What precautions should I take when playing outside in cold weather with my LA accordion??

I'ld say weather about 30 degrees F. Thats cold for me.


Thanks.... Ed

Years ago (end 60-ies) i bought an English concertina from Harry Crabb himself. He said then "if you come in from the cold, first draw room temperature in the instrument a few times using the air button, and let it settle & warm up, to avoid condense on interiors and reeds. Condense will make them rust, and go out of tune". Done so, the instrument is still perfectly in tune 40 years later .. nout

I hadn't thought about Crabb's recommendation. That would probably work well. The main danger is bringing your box from out of the cold into a warm humid room and having moisture condense onto the reeds. Let it warm up slowly before playing. Leave it in the case or a bag (if you have one) for an hour or so. Taking a box out into the cold from a warm room is usually not a problem. I am a photographer and this is the same proceedure to take with cameras. Cold shouldn't affect the box, more likely to affect the player.

How can you play, when water is ice.

Hello Ed,
I played an outside gig last winter, I left my accordions in their cases until it came the time for me to play them. It was daylight when our band was playing late evening, but when the sun went down, the temp dropped, it got around the low 40ish- high 30's mark,that was when my accordions started to get effected, some buttons played but most of them did not. I try not to play outside unless I have to.
Marks

Mark,
I can tell you, the temperature probably didn't have much to do with the sticking, it was the humidity. The moisture causes wood to swell.
Jude

Hey Jude!
Good to hear from you, I just now caught your post. It was not the buttons that gave me problem, I meant the sound of the reed(s). I remember when I got my first accordion, it was shipped to me in the winter. When I first got it out and played some of the notes, it sounded...sick, but as it caught up with room temperature it played fine, now what causes that? the same thing happen on that outside gig, the reeds sounded sick.
another question I like to ask ya, any chance you making another CD?
Thanks
MarkS

Thanks for all your replies.

I think I will leave my nice accordion inside and play
something else outside, like a guitar or banjo.

.... Ed

Generally speaking.. winter brings low humidity
and shrinkage

but I am certain this varies locale to locale...

When I first started playing accordion, I ignorantly played outside in the winter time a few times. It went badly out of tune.