Wheezing Rochelle

[Barry J]

Sometimes when I'm playing, I notice that the note makes a metallic reverberating sound instead of the usual clear note sound.

Its not there all the time. I try a few things like moving the bellows or using more or less air and it goes.

 

Have you seen it before ?

 

I don't know if its a Rochelle thing or something to do with my playing.

[Theo]

You can get some buzzing noises like that from vibration occurring in the metal action parts, its usually only apparent on the lower notes.

[MarkvN]

Hi Barry,

I think I had the same problem - and I found it very annoying. It's not your playing; it's the Rochelle: playing one note, another one will start buzzing - try this by gently laying a finger on different buttons that are not being played. That way you'll be able to figure out which buttons are causing the noise.

 

The noise is produced between the lever and the hole in the metal foot of each button. I opened my box and remedied it by taking the offending button off (being very carefull not to pull the whole lever out of the wood!) and - don't laugh - pulling a little socket of rubber tube (used for the valves of bicycle tyres) over the lower part. I then made a tiny hole where the lever should go and put it back in place. For me it worked fine!

 

Another thing I was very happy to change was the air hole (and pad). It had the same size as all the other holes; after trying more 'upper-class' instruments, I realised they allow you to let in or out fairly large gulps of air, where the Rochelle would struggle and wheeze. I got a larger air pad (from concertina-spares.com) and enlarged the air hole. What a relief!

Mark