Fitting bass strap to Hohner Morino IVN accordion

[Sandy Flett]

The screws on the fixed end of the bass strap on my Morino have worked loose and the strap has come away. As can be seen in the attached photos, it is an awkward, cramped space to work in, made worse by the midi fittings. Does this mean the bass mechanism will have to come out? I have recently moved to Taunton and wondered if there are any accordion repairers within reasonable driving distance.

 

[debra]

The midi is a serious complication. Why do people install this electronic rubbish in such a fine acoustic accordion?...
I suggest to see if you can reach with an "angle-screwdriver". There might be enough room to get one in. If not then use a screwdriver bit (typically hexagonal) and use pliers to grab it and turn it.

 

[boxplayer4000]

With or without midi parts reaching bass straps fittings can be a pain.
I recommend trying the angled screwdriver or pliers and screw bit already suggested.
Just remember somebody put the thing in in the first place so it MUST be possible to get it out.
Two thoughts occur: If the strap has been working its way loose for some time then
the screw holes will likely have been racked and widened. Those should be plugged with a close fitting, glued wooden dowel, to give the screw fitting a fresh, new start.
If the midi board nearest the strap fixing is in the road I think this could be safely, temporarily removed just by removing the screw at (1). The fixing at (2) might just be a push fit and it will come out fairly easily.
Can you advise what the two holes, marked by red arrows, are for?
I see a 9v battery connection in the picture as well.
I have spoken to ‘jollyrodgeraccordions’ at Andover about 70 or 80miles away and have found him a helpful chap.

 

[debra]

...
Just remember somebody put the thing in in the first place so it MUST be possible to get it out.
...

Actually, the strap is fixed (typically using a hook) before the bass mechanism is installed.
I have replaced a strap, by first removing the bass mechanism, then installing the new strap, then reinstalling the bass mechanism. It's a bit of work, but after you've done it a few times it becomes routine. However... I have never worked on an accordion with midi. The midi on the bass side appears to make disassembly and re-assembly of the bass mechanism much more and also more delicate work.

 

[JIM D.]

If you attempt removing any midi parts to gain access to fasten the bass strap BE EXTREMLY CARFUL not to dislodge the
magnets attached to the pistons. Altering the position of these magnets will alter the triggering of the midi signal.
I have repaired many bass strap anchors without removing parts of a bass machine, but of course I have many tools that
I've modified for such a task. In your instance I would remove the pins - remove the bass machine from the bellows -
remove the reed blocks and lay the bass section on a work table to gain a better access to the strap anchor point.
If your bass strap anchor point is a hook and it has become dislodged, you may fill the old screw holes with epoxy
and reattach it.

 

[oldbayan]

Option 2: re-install the strap outside of the accordion! Since it is the fixed end, it should be easy, if there is enough slack to adjust it for a comfortable play.

 

[debra]

Option 2: re-install the strap outside of the accordion! Since it is the fixed end, it should be easy, if there is enough slack to adjust it for a comfortable play.

That would look ugly. But there is another option: attaching something to the strap inside the bass compartment to prevent it from being pulled out through the hole, without attaching it to the wood. This is the way the bass strap came with my Russian bayan: not fixed to the wood, but with a block of "plastic" attached to it so the strap cannot be pulled out.

 

[Sandy Flett]

Thanks for the advice and ideas, all. Food for thought.

 

[boxplayer4000]

Sandy,
Put us all out of our misery please. The strap has been removed; has it a hook and eye fixing?
If it has then it's unlikely any parts, midi or anything else will need to be removed.

 

[debra]

Sandy,
Put us all out of our misery please. The strap has been removed; has it a hook and eye fixing?
If it has then it's unlikely any parts, midi or anything else will need to be removed.

I agree. There appears to be just about enough room to get a screwdriver bit in there and an angle unit so you can screw at close to 90 degree angle. But if that fails, there are other options for the strap that do not require removal of the bass mechanics.

 

[JerryPH]

Probably the least fiddly tool to use is a screwdriver bit as Paul suggested and a small ratchet. It's about 1.5 inches high if you use a short bit and can easily hold the head with an adapter, it is also already at 90 degrees so very easy to use. One can hold the screw to the bit with a tiny piece of tape or soft caulking so it becomes a 1 hand operation.

 

[debra]

Probably the least fiddly tool to use is a screwdriver bit as Paul suggested and a small ratchet. It's about 1.5 inches high if you use a short bit and can easily hold the head with an adapter, it is also already at 90 degrees so very easy to use. One can hold the screw to the bit with a tiny piece of tape or soft caulking so it becomes a 1 hand operation.

Excellent idea. The ratchet takes up less room than an angle-convertor for a screwdriver.

 

[boxplayer4000]

Sandy:
We're all in 'suspenders' here. Is your strap fixed yet?

 

[Sandy Flett]

To answer an earlier question, no the strap is not hook and eye. And also, no the strap is not fixed yet, I just don't have the confidence to tackle it myself so have been in touch with South West Accordions and will have to wait till he can fit me in.