varney Posted December 1, 2009 Share Posted December 1, 2009 I know this is probably a dumb question but why is a metal ended concertina louder than a wooden end? What causes the increase in volume? Or has it to do with the quality of reeds in wooden ended models as opposed to the more upmarket metal ended ones? I know a mahogany ended Lachenal has brass reeds which are soft in sound, the rosewood ended model has steel reeds which naturally would be louder. What happens when we go up to the better quality metal ended Lachenals - do the metal ends help reasonate the sound out in some way? On a related side issue - is is alright to take out the baffles of an old wooden ended Lachenal to allow it to 'speak' louder? Why are baffles used in the first place if the muffle the sound? I'm here to learn so please feel free to tell me I'm an idiot! Michael. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rod Posted December 1, 2009 Share Posted December 1, 2009 I know this is probably a dumb question but why is a metal ended concertina louder than a wooden end? What causes the increase in volume? Or has it to do with the quality of reeds in wooden ended models as opposed to the more upmarket metal ended ones? I know a mahogany ended Lachenal has brass reeds which are soft in sound, the rosewood ended model has steel reeds which naturally would be louder. What happens when we go up to the better quality metal ended Lachenals - do the metal ends help reasonate the sound out in some way? On a related side issue - is is alright to take out the baffles of an old wooden ended Lachenal to allow it to 'speak' louder? Why are baffles used in the first place if the muffle the sound? I'm here to learn so please feel free to tell me I'm an idiot! Michael. I wonder whether it is true to suggest, as you seem to do, that a metal ended concertina will always play 'louder' than a wooden ended concertina ? It might be expected to produce a brighter, more metallic tone but in my limited experience this is not necessarily the case. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Theo Posted December 1, 2009 Share Posted December 1, 2009 I know this is probably a dumb question but why is a metal ended concertina louder than a wooden end? What causes the increase in volume? Its more true to say that wood ended concertinas are slightly quieter and less bright sounding because wood absorbs more of the sound as it passes from the inside of the instrument to the outside. That of course assumes that the concertinas being compared are otherwise the same. I know a mahogany ended Lachenal has brass reeds Some mahogany ended Lachenals have brass reeds, plenty have steel reeds. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavidFR Posted December 1, 2009 Share Posted December 1, 2009 (edited) On a related side issue - is is alright to take out the baffles of an old wooden ended Lachenal to allow it to 'speak' louder? Why are baffles used in the first place if the muffle the sound? I'm here to learn so please feel free to tell me I'm an idiot! Michael. Yes, it should be fine. Most restored Lachenals that I've seen have had the baffles removed. I would guess that baffles were originally put in to make them quieter, as a "parlor" instrument perhaps for use in polite company. We modern-day concertinists tend to be more impolite. -David Edited December 1, 2009 by DavidFR Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimLucas Posted December 1, 2009 Share Posted December 1, 2009 Why are baffles used in the first place if the muffle the sound? I would guess that baffles were originally put in to make them quieter, as a "parlor" instrument perhaps for use in polite company. We modern-day concertinists tend to be more impolite. Not just suffering hearing loss from "listening" to too much hyper-amplified popular music, so that we can't appreciate the baffling nuances of gentler sounds? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rod Posted December 2, 2009 Share Posted December 2, 2009 On a related side issue - is is alright to take out the baffles of an old wooden ended Lachenal to allow it to 'speak' louder? Why are baffles used in the first place if the muffle the sound? I'm here to learn so please feel free to tell me I'm an idiot! Michael. Yes, it should be fine. Most restored Lachenals that I've seen have had the baffles removed. I would guess that baffles were originally put in to make them quieter, as a "parlor" instrument perhaps for use in polite company. We modern-day concertinists tend to be more impolite. -David I can't be he only one happy to consider myself a 'parlour' player. Scope here for another of those wretched surveys ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david_boveri Posted December 2, 2009 Share Posted December 2, 2009 my concertina has wood ends, and i think you'd be hard pressed to find anyone who thinks my concertina is quiet--it's more like a cannon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tombilly Posted December 2, 2009 Share Posted December 2, 2009 I have baffles on my rosewood ended Lachenal (steel reeds) and it seems fine in the volume department to me. I wouldn't be too quick to remove them on a whim. They are an original part of the design. I quite like them as they hide the inner workings and also keep debris out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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