I have always been surprised hearing people talk about thumb pain and getting callouses on the thumb. I have never experienced any of that, but I can't say why.

One thing that was an issue on my very first accordion, an HA-114B, was the plastic thumbstrap was uncomfortable. The problem was that the edge of the plastic was rather sharp, and cut into the skin a bit. But I soon replaced it with a softer leather strap, and that was the end of that problem.

Are people experiencing pain because the thumb strap is too tight? I hate an excessively loose strap, but I don't crank it down either. I find that I do like to use a rubber band, but again, it is adjusted to be comfortably snug but not overly tight.

-David

Me too...don't ever have thumb pain or numbness...or
callouses. Not sure what I'm doing different. I play most
days for an hour or more and sometimes on the weekend for
a few hours at a time.

Mark

Alex,
The right position should help you (i.e. 45%, etc.).
By the way, you never have use the #1 top button. This is a redondant note that in the past would be used as a frame of reference to tune the accordion. #2 button is much easier to reach.

Oh!
I've seen Steve Riley and Dexter Ardoin use the 1st button... let's say 99 % of us never use it!

Nicole

i use it
but i had it changed on my bflat accordion
to a 'g' note
[key of c equivalent would be 'a'. so you can
do pull octaves with the other a..]

wle.

I use the first button only to end a song, once in a while, to make a fat pull chord ending.

I've seen Wilson Savoy use that button in tons of songs with the melody, I don't know how he does it. I should look into using it more often

Jim

the thing about using it for a big pull ending is,
you have the bass button for that..

and the bass chord button.

i guess having yet one more source for a low 'g'
adds a little but i would rather have a low 'a'
there.

wle.