I have recently bought a very nice "C" Acadian about ten years old. Up 'till now I have been playing a Hohner 114.

My problem is that some years ago I cut a nerve in my arm and have limited use of the fingers on my left hand. The spoons on the 114 are closer together and I was able with some difficulty and persistence I am able to use them. It is clear however that the buttons on the Acadian are just too far apart. I would like the top button to stay right where it is so that it is in the same relative position to the air release button but have the bottom button (single bass note) moved closer.

I was wondering if this adaptation is possible. I wrote Marc late last week and he has not answered me, and am excited to get started with this sweet box. I bet I'm not the only person that has had this issue. Best wishes to all, Jerry

Here's a thought. The buttons screw in, so maybe you could find something 'L' shaped to screw in their place. Probably could find something in cabinetry hardware at Home Depot or Lowe's. No major surgery involved.

My thinking there Steve is that those buttons are designed to be pushed streight up, and down. That is such a repetative motion with our music,hundreds of times a song. I am afraid that little bit of sideways torque would very quickly cause the mechanism to fail. It is a thought however. I think that the group is going to have fun with this one. Thanks, Jerry

Well, I would think Marc would be your best bet for a quality modification, but if you wanted to do it yourself perhaps fashioning a hinged lever to lay over the button giving you the extension you need. In other words, you would need to fashion a very small hinge pin and mount below the button. A small metal plate could be attached to the hinge pin which would extend over the button and come up as far as you need. You would need to drill a tiny hole in the bass button and run a screw through your plate to attach it to the button. Make any sense? Anyone who makes handmade jewelry could assist you with the hinge pin and lever plate. All you would need to do to the accordion is two tiny holes for mounting your hinge pin and one in the bass button so any damage to the box would be very minimal and could easily be patched later if you want to remove it.

I could probably do a quick sketch and post it somewhere if my description isn't adequate.

hope that helps

Hal

Hal,

I can tell, another engineer, and with more imagination than me. I can picture it immediately.
And it is a piece of jewelry. It could be functional and beautiful. It would have to be pretty tough though. The pin going through the body of the instrument could provide substantial support. The bearing at the fulcrum point would have to be pretty substantial to keep the mechanism from twisting. Great idea, great start. Jerry

Your best bet would probably be to get your hands on a set of oversized buttons. Some of the more independent builders use buttons that they make themselves out of the little metal caps on the bottom of furniture feet. Some are bigger than others. Quite frankly, I have a difficult time playing an accordion that is fitted with these because my hands are big and the buttons scraped the sides of my other fingers. Maybe Jude might know where to find a set. You could even go down to Home Depot, get some caps yourself and glue them over the existing buttons.