First Fix?

[Anthony Cipolone]

Ever since I got my Stagi (English 48 key treble) back in May, I've had a problem with the left hand G#/Ab (first line/second space on the treble staff) on the draw. I thought that something was wrong with the reed -- it would begin to sound then choke off -- but today I peeked in and saw that the valve (looks like wax paper) had come loose. Easy enough to fix, says the little devil on my shoulder, but I'd have to take out the whole reed since the one in question was on the bottom -- I know I'm not explaining this clearly, but it's hard to describe since Stagi's are designed a lot differently than most of what I see in pictures of Wheatstones or Lachenals. (There are these little wing things ...)

 

I heated an xacto knife and cut through the beeswax and was able to pretty easily remove the reed, then superglue the valve where it should be. I let it air dry a bit then put it back in on the ... wing. (Or whatever you call it.) I was able to form the beeswax around the reed and make a pretty tight fit, but I'm afraid at some point the reed might just pop out. Should I do something silly, like stick it in the fridge to make sure the beeswax has cooled? I'm planning on letting it sit for an hour before playing it. (A quick test tells me the G# now plays, albeit a bit quieter than on the push. I don't want to play too much right now.)

 

Those of you who have worked on Stagis ... did I do this right? Or did I flub some crucial step? Is there a reason why it might sound quieter now on the pull than the push? I'm sure a professional could've done it a lot better, but I just can't afford to ship it off just for someone to glue a piece of paper back on. I've always been one to just take things apart and try and fix them on my own, anyway -- I've always found it's the best way to learn. Worse case, I just have to use the G#/Ab on the right hand. Heh.

 

- Anthony

[Frank Edgley]

As far as the valve is concerned, the reed may sound quieter if you glued too much of the valve down, limiting the air which goes through the reed. Also, did you remelt the wax around the reed to seal it? A soldering iron with a fine tip works. If the reed is not sealed properly you will get a weaker sound.

Edited October 31, 2006 by Frank Edgley