Breaking-in Reeds

[Michael Reid]

At the NE Squeeze-In, Rich Morse and I had a short discussion on the advisability of a "break-in" period for new instruments. With Rich's consent, I'm going to recap here what we discussed and invite others to join in the discussion.

 

Our discussion began when I remarked to Rich that a particular used instrument being offered for sale -- a button accordion from a top maker -- was mildly disappointing to me (I emphasize "mildly"). It was just my impression, of course, but I thought the reeds didn't speak as quickly or crisply as other boxes from that maker. And when I played that box, an accordion professional who was present (not Rich) said it lacked the volume he expected, though I hadn't noticed that.

 

Rich responded that perhaps the box had not gone through a proper break-in period. He said that Steve Dickinson had convinced him many years ago that new reeds should be played gently for a period of months -- at varying volume levels, but never excessively loud -- in order to ensure the best long-run tone. He cited his own Dickinson Wheatstone Hayden as a box that disappointed him when brand-new but got better and better through gentle playing over a few months.

 

Rich contrasted this happy result with several cases where Morris musicians who bought new instruments from his shop played them really hard right away, and within a few months complained that their boxes were unresponsive.

 

As one expecting to take delivery of a new concertina in a month or so, I'm very interested in this issue! Though I've played free-reeds for almost 20 years, I'd never before heard this advice. A few other players of button accordions with whom I've discussed this also said it's news to them ... and they're skeptical.

 

So ... here are some questions on my mind. I hope others will post their thoughts on these and related issues:

• Is a break-in period the smart thing to do, or a waste of time?
  
• Do you have personal experience with a box that wasn't broken in properly?
  
• If you advocate a break-in period, how long should it go on, and what should you do (or avoid doing) during it? Is there a way to know when it's OK to play "hard"?
  
• Is a break-in period done for the benefit of the reeds, for other mechanical parts (valves, pads, etc.), or all of the above?
  
• Does this apply equally to concertinas with traditional reeds and those with accordion reeds?
  

That's not all, but I'll stop there!

[yerpalal]

I think my intuition says agree. It does seem logical that the steel reeds would change initialy upon being played. There have been conversations in the past the opined that the changes were more due to the player "warming" to the instrument or simply improving, or the bellows breaking in, but yes I think a break in period makes sense. About a year ago I bought a EC from the twenties that hadn't been much played when new and had sit unused for at least 2 generations, it was as though I was breaking it in, 'cause I was the first person to play it continualy after its overhaul, which did not include "extensive" tuning, the reeds are pristine untuned and unplayed since it left the factory 80 yars ago. It does speak faster and with lower bellows pressure than it did when "new".

Now for a demonstration of excessive Smilie use.... AlW

[Sharron]

I have just had my Morse C/G Anglo for 2 weeks, so as a newbie to the concertina this information would be really useful as it never occurred to me that it would need any special treatment because of it being new.

This maybe not the place to introduce myself but as I am here now I may as well

My instrument really is the fiddle, but after being told that I could not take it on the plane with me to Dublin (airport rules- no stringed instruments) and I wouldn't put it in the hold, I needed to find another instrument to play so I could carry it with me and attend a session ''hopefully'' in the future.

So along comes the concertina and I am happily squeezing away with the 'mad for trad' cd rom. Plus all my fiddle tunes just have to try themselves out too, so my poor fiddle is taking a back seat at the moment while my new toy is flavour of the month.

And so back to the discussion ''am I doing irreparable damage by playing it too much too soon?'

 

Does this mean I am a lurker no longer too?

 

Sharron

[Helen]

Welcome Sharron.

 

Well, I'm not equipped to answer your question, but I can officiate as a welcome greeter. I hope you keep posting. I was drawn to the concertina also, partly (certainly not wholly or firstly, but partly) because of its portability. Now I love it for itself. I've a lot of fiddle music that I used for my hammer dulcimer and it sounds great on the concertina.

