Careful setting your accordion down….

[32251]

Here is a pic of an area of the accordion that is usually built too light. Under the leather strap on most vintage accordions is the cover for the bass mechanism. It’s usually just a thin flexible piece that screws to a very lightweight frame. There will be some sort of bumpers on each corner. If the instrument is set down too hard or bumps around in the case this frame is easily damaged. I have several units for repair that this has happened to. This can be fixed, but just remember to be careful.

 

[JerryPH]

Sheesh, these people are brutal with their accordions! The feet of all my accordions are not even scratched much less have damage like this!

 

[Dingo40]

just remember to be careful.

Thanks, 32251!

 

[Dingo40]

It occurs to me, perhaps these particular accordions were victims of airline luggage handlers ?

 

[Thomas N]

This doesn't look like something that would happen when setting your accordion down too abruptly. This looks like a flat-out DROP from three feet!

 

[JerryPH]

It occurs to me, perhaps these particular accordions were victims of airline luggage handlers ?

Could be!!

 

[debra]

Sheesh, these people are brutal with their accordions! The feet of all my accordions are not even scratched much less have damage like this!

I have seen quite a few accordions in the past decade or so... Many of them have feet with small stubs on them, like the picture below.
Very often the stubs are worn down completely. Cracks like the one shown by 32251 are not all that uncommon. Accordions with feet like this are also prone to tumbling over because often the bass belt is thicker than the height of these feet and that makes the accordion wobbly on its feet...
The feet on my accordions are not very worn because I tend to place the accordions down in the playing orientation. But the celluloid the accordion then rests on gets scratched... However, you learn to put down the accordion very gently and then cracks are highly unlikely.

 

[EMan]

I agree with Thomas; that really looks like it was dropped or hit with something forcefully. If I'm on a gig, I put the accordion down on those feet; if the accordion is my studio at home I put it down in its playing position, like Paul. It's too wobbly in the playing position to leave it like that on a gig.

 

[debra]

I agree with Thomas; that really looks like it was dropped or hit with something forcefully. If I'm on a gig, I put the accordion down on those feet; if the accordion is my studio at home I put it down in its playing position, like Paul. It's too wobbly in the playing position to leave it like that on a gig.

Normally I also put the accordion on its feet before and during a concert. The one exception is my bayan, which I put down in the playing orientation. Some people think it's dangerous but actually the bayan is completely flat and thus stable when placed on the floow in the playing orientation. I have even placed my coffee on it, which really freaks people out. (I do not often do it because the accordion is much more stable than a cup of coffee.)
Most damage I had to deal with is from people having their accordion fall down from a chair or even a table. Not a pretty sight...

 

[JerryPH]

Normally I also put the accordion on its feet before and during a concert. The one exception is my bayan, which I put down in the playing orientation. Some people think it's dangerous but actually the bayan is completely flat and thus stable when placed on the floow in the playing orientation. I have even placed my coffee on it, which really freaks people out. (I do not often do it because the accordion is much more stable than a cup of coffee.)
Most damage I had to deal with is from people having their accordion fall down from a chair or even a table. Not a pretty sight...

The worst accident that I ever heard was someone walking downstairs while wearing their accordion and they fell flat forward on it... fast way to make a $15,000 accordion in about 4 distinct chunks and a couple hundred small parts.

 

[debra]

The worst accident that I ever heard was someone walking downstairs while wearing their accordion and they fell flat forward on it... fast way to make a $15,000 accordion in about 4 distinct chunks and a couple hundred small parts.

There are more reports like this, for instance someoone walking downstairs with the accordion in its case and the handle breaking off. A typical accordion case offers about zero protection in that case.
There are a large differences in accordions though. A friend of mine put down his Hohner Morino IV M on a long cushioned seat and somehow it fell over, from the seat onto the floor (on the keyboard side). A Morino IV M is surprisingly lightweight, by using thin pieces of wood. It did not come out well and took quite a bit of effort to glue everything back together, fix up the celluloid and ensure no air leaked out anywhere. But then, at the start of a rehearsal one group member arrived late, put on the accordion and walked towards her seat, and tripped over a ridge and fell down forwards. The Bugari (Artist Cassotto) had a dent in the top corner of the grille but was otherwise fine. Shaken she got to her seat and played without any issues throughout the rehearsal. You see... ymmv.

 

[Ikesaccordions]

Here is a pic of an area of the accordion that is usually built too light. Under the leather strap on most vintage accordions is the cover for the bass mechanism. It’s usually just a thin flexible piece that screws to a very lightweight frame. There will be some sort of bumpers on each corner. If the instrument is set down too hard or bumps around in the case this frame is easily damaged. I have several units for repair that this has happened to. This can be fixed, but just remember to be careful.

Another problem which occurs all too often is the outside row of buttons get pushed sideways when putting the bass side in the case, hitting those buttons against the bottom of the case. It might be better to lower the keyboard in first, using the base strap.

