Could Traditional Reeds Be Screwed To A Flat Sound Board?

[Don Taylor]

Since we seem to questioning the wisdom of our forefathers [*], how about this one:

 

Making a new sound board with accurately routed slots for traditional concertina reeds looks pretty tough to do - especially for a one-off. I can imagine that making a jig for production use would make sense, but if I just wanted to make a couple of sound boards then could I do what several modern makers do with accordion reeds and that is to simply have a sound board with routed out holes for the air and use a couple of screws to hold a traditional reed in place against the sound board.

 

If necessary, they could also be waxed with some reed wax to ensure an airtight seal.

 

This is what Wim Wakker does for his accordion reeded instruments:

 

 

It might get a bit complicated on the underside of the board...

 

Don.

 

[*] So far, Sir Charles has won every one of these types of disputes ...

Edited February 1, 2015 by Don Taylor

[Geoff Wooff]

Sometimes 'traditional' concertina reeds have been, and are, screwed to the surface of the reedpan.... this happened quite a lot in certain post WW2 Wheatstones but also in Basses where the reeds were getting too big for their boots so to say.

 

Usually, in accordeons the reeds are either pinned in place and wax sealed or in better quality instruments there is no wax used but a thin leather ( chamois ?) gasket between reed and wood.

[rlgph]

Since we seem to questioning the wisdom of our forefathers [*], how about this one:

 

[*] So far, Sir Charles has won every one of these types of disputes ...

And i expect he'll continue to win -- he was a physicist after all ;-)

 

However, just because he did something a particular way in the early 19th century, doesn't mean he would not have chosen a different way had he had access to our machine tools with their much tighter allowed tolerances.

[Łukasz Martynowicz]

Don, there are both vintage and modern traditionally reeded concertinas with shoes mounted this way.

Here you have Steve picturing his Wheatstone in my DIY thread: http://www.concertina.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=15371

And here you have Lachenal bass concertina: http://www.concertinamuseum.com/CM00292.htm

[wayman]

Most 38-button Jeffries have one or two reeds held on with screws instead of slotted into the reedpan (because of space constraints). It's hard to characterize how they don't sound as nice as the others, but they don't sound as nice as the others.

[Jody Kruskal]

True, they don't sound as nice... but might that also be because the screwed in reeds are more likely to be in the center rather than the periphery?

[David Hornett]

Yes they can be screwed in. I have done it and they sound no different to countersunk reeds, but they do take up 2mm more space both sides so necessitate slightly wider frames if you wish to have the same adherence to the resting pegs on the reed pan. I have a 38 button Jeffries with three screwed reeds on each side, they sound fractionally more mellow (some would say not as bright, but I don't know if it is the screwing or the positioning. If screwed one needs to be careful not to bow the reed frame by the screws being both ends so pressing the frame into the wood, and so change the voicing.

 

David

[Alan Day]

I have replaced squeekers and whistles with reeds in the past with this method

.Much more useful

Al

[Mike Franch]

Would screwed reeds sound different than riveted reeds?

[Geoffrey Crabb]

In answer to the original question:

As this has been done in the past as mentioned by others, the answer is yes. However, whilst the practice reduces the manufacture time, re-tuning, if done by the traditional preferred method i.e. of removing each reed, can take easily twice as long and hence twice the cost.

 

 

 

Geoffrey

[Mike Pierceall]

In answer to the original question:

As this has been done in the past as mentioned by others, the answer is yes. However, whilst the practice reduces the manufacture time, re-tuning, if done by the traditional preferred method i.e. of removing each reed, can take easily twice as long and hence twice the cost.

 

 

 

Geoffrey

My experience with European harmoniums is that the reeds will rattle when the screws come loose due to dimensional changes in the materials from season to season or even from vibration. Over time, the repeated tightening of the screws reduces their ability to grab and hold tight. Slotted reed pans are somewhat self-compensating in my opinion and an errant reed shoe can be shimmed if necessary.

Edited February 2, 2015 by michaelpier

[Dana Johnson]

Another good reason for the traditional method is that the leather flap valves can run into the adjacent reed space without hanging up on the side of the reed frame which is now flush to the surface. While it is not good for a valve to come too close to an active reed, it makes valve width and placement much less critical since you only need to watch out for the proximity to the chamber wall on the draw reeds. Having the possibility of a little extra overhang reduces the likelihood of a reed getting sucked into the port or vent.

Dana