A Self Healing Concertina?

[Henk van Aalten]

A few days ago one of my 30b G/C Anglo's got a problem. Four reeds did not function correct. The abnormalities varied from a remarkable drop in volume to a terrible squeeking sound (like a very ill duck). My other concertina did not show these abnormalities.

Both concertina's are stored in the same way: side by side on a shelf in our living room (20°C and normal humidity). During the days that followed I checked if the abnormalities were still present and after 4 days the concertina was back to normal.

 

After 20 years experience with driving English cars, I believe (more or less) in "self-healing properties" of mechanisms and machineries, but what happened with this concerina is stunning.

 

Does anyone of you have an explanation??

[David Barnert]

Had you taken it out of doors? It's getting chilly out, and perhaps the relationship between the metal reed shoes and the wooden dovetail joints they fit into changed and then changed back in response to temperature changes.

 

Even if you haven't taken it outside, I'd suspect it's a temperature thing.

 

I would suggest taking out the reed pans and going around them with your thumb, pressing all of the reed shoes firmly into place. You may find one or two (or four) that feel a little loose.

[Theo]

Even if you haven't taken it outside, I'd suspect it's a temperature thing.

 

Or perhaps humidity? At this time of year as our home heating systems are in use more, and its cold outside, the relative humidity indoors can drop pretty low. That could result in some movement in the wooden parts of the concertina. Thin material would respond more quickly than thick, so its possible to imagine a series of changes which could cause the kind of symptoms you describe.

 

Theo

[Henk van Aalten]

My interest was revived by this recent topic of Jay Lamsa. Jay reported that some notes did not play. My problem was/is that some notes decrease sharply in volume, while making a sound as if the reed can not move free anymore. I described it as "a terrible squeeking sound (like a very ill duck)".

 

Theo reacted like:

Or perhaps humidity?  At this time of year as our home heating systems are in  use more, and its cold outside, the relative humidity indoors can drop pretty low.  That could result in some movement in the wooden parts of the concertina.  Thin material would respond more quickly than thick, so its possible to imagine a series of changes which could cause the kind of symptoms you describe.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

During the last month I moved this concertina through our house and I am quite sure now that Theo is right for the following reasons:

• When I bring the concertina back into our (heated) living room the phenomenon returns in about 1 day.
  
• After storing the concertina in an much less heated room, it returns to a normal condition in 2-3 days
  
• The concertina was very well playable during last summer at temperatures >30°C
  

So to my opinion it is more a humidity than a temparature item (although there is of course a strong relation between the two)

Edited January 25, 2005 by Henk van Aalten

[David Barnert]

Humidity is certainly the most likely cause. But there is a better remedy than just moving it into a more hospitable environment and waiting a few days. As mentioned elsewhere*: open the end, locate the offending reeds in the reed pan, and press them firmly into place in their dovetail joints with your thumb. Changes in humidity have loosened them. While it might fix itself, you might as well help it along.

 

In rare cases, you may need to cut a shim from a very thin piece of paper and lay it in the joint alongside the reed frame so that it is held firmly.

 

* The first two steps are not trivial. If you do not know how to do this, search through these forums for previous discussion or see Dave's maintenance book.

[Henk van Aalten]

As mentioned elsewhere*: open the end, locate the offending reeds in the reed pan, and press them firmly into place in their dovetail joints with your thumb. Changes in humidity have loosened them. While it might fix itself, you might as well help it along.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

David, your comment is true for concertina's where the reed(shoes) are held in place with dovetail joints. However, in my concertina that shows the described behaviour, the reed shoes/frames (?) are held in place with two screws.

[Frank Edgley]

I'm for the "bit of dust" theory.

[Robin Madge]

I find that the title of this thread has nudged the sureal aspect of my brain.

 

With a self-healing concertina does it mean that you have to keep playing it so that the air holes don't heal over?

 

Robin Madge