otsaku Posted March 24, 2005 Share Posted March 24, 2005 The good news is my lachena has arrived. The bad news is it's stuck in customs Oh well according to the post office I should have it by tuesday... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigsqueezergeezer Posted March 24, 2005 Share Posted March 24, 2005 I hope the post office doesn't use Fedex! Derek Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Helen Posted March 24, 2005 Share Posted March 24, 2005 Hope it has had all of its shots or next it will go to quarantine. Helen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
otsaku Posted March 24, 2005 Author Share Posted March 24, 2005 no fedex thankfully. eeek quarantine Its tough waiting. I've got my maintainance manual and my tools waiting for it's arrival. I keep wanting to order pads, valves, bushing etc. Well at least I have my jackie to keep me company. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brightfield Posted March 24, 2005 Share Posted March 24, 2005 (edited) no fedex thankfully. Its tough waiting. I've got my maintainance manual and my tools waiting for it's arrival. I keep wanting to order pads, valves, bushing etc. Well at least I have my jackie to keep me company. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Hope it goes OK! I took my new Lacheanal down to Andrew Norman in Sussex today and he's going to tune it and sort out some of the valves in July. I admire your courage in doing it yourself. Will you post a picture of it when it arrives? Edited March 24, 2005 by brightfield Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
otsaku Posted March 24, 2005 Author Share Posted March 24, 2005 I'm looking forward to finally having it in my hands. There'll be a picture or two available once I've got it and before it is dissected. July!! That's an awfully long time to wait. I'm hoping the valves and bushing are going to be "simple" jobs. Repairing the fret work is going to be interesting. I haven't decided if I'm going to get it tuned to concert pitch yet and after reading the maintainance manual and Don Nichol's explaination on tuning I'm tempted to have a go myself... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Day Posted March 24, 2005 Share Posted March 24, 2005 Repairing the fretwork? It could mean that the screws that hold the handle may be rusted through.From memory there are three on a Lachenel handle the outer ones hold the hand rest in postion and the middle one holds the plate/fretwork together.If that middle one is not tightened properly or has rusted through it is possible to pull the handle straight off the fretwork.The fretwork being the weakest point.Just be careful that it is not this that has caused the fretwork damage. Of course being amongst all that drink in customs it may be flat (on its back) by the time it reaches you. Hick Al Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
otsaku Posted March 24, 2005 Author Share Posted March 24, 2005 Being amongst all that drink will be termed aclimatisation - it's sure gonna need it. I guess my biggest worry is the reeds. According to the seller they all sound but I'm worried that they will be out of tune. I'm leaning towards leaving it in the original pitch. I'll be putting my grinding tools away and getting out the files me thinks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
d.elliott Posted March 25, 2005 Share Posted March 25, 2005 Its not difficult to service an instrument, you have to be systematic and painstaking. Do your research, use the correct tools and materials. The 7 'P's come to mind Proper Planning Prevents Panic and P..s Poor Performance, and then remember what it says on many technical documents: IF IN DOUBT ASK! Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
otsaku Posted March 25, 2005 Author Share Posted March 25, 2005 Heh don't worry I'll be screaming for help at the first sign of a hurdle Seriously though after reading the maintainance manual and don's tuning instructions its looking a lot less daunting. Though there are a couple of things that I have to work out first. Shims of various thickness to support the reeds and device to sound the reed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Timson Posted March 25, 2005 Share Posted March 25, 2005 Not wishing to rain on the parade, but in the software industry it is an established principle that when using a new development methodology, language or whatever you first try it out by developing a system that can be thrown away if it fails. Persistent and repeated avoidance of this by computer companies is responsible for at least half, I would say, of all major system development failures. Now your reeds are the heart of your concertina, and something I've never felt I want to tamper with (fortunately, with Colin Dipper just up the road, I've never needed to). But if I did I sure as hell would get hold of some reeds that didn't matter and practise on them before I set to on the ones that do matter. If you get it wrong you can all too easily permanently damage them. Remember the wise words of Colin Dipper: "More than half the value of a concertina is in the reeds". Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
otsaku Posted March 25, 2005 Author Share Posted March 25, 2005 Chris I'd already thought along those lines and bought a very cheap accordion and will be practicing on it's reeds before attacking the concertina's Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Helen Posted March 25, 2005 Share Posted March 25, 2005 NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Timson Posted March 25, 2005 Share Posted March 25, 2005 Chris I'd already thought along those lines and bought a very cheap accordion and will be practicing on it's reeds before attacking the concertina's <{POST_SNAPBACK}> [Nods approvingly] NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO <{POST_SNAPBACK}> [Nods approvingly] Chris Any opinion expressed here does not necessarily represent the views of The Management. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
otsaku Posted March 25, 2005 Author Share Posted March 25, 2005 If it is any consolation the accordion is beyond repair. And that is before I've pulled the reeds. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
d.elliott Posted March 25, 2005 Share Posted March 25, 2005 I thought all accordions were beyond repair, given the noise they make. Chris's point about reeds and working on reeds is well made, but accordion reeds are very different to work on to concertina reeds. Not everyone has the good fortune to have a spare concertina to take appart and mess up the reeds on. So, as I said, do your research, ask Ask, ASk, ASK, and then ask some more. All these jobs have a dificulty factor and a risk factor attached to them. The degree of difficulty and the degree of risk varies dependent on where you start from. Instrument mechanics, and technical craftsmen may start from a better position from someone who has no technical or craft training or basis of dexterity. It does not mean that only teckkies can repair instruments. After all the concertina is so basic, its just an amalgam of victorian ingenuity and craftsmanship. Not even an LED or penlight battery to worry about. Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
otsaku Posted March 25, 2005 Author Share Posted March 25, 2005 Now there's an idea - LED's on a concertina.... And warning lights on an accordion Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Helen Posted March 25, 2005 Share Posted March 25, 2005 You guuuuuuys. Although I kinda thought the warning lights on accordions was pretty funny. Helen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now