 

Bellow on,

 

Perhaps softly at first if there is a break in period,

 

Since I came home yesterday to my back window screen pried off, I'm a little sensitive to the term break in, perhaps I'll call it the be kind to your reeds period,

 

Helen

[yerpalal]

Sharron, I think RM was saying that playing Hard and loud would possiblybe a problem. Nothing was said about playing a lot. I would think that lots of playing would be fine if it wasn't outdoors type loud etc. More Smilies, enjoy AW

[d.elliott]

I am not convinced about this gentle playing in of new reeds.

 

Technically, I can see a possible logic for brass (tongued) reeds, and for new tongues made from old steel. However, for tongues made from modern fine grained alloy steels???

 

I certainly believe that all reeds do settle and find natural positions with play, but this is more about their gapping and set. My view is to play, play and play again, any music that you want as long as no one throws anything at you.

 

I also believe that new instruments settle and improve with play anyway, action bellows, pad seals and all the rest, so lets not get too hung up on this point. Is more imprtant to store the instrument properly, in its dedicated box, bellows firmly together.

 

Dave

[Sharron]

This thing about storing concertinas in their boxes has me a little worried.

I have a cabinet which I keep my instruments so that I can just reach in and take one out to play without having to mess around with cases, etc. I feel that the amount of times I would have to keep getting cases/boxes out I would probably do more damage than just leaving them in my cabinet.

 

Now I do notice that the concertina opens slightly when left out as opposed to tightly closed when in the box, but as the box is such a tight fit I thought it too much of a struggle to get it in and out the dozen or so times every day.

 

I know it is slightly off topic but please tell me it's ok or else my playing time will go downhill if I have to keep putting it away and getting it out this many times.

Or a really good reason please.

 

Sharron

[d.elliott]

Sharron

 

please do not fret!

 

The bellows do need to be stored compressed, not super-tightly, but firmly together otherwise they tend to want to spring open, this means that in play you get resistance when playing towards the closed position, in effect you get some 'loss of function'. It may only be minor but its there. I would suggest that you consider that "storage" = overnight, or away at weekends etc. The case is designed to hold the bellows with an appropriate degree of compression, the case is almost part of the instrument. The prolonged use of the alternative loose and soft 'gig bags' can have the same problem, always return to the case. I have seen people use modern replacement hard cases, vanity boxes etc, that's fine as long as they are adapted to hold the bellows correctly.

 

I know its a Morse that you have, and so new. This means that the initial bellows 'training' is important. Eventually getting the instrument in and out of the case will become easier. hold the instument compressed as you ease it in or out of its box. Also, periodically, give the bellows a good stretch.

 

You will notice the case also locates the concertina with its axis horizontal, this is also good practise; paricularly on the so called 'vintage' instruments, as the valves can suffer if its stored on its end.

 

I know its inconvenient, but its for the best in the long run, sorry.

 

Dave

[Richard Morse]

I am not convinced about this gentle playing in of new reeds.

"Gentle", soft, or slow breaking-in playing isn't my position. From my experiences, only sustained for frequent "hard" playing during the first few months of a reed's life seems to result in poor subsequent performance. I advocate playing boxes often and with varying stress - but without exceeding maybe 85 or 90% for an appreciable length of time during an initial period.

 

There seem to be at least two issues here. One - being some sort of stress setting thing where the steel (brass, whatever the reed is made of) finds an equilibrium of strength, and second - where the reed "comes into" it's sound or tone.

 

I've seen many cases where spring steel fails when overstressed (past its elastic limit), and am not particularly surprised to find that those occurrences usually happen when the item is new. A similar item that has been properly "worn in" can be stressed to a higher degree (without failure) than it can be when new. I've heard folks refer to "stress hardening" and "alignment of the molecules", initial "wild steel grain".... I'm no metallurgist or machinist. Just an observer with enough experience to say that some stress/time thing is going on here.

 

Well, maybe a bit more than that. I've had 4 years of structural statics (including steelworking properties and propensities). I've also heard that the best reeds are fabricated with the grain of the metal along their axes (and if this is true, why would the best reedmakers bother if there was no difference?)

 

The "tone" thing may also have to do with a reed's "settling in", though I think there's a lot more than that as Dave points out. Many instruments sound better after playing in - fiddles, guitars, flutes.... And they have no reeds. Some hardly have any metal parts at all. Also interesting is that an instrument that has not been used in many years can sound pretty poor, and after being played in again will come "back into tone".

