Accordion Bass Mechanism Repair Part 3

Accordion Bass Mechanism Repair

Part 3

To remove the next set of 40 button rods
from the Minor and Major chords, you will
have to remove the plastic retainer strip
which separated the “Dim/7th” chord rods
from the “Min/Maj” chord rods. It is a very
thin plastic strip which rests in a slot that
runs the length of the guide which retains
these bass button rods. This retainer strip is
held in place by a series of four or five tiny
black plastic pieces which are glued in
place to keep this retainer strip from
popping out of it’s location.

You will have
to remove these tiny plastic pieces using
your jewelers screwdriver or a small sharp
chisel to pry them loose. Before you pry
them loose, cut a thin strip of masking tape
and stick it to the top of the strip you are
removing, so that when the strip comes
loose it won’t go flying but will be retained
by sticking to the tape. Then Pry loose.

If one of these
strips breaks, don’t worry. We’ll cover
how to make a replacement for it later on.
As you remove each plastic piece, take it
off of the tape, and put it in a baggie and
mark it. Once you have removed these
plastic pieces, gently pry the long thin
retainer strip up out of it’s slot, and wipe it
down with some “Goo be Gone” and place
it aside.

You are now ready to remove the Minor
and Major chord button rods. They follow
a similar procedure as just followed in Part 2

ALTERNATE METHOD OF REMOVAL

Rather than removing the Minor and Major

chord button rods as described above, you

can just remove them as an assembly by

loosening the wooden guide which holds them

as described below. If you choose this method

DO NOT REMOVE ANY OF THE PLASTIC

STRIPS UNTIL YOU HAVE REMOVED THE

ASSEMBLY FROM THE ACCORDION AS

THE MINOR AND MAJOR BASS BUTTON

RODS MAY COME OUT OF THEIR

LOCATIONS.

To remove the wooden guide
which holds the 80 bass button rods. It is
probably held in place by a screw at each
end on the top where the guide slides into a
slot in the wooden “stand off”. Remove
those screws, bag and identify them,
remove the wooden guide, and set it aside.

If you removed it as an assembly with the

bass button rods, lay the assembly on an
old towel and carefully remove the plastic
pieces and retaining strip as described above,

and remove the bass button rods one by one

cleaning them as you do, and placing them in

their correct location in the jig.

Follow a similar procedure for the Bass and
Counterbass button rods. More in Part 4.