wes

Thanks for your input, Wally. I read that link when it was posted back when. I had a bit of an epiphany when I looked closer at the reed pan of this instrument. I've had it apart many times for this and that and the way the edges are beveled, it always looked like a 3 ply board....but it's not, its solid beech? sycamore? Anyway I feel foolish about it. As to the tone again, it's very loud a bit sharp on the ears. In fact at a workshop I had one fellow ask me with a pained face to please not play it around him. It is in perfect tune. I have a wonderful Crabb/Jeffries, a high end Jones and two very nice Lachenals to compare it to also. I've played it fairly regularly for 13 years and it's a slight bit better than when I got it new. I think. I've always wondered if it's the steel or maybe the dense foam used instead of chamois seal. (Have thought to replace that with chamois). On the plus side its fast and light great for pipe tunes. Should I just sell it or persevere...

In your personal experience, Wally, do any of the instruments made with ply reedpans develop any character that one would get with solid wood? Or do they remain a bit shall we say "soulless"? And if by some great luck they do improve, just how many years of playing would do that? 10? 20?

Good questions. I have used the wool felt sold at joanns fabrics. It's not the felt sold in small sheets and colors, it's real wool felt sold by the yard. It seemed perfect. Very compact and even. I've used foam sheets too and that works, but it may contribute to pad slap sound. Maybe someone can answer your other questions.

Huh. Obviously I posted the next day that it wasnt me playing on each clip, so why the picking about? "But but you didn't do it like we wanted". Doubt if I'll ever post anything here again.

I first heard this tune played by Mary Macnamara on YouTube as she sat by the piano in her music studio. She didnt give a name for it. Richard does a beautiful job of it.

This video clip and the prior one on this miniature lachenal are played by a member of this forum, and done very well imo. I didnt ask him for permission to post them, but they are so well played that I couldnt resist.

Ken, I just see 2 different posting now. I think I did double post one of them. Thanks.

So if one has a high end modern instrument with the 'harsh timbre' due most likely to laminated sound and action boards that Paul referred to in the previous post, is there any way to improve the sound? If one has played it for 12 years with only minor improvement in sound should a person just sell at a loss or keep hoping someday it will get better? It also wouldnt feel good to sell online to another player and have them experience the same lack of inspiration.

Wondering if it is truly in that key. On my program, its 36 or cents above A440 and so I tend to say it's in an old tuning (and very good) and may very well be a C/G instrument. Hopefully some input from the seller on this.

Whosoever dare touch these reeds with a file shall be committing a mortal sin. Wonderful playing, btw.

The ends may be German silver, but what I've seen is they are sheet metal, tin? The outer surface has a nickel coating. If this is the case, if a jeweler heats the cracks enough to melt the new silver solder properly, it could discolor the nickel coating around the repair. This could explain the low temp lead solder repair. You could do as suggested and carefully work the outer solder down flush providing there is a good amount under the crack, but this will make the repaired area weaker.

I think Frank got part of the problem with the folds being too shallow. I measured 1/8th less depth than older bellows on 3 other instruments. The material used for the valley hinges or gluing that hinge cloth without the individual cards being completely flat or just gluing them too tight. I know because I've done the same on my first sets. Ah well, I'll struggle on, thank you all. Sliante!