Tuning piano accordion reeds for Anglo concertina

[Fanie]

I want to harvest PA reeds and tune them for a 20 button Anglo. Now, it is easy to tune a C-reed to C/D and E to E/F, etc, but how far can you stretch it for the C/G, G/B, G/D, D/Gb, C/A, E/B, G/E, B/Gb? Is it possible to tune them from a PA reed?

Thanks

[Fanie]

Would it be better to select a reed with the higher pitch and then solder the tip of the reed to lower the pitch and then tune it instead of selecting the lower pitch reed and just filing the tip to make the pitch higher?

[Theo]

 A couple of things to bear in mind about reeds.   For a given pitch there is a length of reed tongue which works best.  Actually there is a small range of lengths but we can set that on one side here.   In the midrange of pitch the reeds are close to the ideal length, higher pitches get progressively longer than their ideal pitch, and for lower pitches the reeds get progressively shorter than ideal.  

 

So for high pitches you can lower the pitch without compromising the reed by filing metal from the lower third of the tongue.  Loading the tip with solder in this range will result in a dull sounding reed.  

 

For low pitch reeds you can raise the pitch by removing metal from the tip where you will find the full thickness of steel, or even a brass wight soldered on.  You can also lower the pitch of low reeds by tip loading.  

 

In the mid range you can use either method. 

 

I am deliberately avoiding giving numbers to say you can go up or down by a certain number of semitones because it depends on the pitch you start with, and it also depends on other factors to do with the details of how the reed has been made.  With practice, and using the guidelines above you will be able to learn by experience what works and what does not work.  You may wreck a few reeds, but see that as a learning opportunity, and not an error.

[wunks]

You can experiment with low reeds by cutting a strip of refrigerator magnet card slightly narrower than the reed.  I did this with one of my F2 duet pair to be able to play in Eb.  Covering the top 3d of the reed lowered the pitch by a full step.  Easily adjustable and removable, I've been exercising the reed daily for several weeks with no discernible movement of the tab.  I'm thinking of having a couple of spares for different pitches.  A single half tab would give me options for E,G#,F# and even a low D.

[Fanie]

Thank you for the help Theo and wunks, I appreciate it.

I did experiment a bit with soldering the tips and then tune it, and it seems to work well.

Now to make the highest pitch reed on the G-row. It is a B, and my highest accordion reed is A.

[Frank Edgley]

I would not recommend raising the pitch by filing the tip. It removes too much metal. Lowering the pitch by weighting the tongue is much preferred, ideally by only half a tone. Also, using a metal clip on the tongue, just below the solder point will absorb the heat so you do not spoil the temper of the reed.

[malcolm clapp]

How often would you expect to need that troublesome high B?

I have seen that high B/F# pairing substituted on many C/G anglos with F/F#, which would be so much easier to make from an F#/F# piano-accordion reed.

[Fanie]

Thank you Frank, this is good advice. I will rather solder the tips to lower the pitch than filing them.

You are right Malcolm, I cannot think that I have ever played that B. I started filing the A-reed and I am only at Bb and it is already as thin and sharp as a razor blade. I am going to try F#/F# reed.

Thanks 

[RogerT]

On 1/4/2024 at 7:32 AM, Fanie said:

Now, it is easy to tune a C-reed to C/D

I'd probably use a C# reed and flatten/sharpen, or a D reed and flatten to C. 

[Fanie]

I decided, instead of raising the pitch by filing the tip of the reeds, to rather lower the pitch by soldering the tip. I cleaned the tips with sandpaper and then melted a small drop of solder on the tip and then I tuned them again by filing with a piece of sandpaper until it has the right pitch. It worked very easy.

[alex_holden]

21 minutes ago, Fanie said:

I decided, instead of raising the pitch by filing the tip of the reeds, to rather lower the pitch by soldering the tip. I cleaned the tips with sandpaper and then melted a small drop of solder on the tip and then I tuned them again by filing with a piece of sandpaper until it has the right pitch. It worked very easy.

 

I recommend cleaning off any soldering flux residue (I use isopropyl alcohol and a toothbrush).

 

Sometimes when you put solder on a tip, a bit of excess solder flows over onto the edges of the tongue and make it slightly wider/longer so it no longer fits through the frame opening, and it won't sound until you carefully scrape the solder off the edges.