[Richard Morse]

Actually, thinking further into what I just posted is -- So how can overstressing be verified? Is there some sort of testing that can occur where the only difference between two boxes is the way it is played?

 

The answer is yes, such "testing" has been done. We've sold scores (maybe a few hundred?) Hohner 2815 (and it's almost identical sibling the Erica) button accordions - and have serviced many of those same accordions. Identical boxes show pronounced differences in reed response. The preponderance of slow-acting, muffly-sounding, and tough-to-play boxes started out their life in the hands of a Morris player.

 

Now I'm not slamming Morris players (been there myself!), but playing for Morris seems to be a constant full-throttle endeavor. Certainly this needs to be when playing out (or even at practice). But if a new box were eased into its life - it will give much better performance thereafter.

[Rhomylly]

another question about bellows "storage"

 

I have a new Hohner and a soft bag for it. However, Hohners have those nice close straps which snap in place and keep the bellows nice and closed when the instrument is not in use. I'm so anal about those close straps I use them even when I put the concertina down during practice to pick up a different piece of music!

 

So if the close straps are used religiously, will it cause long-term harm for the instrument to be kept in a soft bag? Oh, I also snug the drawstring pretty firmly, and also store it on its side, not the end.

[Sharron]

I have no straps but have made one yesterday out of a soft suede like foam (to protect the finish) on the back of sticky backed velcro so that I can keep the bellows closed, so I too hope this is ok as it is just as tightly closed as if it were in the box. I thought it might work for me as it is so easy to put on and off, it just goes around the instrument in front of the handles and before any buttons.

 

Could someone also speculate how many hours of average playing it takes for the bellows to be *trained* ( had to laugh at that one as I clicker train my dogs and wondered if I could clicker my bellows) and how long before an instrument is at it's *best*.

 

I know the answer is probably 'as long as a piece of string', but is it 6 months/1 year/2 years? It's just that I have a Salterelle Nuage B/C box that has been played for about 2 years solidly every day for about an hour minimum a day and it still feels *new* and needs breaking in.

 

I feel like I need to know, but don't know what I need to know in order to ask questions that I need to know

 

Thanks again for the help and welcome.

 

Sharron, happily squeezing away.

[Richard Morse]

Could someone also speculate how many hours of average playing it takes for the bellows to be *trained*

The answer has more to do with the way the bellows is constructed and less with how frequently it is exercised.

 

There are many ways to make bellows though they generally fall into two categories: continuous-carded and individual-carded bellows. Either way can be made with shallow or deeper bellows folds, reinforced bellows corners, and varying degrees of quality materials and craftsmanship.

 

CC bellows are inherently stiffer and will take more time to break in than IC bellows. Bellows-cornered construction tends to keep the bellows closed at rest and non-cornered (that is - NOT having metal corner clips) tend to rest somewhat extended. Deeper folds make the bellows more flexible. Lots of permutations here.

 

CC bellows with shallow folds and bellows corners (typical accordion bellows) may be "trained" to loose their fabrication "memory" by exercising (playing) them often and keeping them open (I've heard of people hanging them by their bass handstrap) when at rest. Maybe two or three months of "breaking in".

 

CC bellows with deeper folds and no metal bellows corners (typical mass-produced concertinas like Stagi, and some of the current crop of hybrid concertinas), while more supple than typical accordion bellows will still have an appreciable amount of fabrication memory which may be relaxed by playing them often and storing them in the closed position. Within a month or two there will be a very appreciable difference in suppleness.

 

IC bellows usually have considerably deeper folds with much more attention to design, craftsmanship and high quality materials - and are correspondingly more expensive.... This type of bellows is associated only with concertinas (well, and flutinas too). They also are by far more durable and flexible (than typical CC bellows) - and have very little fabrication memory even when brand new. Just a week of playing these in will dissipate any fabrication memory with no special need of storage.

 

This is just a broad outline as there are so many permutations and combinations of bellows design, materials, and craftsmanship which will determine just how supple, durable, controllable, expressive, costly, etc. a bellows will be.

