making a 40 button anglo

[accordian]

hi guys, me again.

 

got a question for ya.

 

im still looking to buy a 40 button concertina however that being said they cost way too much. ive got an idea which might save some money buy id like your guys opinion.ive got a 30 button concertina so i'd have the bellows I could ask for some pics online of reed pans 40 button as well as the way the mechanical parts such as the butons and springs work together and make my own version or something similar.

 

I play piano accordion and have owned quite a few that were terribly out of tune. so ive got a ton of reeds which i could use for this. that being said ive never tuned reeds eitherr. i get the very basics of it is get a file and file a little either at the top or bottom depending on whether you want to lower or higher the pitch.

 

but yeah what are your guys thoughts? i hear that accordion hybrids arent uncommon and im not looking for the "sound" found in a concertina. it'd be nice to get it sure but beggars cant be choosers.

 

but yeah any info as to whether you think this would work or any tips would be appreciated as said i have only the basic knowledge of tuning reeds at the moment and so am watching tutorials on line and doing my homework before i go in.

 

thanks guys!

[Chris Ghent]

28 minutes ago, accordian said:

hi guys, me again.

 

got a question for ya.

 

im still looking to buy a 40 button concertina however that being said they cost way too much. ive got an idea which might save some money buy id like your guys opinion.ive got a 30 button concertina so i'd have the bellows I could ask for some pics online of reed pans 40 button as well as the way the mechanical parts such as the butons and springs work together and make my own version or something similar.

 

Hey, go for it. One word of caution, in regard to using parts from a traditional concertina to make one with accordion reeds.  I can't think of a single accordion reeded anglo concertina with more than 30 keys. (Happy to be corrected, anyone?) My understanding is the reeds take up more room than traditional concertina reeds and it is not possible to fit them into the same size carcass.  This would mean not being able to use parts from your Lachenal and having to make a larger concertina.

[accordian]

hmm. i see. I wonder if I could figure out how much room the reed pan or reed blocks or whatever i come up with and then use my concertina 30 button as a template in it's shape and scale up as required? hmmm. see I own a 30 button scarlatti sc 30 (I think) / the wooden one. and i got to say its fairly small so I wouldnt imagine that if i made one it wouldnt be huge! (with hope lol)

[Kelteglow]

I started playing on a  Hohner 36 button that had accordion reeds .Bob

[Devils' Dream]

Accordion:

With respect, do you know the saying "dogs breakfast"?

Maybe you will enjoy the endless tinkering, the parts and junkers being readily available, maybe you have the time...

But unless you are blessed by the free reed gods, you are going to end up with ????

Been there.

I try to enjoy playing what I have; if I can't afford it, well ....

[accordian]

1 hour ago, Devils' Dream said:

Accordion:

With respect, do you know the saying "dogs breakfast"?

Maybe you will enjoy the endless tinkering, the parts and junkers being readily available, maybe you have the time...

But unless you are blessed by the free reed gods, you are going to end up with ????

Been there.

I try to enjoy playing what I have; if I can't afford it, well ....

oh yeah  im not expecting a masterpiece.my plan is to use the bellows from my scarlatti concertina

then for the ends gets some paper and figure out the distance between each reed (at the moment

I've got them in reed block so i may cut up the reed block to fit them best i can or i could cut them into sections like my 30

anglo.then tune the reeds as needed for a 40 button concertina from here I know how much room the reed blocks would need

and so I can make the ends for them based on the size as for the bellows not being the correct size i can make a hexagon from

wood and then a second the first for attathcing the bellows the second for the actual size of the box if you see what i mean and then from there make some

other bits as required for the buttons etc.

 

at the moment ive got a good idea and am tryng to get some good info about anything else rather than rushing in and making rubbish.

 

but besides anything else I think it will be quite cool to play something made by myself just knowing the work thats went into it. as well as this

if i design it I can make design choices which will allow me to add or change bits later on for athetic reasons etc.

 

what I do want to figure out is any deeper information about tuning reeds. I mean if it's litterally "ugh its too high" - files down the tip or end

and bingo its solved then tuning learnt and ive got loads of spare parts as you said but if there is anything else which would come in handy i'd appreciate it

especially voicing reeds as iv'e heard of this but don't have a clue. then again I spose thats what the internet is for.+

[Sprunghub]

2 hours ago, accordian said:

 

 

what I do want to figure out is any deeper information about tuning reeds. I mean if it's litterally "ugh its too high" - files down the tip or end

and bingo its solved then tuning learnt and ive got loads of spare parts as you said but if there is anything else which would come in handy i'd appreciate it

especially voicing reeds as iv'e heard of this but don't have a clue. then again I spose thats what the internet is for.+

I learnt to tune reeds last week, supported by advice from the Forum.  I found I picked it up quite quickly - it got easier after '70' goes!  As per the thread really.

https://www.concertina.net/forums/index.php?/topic/20723-tuning-rig-impact-of-chamber-around-reed/

[Martin Essery]

Old thread, did you get your concertina made? Stagi do a 40 button at reasonable price and i am guessing at that price (around 600 quid last I checked), that it is a hybrid.

 

Edited November 23, 2022 by Martin Essery
spelling

[alex_holden]

5 hours ago, Martin Essery said:

Old thread, did you get your concertina made? Stag do a 40 button at reasonable price and i am guessing at that price (around 600 quid last I checked), that it is a hybrid.

 

 

Yes, Stagi use Italian accordion reeds.

[Jake Middleton-Metcalfe]

I believe Andrew Norman makes 40 button Anglo concertinas with accordion reeds, the instruments are 7" across the flats, his work is well made and the instruments play well. You can read about his work here: http://www.acnorman.co.uk/ 

 

Andrew has explored the possibilities of making concertinas with accordion reeds rather a lot from what I can see, probably more than anyone.

Edited November 22, 2022 by Jake Middleton-Metcalfe