[Tatu Salmela]

Hi Shannon!

The button mechanism consists of a short plastic rod, that acts as a shoulder for the compression spring, a brass tube, and a screw that holds the silicone valve, goes trough the tube and screws into the plastic rod. The buttons are from Carini, an accordion parts shop in Castelfidardo, Italy. I spent a week in Castelfidardo in 2010, visiting accordion factories with my study group, and bought them straight from the shop. The accordion trade is notoriously bad when it comes to websites and emails, so it helps if you have a friend who knows the jargon and speaks Italian.

So, apart from the reeds, buttons and screws, it’s all custom made. It’s a bold concept and different from any existing designs, so there was no ready-made parts.