issue sometimes and can be very frustrating the larger button ones are less prone to this. This is a cheap trick for a cheap instrument dont try on your melodeons!!

[Winston Smith]

Ah, Mark! You're most probably spot on with that, I think I was getting my old brain in a twist. I've never had a Liliput keyboard to bits, but I've just finished a nice tiny one row, where I had to replace the axle for the treble key levers, it's that that was in my mind, buttons glued on at a canny angle to miss the sides of the keyboard holes. Sorry for my idiocy!

[Richard Shaul]

Hi Mark, thanks for the idea. However, I have taken a tip from the concertina site and replaced the black rubber with silicon RC aircraft fuel pipe. This has cured the button sticking, and improved the feel of it. Time will tell how well this lasts, but the pipe is cheap enough!

[folkloristmark]

Ok  Winston not going to take up the challenge. If you do ever say need to attend to a sticking lilliy bottun Take the front panel of and attack from the front before you take the keyboard top off.

[NickF]

Having taken the keyboard top cover off a liliput all I can say is don't!

Everything was fine - for about 0.5 seconds, then it all went wrong, horribly wrong 

[Mark Leue]

Winston have a closer look the buttons are indeed glued firm to a wire loop that is then joined to the arm loop. At this joint there is approx 180 degrees movement possible as you will know when you remove the keyboard cover as I am sure you have. Powker work novice reassemble 10 mins, liliput 2 days. LOL. Just remove those little screws and lift the keyboard cover then time yourself i recon for you thirty seconds LOL again. .

I was surprised this week when I decided to limit the action on my Lilliput keyboard. it must have taken the
 best part of an hour to reassemble!  There may be a trick to it but I'm not sure what it is.

[Lester]

I was surprised this week when I decided to limit the action on my Lilliput keyboard. it must have taken the
 best part of an hour to reassemble!  There may be a trick to it but I'm not sure what it is.

Looks like scope for another video here as it's really quite easy with the right tool (forceps) 

[playandteach]

I found it straightforward the one time I did it, by holding the box upside down overhanging the edge of a table and teasing buttons through with the help of small tools like plastic crochet hooks. It took about a minute. Maybe I got lucky.