7 replies to this topic

[JoeC]

Hi , I recently bought an old Lachenal and on trying it out found the notes that worked got quieter as I kept playing them. The rate it was leaking air increased at the same time. I don't know when these reeds were installed but was suprised to find them tuned to A=440. Will the loudness of the reeds increase when I replace the valves and pads and seal the air chambers? Any advice would be appreciated. Regards. Joe

[Greg Jowaisas]

Hi , I recently bought an old Lachenal and on trying it out found the notes that worked got quieter as I kept playing them. The rate it was leaking air increased at the same time. I don't know when these reeds were installed but was suprised to find them tuned to A=440. Will the loudness of the reeds increase when I replace the valves and pads and seal the air chambers? Any advice would be appreciated. Regards. Joe

Joe,
When you open up your concertina check the small blocks that support the reed pan in the bellows chamber. They should be securely glued to the bellows frame and position the pan so that the chamois on the pan chamber walls is the same level as the bellows pan chamois (to tightly seel against the button pan) You might also check to see if the chamois on the inside of the bellows frame makes a good seal with the edge of the reed pan.

It sounds like things were in the correct place or tight enough when you first tried the concertina but have shifted allowing leaks and decompression. Remedies for these conditions are discussed in several recent threads under repair and construction initiated by Varney.

Good luck,

Greg

[Dana Johnson]

Hi , I recently bought an old Lachenal and on trying it out found the notes that worked got quieter as I kept playing them. The rate it was leaking air increased at the same time. I don't know when these reeds were installed but was suprised to find them tuned to A=440. Will the loudness of the reeds increase when I replace the valves and pads and seal the air chambers? Any advice would be appreciated. Regards. Joe

Joe,
When you open up your concertina check the small blocks that support the reed pan in the bellows chamber. They should be securely glued to the bellows frame and position the pan so that the chamois on the pan chamber walls is the same level as the bellows pan chamois (to tightly seel against the button pan) You might also check to see if the chamois on the inside of the bellows frame makes a good seal with the edge of the reed pan.

It sounds like things were in the correct place or tight enough when you first tried the concertina but have shifted allowing leaks and decompression. Remedies for these conditions are discussed in several recent threads under repair and construction initiated by Varney.

Good luck,

Greg

Sounds like you may have more than one thing happening here. As Greg suggests, loose corner blocks can make reeds sound quite weak since the reed pan needs good solid contact with the face of the pad board to function properly and a weak reed can often be traced to a loose corner block. However, major leakage can also cause everything to sound weaker, and while having the reed pan at the proper height in the bellows frame will seal the chambers from each other (provided there isn't leakage between them at the ends where they meet the bellows frame chamois, leakage here generally makes more than one reed sound at a time. It sounds like you have real ( and increasing ) leakage from inside the concertina to the outer air which could come from a lot of places and won't result from a low reed pan alone. Are the end bolts snug? can you feel small amounts of air coming from different places on the bellows against your cheek when you put pressure on them with no buttons down? Is the air valve pad sealing? It is possible to have opened up a number of cracks in the bellows leather by playing the instrument especially if the leather is in bad condition. Some Lachenal reeds are poorly fitted and need everything else working as it should to work at all. You may find a lot more notes work once you find the source of the leakage and deal with it.
Dana

[david robertson]

All good advice so far, but one more thought to throw into the mix: are the reeds firm in their slots? A slightly loose fit can make a surprising difference to the enthusiasm of the reed, and if the instrument has been stored in a relatively humid environment, the reedpans may well have shrunk a little when you gave it a nice warm home. If you find that this is so, simply cut narrow strips of gumstrip and shim the slots with them. Don't make them too tight, though, or you risk squeezing the edges of the reed shoe into contact with the reed tongue, which will silence it completely.

[Greg Jowaisas]

I don't want to flood Joe with too many ideas and things to check at once. But after you make your way through mine and Dana's and Dave's suggestions remember that the valves will also make a great deal of difference in reed effeciency and air economy as you sort all the other things out. A stiff, open valve will make even a properly set reed sound breathy and weak. New valves and carefully applying them will also help.

There is a lot to learn, a lot to remember and a lot to do when you bring back a concertina. Be patient, work methodically, abd check your work. It will all pay off as your instrument plays better and better.

Greg

[JoeC]

Well I went ahead and opened the concertina and sure enough .......missing corner blocks and the ones that are there have been turned around backwards so as to no longer reinforce the corners. Some corners blocks are held in with screws. One reed pan is loose and slides back and forth allowing some strange chords to sound out by themselves and one reed shoe sticks out over the edge of the reedpan. It would have been nice if these things were built with a continuous gasket flange under the reedpan. After reassembling the unit with air leaks temporarily shimmed etc the bellows have some resistance and the notes sound better. Any suggestions on where the best place to buy pads , valves, springs and endscrews?

Edited by JoeC, 30 December 2009 - 11:45 AM.

[Greg Jowaisas]

Well I went ahead and opened the concertina and sure enough .......missing corner blocks and the ones that are there have been turned around backwards so as to no longer reinforce the corners. Some corners blocks are held in with screws. One reed pan is loose and slides back and forth allowing some strange chords to sound out by themselves and one reed shoe sticks out over the edge of the reedpan. It wound have been nice if these things were built with a continuous gasket flange under the reedpan. After reassembling the unit with air leaks temporarily shimmed etc the bellows have some resistance and the notes sound better. Any suggestions on where the best place to buy pads , valves, springs and endscrews?

David Leese at Concertina-spares.com has always been very helpful:
http://www.concertina-spares.com/

Wim Wakker is even capable of making custom parts:
http://www.concertinaconnection.com/

Both have a selection of pads valves and concertina parts.

Dave elliott's Concertina Maintenance Manual has valuable repair and diagnostic information. Bringing a concertina back to its full playing potential is a time consuming task. Use the best technique; exercise patience; and keep looking for ways to improve performance and you'll get there.

Enjoy the journey!

Greg

[david robertson]

Well I went ahead and opened the concertina and sure enough .......missing corner blocks and the ones that are there have been turned around backwards so as to no longer reinforce the corners. Some corners blocks are held in with screws. One reed pan is loose and slides back and forth allowing some strange chords to sound out by themselves and one reed shoe sticks out over the edge of the reedpan. It wound have been nice if these things were built with a continuous gasket flange under the reedpan. After reassembling the unit with air leaks temporarily shimmed etc the bellows have some resistance and the notes sound better. Any suggestions on where the best place to buy pads , valves, springs and endscrews?

I think you'll find that the blocks that have been "turned round" are actually installed as they should be. Their primary function is not to reinforce the corners, but to support the reed pan. If they are not glued into the corners, it is because if they were, they would foul the clamp screws of a reed - so do check before you prise them off and glue them back in the wrong place!