New Zealand repairs after accordion got too hot!

[helinn]

Are there any reputable experienced repairers in New Zealand? My accordion was left in a hot car and I assume the wax has melted damaging the sound quality. It's a Selmer piano accordion.

 

[KiwiSqueezer]

G'day. Maurice Jones is/was trading as The Accordion House, in Takapuna, Auck. He is/was the South Pacific agent for Titano. As well as being a performer, he offers/offered a repair service. This is theoretical knowledge only, I regret, never having contacted the man (no response to an email). He did a presentation on accordion repair to the Canterbury Accordion Association last year, so hopefully is still active, although I get the impression that his business, if still active, is less active than it was... I haven't heard of any other specialist repairers, although there must be a few dabblers out there... As usual, beware the Kiwi 'She'll be right" attitude and the 'Number 8 Wire' practitioners! Hope this helps.

 

[helinn]

G'day. Maurice Jones is/was trading as The Accordion House, in Takapuna, Auck. He is/was the South Pacific agent for Titano. As well as being a performer, he offers/offered a repair service. This is theoretical knowledge only, I regret, never having contacted the man (no response to an email). He did a presentation on accordion repair to the Canterbury Accordion Association last year, so hopefully is still active, although I get the impression that his business, if still active, is less active than it was... I haven't heard of any other specialist repairers, although there must be a few dabblers out there... As usual, beware the Kiwi 'She'll be right" attitude and the 'Number 8 Wire' practitioners! Hope this helps.

Thank you! Hopefully he replies to my email. If not, I'll have to grab some number 8 wire myself and that's not what I want to do!

 

[dak]

My accordion was left in a hot car and I assume the wax has melted damaging the sound quality.

Melted wax can total an accordion. If you have temperature problems like that more often, there may be a point in looking for an instrument that doesn't use wax. There are some French and Italian models using leather gaskets instead. I think that the Hohner Texmex boxes also do the same, but those are diatonics.

 

[MoreorlessMusic]

Are there any reputable experienced repairers in New Zealand? My accordion was left in a hot car and I assume the wax has melted damaging the sound quality. It's a Selmer piano accordion.

Very sorry to hear of your mishap, what a horrible thing to happen. I do hope that you get a reply from Maurice Jones.

 

[debra]

Are there any reputable experienced repairers in New Zealand? My accordion was left in a hot car and I assume the wax has melted damaging the sound quality. It's a Selmer piano accordion.

I don't know repairers in our area. But be prepared for a serious repair bill. I have seen pictures of the inside of accordions left in a hot car. Wax sticking everywhere, and reeds randomly sticking all over the inside as well (with very few still more or less on the reed plates).

 

[Scuromondo]

I don't know repairers in our area. But be prepared for a serious repair bill. I have seen pictures of the inside of accordions left in a hot car. Wax sticking everywhere, and reeds randomly sticking all over the inside as well (with very few still more or less on the reed plates).

My brother did that with his accordion and it cost nearly $2k to repair. Fortunately for him, he lives in the Chicago area and Romagnoli was able to do the job, and do it very well. Now, every time he goes there, they don’t necessarily remember him, but they always remember his accordion because it must have been in their shop for a month!

 

[kimric]

The wax can get int places it was never supposed to be. Paradoxically newer accordions fare worse since the wax is newer and can actually flow. The wax in older accordions tends to be harder and will just sag most of the time. Still an expensive fix.