 

Maybe it's time to start a new topic on "Bellows Construction"?

[d.elliott]

Hi Rich,

 

I think we are on the wrong forum here, but:

 

Breaking in reeds:

 

Grain flow would normaly be along the reed length, unless they are sheared off a wider coil. Originally, I believe, clock spring steel was used. I have talked aobout vibration stress relieve before, I think that this process actually shakes the reed into a natural position making adjustments to the at rest position and yeilding improved gap and sounding, but proving it is a different issue. I cannot see how a reed springing in an air stream can get beyond its elastic limit. I can see fatigue failure and micro-cracking issues in old reeds, abused reeds (ground, badly filed etc.) and corroded reeds. Brass both work hardens and to some extent 'age' hardens. Whilst what you advise can do no harm, I cannot see a convincing technical argument. After all we are talking about metallurical condition and grain structure, generally these need plastic deformation, or heat to change them. High frequency vibration permits minute inter-chrystaline slipage to reduce stress.

 

Bellows & storage

 

As to belows construction and breaking in, I simply draw on advice from Steve Dickinson, and my own experience, even old bellows, if left uncompressed for either a long period of time take an 'at rest' position which is slightly open. It is advisable to store with the bellows closed to prevent this, again I emphasis even old concertinas with original bellows. I don't believe you can particularly time-date this sort of thing. New bellows do have this memory effect. As you say, influenced by construction details, materials, I suppose even adhesive used. I have some new on my daughter's instrument, stored closed they are fine, left out of the box, even now they are several month old, they relax. Yet these are first class, supple and smooth moving bellows. To be safe I stand by my earlier advice, store your bellows closed.

 

Dave

[Richard Morse]

I cannot see how a reed springing in an air stream can get beyond its elastic limit.

I'm surmising that an excessively springing reed gets into some work hardening situation which compromises its subsequent response. This amount of stress seems to be manageable when "broken in" well yet unmanageable when first new. I don't know why and can't prove that stress hardening is the culprit. My observations of many such instances have convinced me to accept that there is SOME real phenomena happening here.

[d.elliott]

Rich,

 

Following the maxim of 'Better Safe than Sorry' and bowing to your greater experience of new reeds, and also given that your advice is easy to follow, being no real imposition on anyone other than a rampant Morris musician playing in a gale force wind beside a major airport, I accept the point as made.

 

After all sod the theory, its what works that counts

 

Dave

[yerpalal]

RM, I don't think you are wrong. In the stringed instrument trade, its known that an instrument played in an unusual or incomplete way will be compromised in some ways. for instance an violin that has never been played in the 5th position even if its 100 years old will not respond in that range. Why not the concertina. The Idea of work hardening and reed movement is possibly important. All of this is ifemeral , but interesting none the less. ( we still need spell check on site as my Latin is more than rusty, its none existant, and I am marginaly dyslexic) Best, AW

[Richard Morse]

As to belows construction and breaking in, I simply draw on advice from Steve Dickinson, and my own experience, even old bellows, if left uncompressed for either a long period of time take an 'at rest' position which is slightly open. It is advisable to store with the bellows closed to prevent this, again I emphasis even old concertinas with original bellows.

Steve's advice is for concertina bellows, not accordion bellows - very different kettles of fish! My post was on breaking in bellows rather than on their storage position and balanced to include Sharon's concern for her Salterelle Nuage.

 

Still, I do feel that a broken-in concertina bellows needs no special storage position, and storing a concertina in its case falls into this category. I don't see any problem with an "at rest" position being slightly open. If this means that the "working range" on the bellows is better than if when stored closed, I'm all for it.

 

It seems to me that what we want to do is to store a squeezebox so that such storage position does not hinder playability. Concertinas with their very flexible bellows and little memory (IC even when new, CC when broken in) aren't very fussy when it comes to storage. They don't/won't "remember" their stored position muchly.

 

OTOH, some bellows - particularly the accordion type bellows - have a great deal of fabrication memory that needs to be dissapated. Such a bellows will take a long time to be worked-in if it is always kept stored closed.