Many thanks, Lester. I have a elder sister of your melodeon that has been almost unplayable because of this problem. It sounds good but has been played until there are grooves worn into the finger holes (I got it from an old fellow in New Brunswick who'd been playing at dances since the 1950s). I'm a little wary of opening my boxes (concertinas are especially fiddly, so to speak), but your instructions are very helpful, and henceforth I am adopting your wax trick with the screws (and I want one of those little hand drills now too). It seems to me that waxing worn screws with old boxes when you have them open might make the next time easier as well. In any case, this has saved one box from future neglect as it now plays a treat. I enjoy all your videos. You are charming company if I may say. All the best from snowy Canada. It was nice to hear English birds as well, though it makes me pine for England.
I'm enjoying your videos. This may not be an original idea of mine but I once had a Hohner 3-row (Corona II) and I stuck a strip of felt underneath the buttons to limit the depth of travel and at the same time it stopped some of the noise (caused by the buttons clacking against the back of the keyboard - the lateral clacking against the button holes still remained, I could not think of an easy fix for that!). I don't know about 2-row boxes but it worked like a charm with the 3-row. It did not even need gluing, it kind of held itself in place with the roughness of the wood and the buttons above it. Of course the finger plate (the piece with the button holes in it) was removable from the keyboard, it was not a one-piece keyboard like yours and many others I've seen, so it was easy to open it up to put that felt in there.
Really appreciate your vids Lester. I actually have the same melodeon so will have a look at it tomorrow. Probably give it a little less tremolo than it has now. I must say I did consider putting a 2mm strip of leather or felt onto a 4mm lath in order to provide some cushioning but now I wonder if the arms would quite quickly cut into them. Thanks very much!
Thanks for the video. You mentioned 6 mil x 12 mil for the size of piece of wood. I'm not sure I understand. Can you be more specific? English is not my first language. Thanks a lot.
Just tried this and a 12mm x 6mm fits like a glove on the original German Pokerworks (thanks) but way too high (6mm is too much) for the newer Chinese made Pokerworks = people will need to get a different size of wood or plane it down. Thanks for this :-)
Many thanks, Lester. I have a elder sister of your melodeon that has been almost unplayable because of this problem. It sounds good but has been played until there are grooves worn into the finger holes (I got it from an old fellow in New Brunswick who'd been playing at dances since the 1950s). I'm a little wary of opening my boxes (concertinas are especially fiddly, so to speak), but your instructions are very helpful, and henceforth I am adopting your wax trick with the screws (and I want one of those little hand drills now too). It seems to me that waxing worn screws with old boxes when you have them open might make the next time easier as well. In any case, this has saved one box from future neglect as it now plays a treat. I enjoy all your videos. You are charming company if I may say. All the best from snowy Canada. It was nice to hear English birds as well, though it makes me pine for England.
I'm enjoying your videos.
This may not be an original idea of mine but I once had a Hohner 3-row (Corona II) and I stuck a strip of felt underneath the buttons to limit the depth of travel and at the same time it stopped some of the noise (caused by the buttons clacking against the back of the keyboard - the lateral clacking against the button holes still remained, I could not think of an easy fix for that!). I don't know about 2-row boxes but it worked like a charm with the 3-row. It did not even need gluing, it kind of held itself in place with the roughness of the wood and the buttons above it. Of course the finger plate (the piece with the button holes in it) was removable from the keyboard, it was not a one-piece keyboard like yours and many others I've seen, so it was easy to open it up to put that felt in there.
Really appreciate your vids Lester.
I actually have the same melodeon so will have a look at it tomorrow. Probably give it a little less tremolo than it has now. I must say I did consider putting a 2mm strip of leather or felt onto a 4mm lath in order to provide some cushioning but now I wonder if the arms would quite quickly cut into them.
Thanks very much!
Great video Lester,I had visions of spending loads of money to rectify the problem !!
Excellent, kind of you to share
Excellent- Thanks
Great video 🪗!
Wonderful video, Lester. Who the dickens dislikes it!
Thanks for the video. You mentioned 6 mil x 12 mil for the size of piece of wood. I'm not sure I understand. Can you be more specific? English is not my first language.
Thanks a lot.
mil = millimetres
Just tried this and a 12mm x 6mm fits like a glove on the original German Pokerworks (thanks) but way too high (6mm is too much) for the newer Chinese made Pokerworks = people will need to get a different size of wood or plane it down. Thanks for this :-)
Very clear lesson