AccordionTop126
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- Joined
- Mar 20, 2018
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I recently completed repair of a bass machine on a Beltuna Spirit accordion for one of our forum members. The instrument was manufactured in 2018, and the owner was noticing a faint howl in the bass section when closing the bellows. It seemed to be a treble A note, and when he contacted Beltuna, the company said that there may be a weak spring or debris under a pallet pad.
The first thing I noticed about the bass machine was that the factory set up the bass buttons with almost no gap between the button rod and the spindles. While it does provide a very tight action and lack of "play" When depressing the buttons, it was also causing some pressure on the valves. I found, however, that this wasn't the only cause of the noise. I adjusted these properly before performing a light test for leaks. All the pallets seemed to be seated correctly, but when the instrument was played, the noise returned.
I disassembled the bass machine to check the springs, and installed new ones just in case the "weak spring" diagnosis from the factory was correct. At this point I was alarmed to see that Beltuna put some kind of wet, oily lubricant inside the bass machine on the part of the mechanism that lifts...the A pallet. I can only presume that the person assembling the instrument noticed a leak and tried to solve it with lubrication of the mechanism. This oil was not on all lifters, just the howling notes. As an experienced repair technician, I know that this is not good practice, since oils will eventually gum with age, and can attract dust. You can see in my attached photo the dark, oily residue. I had to clean this off.
In the end, I found that the valve noise was the result of the lifters being improperly adjusted at the factory during assembly (I am pointing at one with my screwdriver in the photo where the lubricant is). They were so tight, that they were exerting upward pressure on the opposing pallet even when the buttons were not pressed, causing faint leaks.
I have performed dozens of bass pallet re-padding repairs, and this is a common adjustment necessary to properly seal and set up a bass machine. I am really disappointed that I had to perform this service on a virtually new accordion that came from such a reputable manufacturer. I own and love a Beltuna Tyrolean IV that is one of my favorite instruments. I have never experienced a problem.
Incidentally, Beltuna acknowledged that the technician who assembled the bass machine no longer works for the factory. I don't presume to infer anything more from this fact, but perhaps it is significant in this case.
I am happy that I was able to correct these issues, which included improper assembly of pallets, inaccurate spindle adjustment, and application of wet lubricant in the bass machine. The accordion is beautiful and my friend is happy with his new accordion.
The reality is that there are few accordion technicians around to help players and I would hope that manufacturers consider this when checking these instruments prior to shipping them out.
The first thing I noticed about the bass machine was that the factory set up the bass buttons with almost no gap between the button rod and the spindles. While it does provide a very tight action and lack of "play" When depressing the buttons, it was also causing some pressure on the valves. I found, however, that this wasn't the only cause of the noise. I adjusted these properly before performing a light test for leaks. All the pallets seemed to be seated correctly, but when the instrument was played, the noise returned.
I disassembled the bass machine to check the springs, and installed new ones just in case the "weak spring" diagnosis from the factory was correct. At this point I was alarmed to see that Beltuna put some kind of wet, oily lubricant inside the bass machine on the part of the mechanism that lifts...the A pallet. I can only presume that the person assembling the instrument noticed a leak and tried to solve it with lubrication of the mechanism. This oil was not on all lifters, just the howling notes. As an experienced repair technician, I know that this is not good practice, since oils will eventually gum with age, and can attract dust. You can see in my attached photo the dark, oily residue. I had to clean this off.
In the end, I found that the valve noise was the result of the lifters being improperly adjusted at the factory during assembly (I am pointing at one with my screwdriver in the photo where the lubricant is). They were so tight, that they were exerting upward pressure on the opposing pallet even when the buttons were not pressed, causing faint leaks.
I have performed dozens of bass pallet re-padding repairs, and this is a common adjustment necessary to properly seal and set up a bass machine. I am really disappointed that I had to perform this service on a virtually new accordion that came from such a reputable manufacturer. I own and love a Beltuna Tyrolean IV that is one of my favorite instruments. I have never experienced a problem.
Incidentally, Beltuna acknowledged that the technician who assembled the bass machine no longer works for the factory. I don't presume to infer anything more from this fact, but perhaps it is significant in this case.
I am happy that I was able to correct these issues, which included improper assembly of pallets, inaccurate spindle adjustment, and application of wet lubricant in the bass machine. The accordion is beautiful and my friend is happy with his new accordion.
The reality is that there are few accordion technicians around to help players and I would hope that manufacturers consider this when checking these instruments prior to shipping them out.
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