Retuning an anglo concertina from C/G to Bb/F

[felix castro]

Hello, I recorded yesterday a concertina for a friend, Pancho Alvarez, we play usually with him.

And the tune was in F, I play more or less easily in F in the middle (using both hands), but he wanted that I recorded in the higher octave and it was very difficult. The tune that I recorded indeed was much easier in the duet than in the anglo (I am a duet novice and I think that I could play it better in the duet but I didn't go with the duet to the studio)

As I have my suttner for playing in C/G, my dipper for C sharp/G sharp. I thought to buy another concertina in Bb/F for playing easely in those keys.

But I have my old lachenal in C/G that I play ocasionally, and I was thinking about retune it to Bb/F.

Anybody did it with sucess? What do you think about it?

I have retuned it in the past half a tone. And I know that it isn't very good for the reeds to retune them a lot because they lose their metal, etc. etc.

But I wanted some advice about it.

I play a lot in Bb, Eb, G sharp, etc. but I use usually the C sharp G sharp, as is usually done by irish musicians, but we play usually a lot in F with Pancho (I play usually more the tunes with a diatonic accordion in C/F, but he wants now the higher sound of the concertina).

Regards

Félix Castro

[Greg Jowaisas]

Felix,

I've converted a few Bb/F Lachenals to C/G by swapping the reeds around. Reversing this process and going from C/G to Bb should work reasonably well. Most of the slots will take the switch with only a minimum of shimming and shaving. You may have to obtain a half dozen reed assemblies to fill in the extas like the low Bb and RH 'b' notes.

 

As you've said, reed tongues can only take so mush filing before their tone suffers. Since you've retuned 1/2 a tone in the past there is precious little metal left to play with in the tongues. Swapping them around is your best bet.

 

Adding solder (weighting the tip) can work for larger reeds but sometimes at a cost of tone and responnse. I would only use this method for the lowest reeds and only if they had not previously been retuned.

 

Best,

 

Greg

Edited February 1, 2012 by Greg Jowaisas

[Theo]

I have a nice Lachenal Bb/F for sale

Details here http://www.theboxpla...F/prod_165.html

 

 

[marshall]

Some years ago Steve Dickinson retuned a Crabb C/G to Bb/F for me. I don't know whether this was done by swapping reeds, retuning reeds or a bit of both. The resulting instrument is lovely - still quick and well-balanced with a slightly mellower sound. This success of this operation may well say more about Steve's skills than it does about anything else!

 

Chas

 

Hello, I recorded yesterday a concertina for a friend, Pancho Alvarez, we play usually with him.

And the tune was in F, I play more or less easily in F in the middle (using both hands), but he wanted that I recorded in the higher octave and it was very difficult. The tune that I recorded indeed was much easier in the duet than in the anglo (I am a duet novice and I think that I could play it better in the duet but I didn't go with the duet to the studio)

As I have my suttner for playing in C/G, my dipper for C sharp/G sharp. I thought to buy another concertina in Bb/F for playing easely in those keys.

But I have my old lachenal in C/G that I play ocasionally, and I was thinking about retune it to Bb/F.

Anybody did it with sucess? What do you think about it?

I have retuned it in the past half a tone. And I know that it isn't very good for the reeds to retune them a lot because they lose their metal, etc. etc.

But I wanted some advice about it.

I play a lot in Bb, Eb, G sharp, etc. but I use usually the C sharp G sharp, as is usually done by irish musicians, but we play usually a lot in F with Pancho (I play usually more the tunes with a diatonic accordion in C/F, but he wants now the higher sound of the concertina).

Regards

Félix Castro