Tuning, Repairs & Price Guide | Accordion Workshop

ACCORDION REPAIRS AND TUNING

The Accordion Workshop offers a comprehensive list of repairs including restoration of vintage accordions.

Repairing accordions is specialised work and a very time consuming process. Overhauling a vintage accordion can take several days of meticulous full-time work. Please be aware of the time and skill involved in repairing and tuning accordions before purchasing a vintage accordion online, at a garage sale or a market. Each accordion is different and a full quote can only be provided once the accordion has been inspected.

Brand new Italian or German made accordions sell for thousands of dollars. Restoring a vintage accordion can be a much more cost effective option and provide a beautiful sounding and unique instrument for the accordionist.

It can also be a very satisfying experience to restore a family heirloom accordion to playable condition.

AVAILABLE REPAIRS AND PRICE GUIDE

Below are approximate prices for many of the accordion repairs offered at The Accordion Workshop. Prices reflect the amount of time it takes to complete each job. These prices are subject to change and only represent an estimate.

Updated: (11/3/2023)

Tuning a piano accordion or five row chromatic accordion (when the accordion is generally out of tune and does not require work on the valves). $400-$500 depending on size and age.
Tuning a piano accordion or five row chromatic accordion that requires valve replacement or resetting: $600-$800 Depending on the age and condition, number of reed blocks, number of bass buttons, etc. (Fluttering and popping sounds are signs that valves require work).
Overhaul/restoration of a piano or chromatic accordion including: tuning, re-waxing reed blocks, resetting or replacing valves, replacing damaged reeds and any other required repairs.
12-24 bass $800
32-48 bass $900
60-72 bass $1000
96-120 bass $1100 ($1300 if the accordion has a tone chamber/cassotto setup).
Tuning a melodeon/diatonic accordion one, two or three row (when the melodeon is generally out of tune). $250-$300
Tuning a melodeon/diatonic accordion that requires valve replacement or resetting. $450
Overhaul/restoration of a melodeon/diatonic accordion including: tuning, re-waxing reed blocks, resetting or replacing valves, replacing damaged reeds and any other required repairs. $600
Tuning a one row melodeon/diatonic accordion with stops. (Hohner HA-112, HA-113, HA-114 or similar). Call or email for more information.
Tuning/replacing a single reed: $50/$75
Re-waxing reed blocks: $100 per block (buzzing or crackling sounds are a sign that wax needs to be replaced).
Adding or removing tremolo (wet or dry tuning): $250
Bass strap repair/replacement: $120/$175
Resetting keyboards when the keys are uneven: $200
Replacing a broken key: $120 (depending on part availability).
Replacing bellow straps: $80
Replacing and resetting pallets (leathers and felts).

Depending on how many and which side of the accordion: $250 (treble side) $400 (bass side) - Often the bass mechanism will have to be disassembled to access the pallets on the bass side.
Bass Mechanism Repair: $250 Depending on the severity of the problem. Some bass mechanisms are beyond the point of repair and will need to be inspected before work can be started. Note: Some bass mechanisms are easily repaired in around ten minutes. In such a case the cost is much lower.
Register switch/mechanism repair: $175 (depending on the severity of the problem).
Repair leaking bellows: $150
Stuck button repair: depends on how many buttons are stuck and what the cause is. Sometimes it's just a matter of realigning a button and sometimes it can be an issue with the bass mechanism.
Cosmetic repairs: Call or email for more information.
Re-taping Bellows: Call or email for more information.
Melodeon Conversion (for example C/F to D/G): Call or email for more information.
Pitch Change. Most Italian made accordions are tuned to A = 442 Hz or A = 443 Hz. Most German and Chinese made accordions are tuned to A = 440 Hz. Accordions will be tuned to their set pitch unless a pitch change is requested. Call or email for more information.

Please note that very old accordions are often more difficult to overhaul and quotes for such instruments may be higher than the prices quoted above.

For any other repairs please call or email for advice. The usual turnaround time is one to two weeks for small jobs and up to a month for larger jobs. All quotes and inspections are free.