Spares for brass reeds

[malcolmbebb]

Having asked this question in what was, on reflection, the wrong thread I'll ask it in one more appropriate.

 

I am looking to replace a damaged reed in a old German box. Rectangular reeds on a zinc plate, in fives. I was wondering about the use of harmonica reeds. The ones I've seen are brass and rectangular, but I've not investigated further.

 

Apart from CGM and Dave Leese, is there another good source of these old reeds?

[rayhomewood]

I would like to know this too! I have an old German anglo which is either A/E or Bb/F (somewhere between the 2 at the moment). and I would like to retune it to lower-pitched keys, so I am considering using harmonica reeds as a cheap source....Good luck : )

[Theo]

I would like to know this too! I have an old German anglo which is either A/E or Bb/F (somewhere between the 2 at the moment). and I would like to retune it to lower-pitched keys, so I am considering using harmonica reeds as a cheap source....Good luck : )

 

Old German one-row melodeons use the same type of reeds too and would be a much better source of reeds than harmonicas. They usually have reeds for 10 buttons on one long plate, so there is the possibility of cutting a 10 button plate in two and using the halves in the two sides of a concertina.

 

I've managed to replace the occasional broken reed by cannibalising reeds from similar instruments. It involves removing the rivet from the broken reed and the donor, and the 'new' reed is likely to need some adjustment to length, width and pitch. It can be done but it takes a lot of time and patience.

[nils]

You could ask the bandonion-makers in Germany, Hartenhauer, Wallschläger or Harry Geuns in Belgium for spares.

 

Nils