Print

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

[Ben Thackeray]

I have just obtained an Erideo Marinucci C/G 8 bass melodeon probably made in 1920's. It has the ends held on by rotating clasps and is in overall excellent condition, apart from needing an internal overhaul of valves, pads etc and some tuning. My problem is that the bellows, although in excellent condition, are really stiff. It doesn't look as if it's been played for 50 years or so. Does anyone have any tips about easing the bellows without doing any damage? 

[Graham Spencer]

Play it. A lot.   

There are various recommended methods,but I've always found stiff bellows play in over time. Whatever you do don't apply any lotions, liniments or lubricants.......

Graham

[Lester]

This has always worked for me, just be brave.
https://youtu.be/iigObdMdK6I

[Bob Ellis]

I agree with Lester. Emmanuel Pariselle showed me a very similar method. The only difference is that I do it one fold at a time rather than stretching a few folds each time. If you are worried about trying it on a box of that age, I have just received (three days ago!) a black and blonde Hohner pre-Pokerwork of a similar age and it worked perfectly on that box. However, there are no money-back guarantees. I suppose if there are any hidden weaknesses in the bellows, stretching them in this manner might reveal them, but I have done it on several boxes over the years and it has worked every time!

[boxcall]

Good methods mentioned or
Just hang (securely) the treble end on something and let the bass end hang for a few hours (depending on weight of unit) opening the air button,  worked for me although I hung the bass end of a one row ( bass strap hung from a coat rack peg and I let the treble end hang down by opening the air button.
This method puts even pressure on all corners and you can enjoy a cup of tea while waiting for gravity to do the work

[Emily Peabody]

Thank you for posting this. I got a new box recently and have been wondering the same thing. Will try Lester's method and see how it goes.

[Peadar]

Lesters method has worked for me on Boxes ranging from HA112 to my Chanson "Child Prodigy" ( aka Bogsa nam Beann).

[Frank Pallister]

just a thought , i dont know the mechanics of this box but have you checked the size of the airvalve ?  as i had experience of what seemed stiff bellows in a strange italian box  but was partially the result of a tiny airvalve when this was enlarged it  made quite a difference but still needed playing in !   (no stone unturned )

[Ben Thackeray]

Thanks to you all for your useful comments. I just need to summon courage to do it!
I was initially thinking of working some neatsfoot oil into the leather corners.
Ben

[Steve_freereeder]

I was initially thinking of working some neatsfoot oil into the leather corners.

No - don't do that. The neatsfoot oil will soften the glue which holds the corners and the card construction together and the whole thing will fall apart. 

[Theo]

Neatsfoot oil is designed for treating heavy leather that is often used outdoors, for example on horse tack.  It has no place anywhere near the fine soft leather used for bellows gussets.  Anyway it’s not usually the gussets that need softening on new bellows,  it’s the folds in the cardboard structure, and the glued joints around the corners.

The method Lester describes is highly effective and safe.

[Graham Spencer]

Whatever you do don't apply any lotions, liniments or lubricants.......

Graham

As I said earlier in this thread............

[Tone Dumb Greg]

I am familiar with, and have used,  Lester's excellent  method  with new bellows. I didn't realise that it would be safe to use with old bellows, that have stiffened up through lack of use.

[Emily Peabody]

Tried Lester's method yesterday evening, and the new melodeon is definitely easier to play.

Now just need to do something about the stiff air button.

[deltasalmon]

I have a "melodeon" (okay, it's a chanson) that after being worked on has very stiff bellows. Every time I (or my little one) wants to play I just hold down the air button and stretch it out and then push it in a couple times. It always is fine after that until the next time I play it. I'm not sure if this is the same issue. I've done what Lester proposed but I was probably holding back a little. It definitely helps and I should probably do it more often.

[Robyn Foley]

I have recently acquired a 10 yr old, 23 button Cairdin to add to my growing collection of these instruments. I have two Castagnaris one 6 months old the other a year old, but this one came along and I was curious as I seem to have contracted a disorder of seeking the 'right' box for me. Because I live in Australia there is no shop that I can pop into, to try various different models and can only rely on other players with different models to try them.

There seems to be something unsatisfactory about all of them, although for different reasons.

Re the Cairdin bellows. I have noticed they are rather resistant to moving easily when playing and if I try to play fast tunes which I like to do, it is rather like a workout for my left wrist to move them enough. They don't sound precise in their in and out movement like the Castas and the notes slur slightly from a push to a pull and vice versa. Although the Castas are new, their bellows work fine and there is no lag with push pull and the notes are cleanly separated with push/pull.

So, it is not an issue of 'new' bellow stiffness.
Someone above mentioned 'air hole' being too small. I guess that is one possibility.
My knowledge of the instrument history is that it was purchased in 2009 by a good player, who likely gave it a good work out for 4 years. He then sold it on to a beginner who likely has hardly played it over the past 6 years.

I have it hanging at the moment, so will see if that helps. Although I doubt it.

What are other possible explanations for the bellows being hard work to move?

[Theo]

It may not be the bellows at all.   It may be that the reeds are not set up for optimal response.  If you take one note and try to play it at minimum volume is there a hesitation before the note sounds?

[Robyn Foley]

Hi Theo
I could not find any hesitation.
At this time, I am countering the issue by using the air button more than I usually would, especially on the push which is particularly hard work without the air button assistance.
This accordion has only a 14.5 cm bellows depth which seems particularly narrow to me and a height of 27cm. I was a bit surprised when I first saw it, as the other accordions are 16.5 and 17cm. I am not sure about this narrowness bellows with this height. It feels a bit unbalanced to me.

Robyn