 

[jozz]

is there a nicer direct replacement for this?

 

[debra]

is there a nicer direct replacement for this?

Not a replacement for this, but when the stub is worn out you can add a rubber component in its place, something like:

TRU COMPONENTS Stootbuffer schroef Zwart (Ø x h) 15.5 mm x 5.8 mm 1 stuk(s) kopen ? Conrad Electronic

Uw TRU COMPONENTS Stootbuffer schroef Zwart (Ø x h) 15.5 mm x 5.8 mm 1 stuk(s) koopt u bij Conrad Electronic. ✓ +3500 merken ✓ +1.000.000 producten ✓ +85.000 zakelijke klanten

www.conrad.nl

Many different types exist and in dutch they are called "stootbuffer".
You can find them in a hardware store, but often not in the size or color you want...

 

[Ikesaccordions]

The new accordions use mostly the wooden or maybe plastic like shown in the fist photo, and there my be parts suppliers who sell those. I know I had some which I used to fix a new accordion for which customs pried open the bass looking for contraband, no doubt.

 

[dak]

There are more reports like this, for instance someoone walking downstairs with the accordion in its case and the handle breaking off. A typical accordion case offers about zero protection in that case.

The classic is carrying an accordion by its straps when they decide to become former straps. A classical case of "don't do that".

There are a large differences in accordions though. A friend of mine put down his Hohner Morino IV M on a long cushioned seat and somehow it fell over, from the seat onto the floor (on the keyboard side). A Morino IV M is surprisingly lightweight, by using thin pieces of wood. It did not come out well and took quite a bit of effort to glue everything back together, fix up the celluloid and ensure no air leaked out anywhere. But then, at the start of a rehearsal one group member arrived late, put on the accordion and walked towards her seat, and tripped over a ridge and fell down forwards. The Bugari (Artist Cassotto) had a dent in the top corner of the grille but was otherwise fine. Shaken she got to her seat and played without any issues throughout the rehearsal. You see... ymmv.

To be fair, the Bugari had a parachute tied to it with an independent interest in not hitting the ground unbraked. I've seen a non-Morino (Kratt?) take a grounder (chair I think) on hard floor a few years ago, and it didn't take well to it and was out of commission for the rest of the gathering and in an accordion builder's care.

 

[dak]

I have seen quite a few accordions in the past decade or so... Many of them have feet with small stubs on them, like the picture below.
Very often the stubs are worn down completely. Cracks like the one shown by 32251 are not all that uncommon. Accordions with feet like this are also prone to tumbling over because often the bass belt is thicker than the height of these feet and that makes the accordion wobbly on its feet...
The feet on my accordions are not very worn because I tend to place the accordions down in the playing orientation. But the celluloid the accordion then rests on gets scratched... However, you learn to put down the accordion very gently and then cracks are highly unlikely.

Here is the bottom of my own instrument:



I think those may be bellows fastener mounts. They are only on the underside, and the accordion has a central bellows lock and needs no fasteners. Apparently they are there to keep the celluloid from making contact with hard floors when put down in playing orientation.

Designwise, they don't look too far off.

 

[debra]

Here is the bottom of my own instrument:
..
I think those may be bellows fastener mounts. They are only on the underside, and the accordion has a central bellows lock and needs no fasteners. Apparently they are there to keep the celluloid from making contact with hard floors when put down in playing orientation.

Not sure what these "rings" are for, but they should help bit in protecting the celluloid when you put the accordion down in the playing orientation. Who knows what previous repairers were thinking... The brackets for the shoulder straps are also not original. (The "curtain rod" you still see in the picture is original.) The Morino (N series) normally also comes with bellow straps (in the center) but a previous owner may have asked to have the bottom one removed because it can hurt (press down on) your leg.
Most real problems when putting an accordion on the floor come from putting them on their feet too roughly. We cannot see that "underside" in the picture...

 

[dak]

Most real problems when putting an accordion on the floor come from putting them on their feet too roughly. We cannot see that "underside" in the picture...

There you are:

Of course, if those feet fall out and press separately against the not-much-better-than-cardboard case, you get separate problems (see the bump near the hinge):

 

[dak]

Not sure what these "rings" are for, but they should help bit in protecting the celluloid when you put the accordion down in the playing orientation. Who knows what previous repairers were thinking... The brackets for the shoulder straps are also not original. (The "curtain rod" you still see in the picture is original.)

Well, it is a bit audacious to claim what is "original" in an instrument specially built for a single person. Here are photographs of the same person with his final instrument, and on the bottom you can see that he has the same kind of strap mounts on the top of his last instrument as there are on the one I have in my possession. It doesn't look on the lower photograph like he'd be playing rather than lecturing and I see no actual straps.

Also, that instrument seems to have a regular air button opposed to mine.