End Fabric - Does It Dampen The Sound?

[Pam B]

I recently had my Wheatstone Anglo metal ends replated. I opted not to have the red fabric put back on the inside of the end plates. The instrument has undergone so many changes and alterations over its lifetime and its many owners, that there was little historical value in keeping it intact. (I still have the fabric, and it can be reinstalled.)

 

 

My dilemma - I just picked up my instrument, and it sounds SO much louder than it did before. Now my other two boxes are "softer spoken" than the Wheatstone, and I haven't had the Wheatstone for two months, so it could be my imagination!?! What are your thoughts? Does that flimsy piece of fabric make any difference in the volume of the instrument? Could the plating job make a difference too? Now even I need earplugs when I play.

 

 

Can't wait to hear what folks have to say.

[ben]

I have owned several Wheatstone Anglo concertinas from South Africa 50XXX series that all had the red fabric and one was also re chromed or replated. The red fabric serves to protect the inside mechanism from dust. In my experience the fabric on verses off did not influence the sound very much.

[David Barnert]

More than you ever wanted to know about baffles:

 

http://www.concertina.com/gaskins/baffles/

 

Includes this paragraph, which would seem to relate directly to your question:

Many Wheatstone instruments in the 1915--1940 period were finished with an open-weave material glued flush inside the fretwork; in the factory production ledgers this is called "Gauze". It was often red, but was used in many other colors such as blue and silver, and in special custom colors. Although it looked like a baffle, the gauze was intended to be transparent to sound, like "grille cloth" used now over speakers, and air passes through it easily so it required no standoffs but was glued tightly against the inside of the fretwork. Its purpose seems to have been partly cosmetic, partly to keep all foreign objects and insects out of the inner workings.

There's even a picture of a concertina with red fabric.

[Pam B]

More than you ever wanted to know about baffles:

 

http://www.concertina.com/gaskins/baffles/

 

Includes this paragraph, which would seem to relate directly to your question:

Many Wheatstone instruments in the 1915--1940 period were finished with an open-weave material glued flush inside the fretwork; in the factory production ledgers this is called "Gauze". It was often red, but was used in many other colors such as blue and silver, and in special custom colors. Although it looked like a baffle, the gauze was intended to be transparent to sound, like "grille cloth" used now over speakers, and air passes through it easily so it required no standoffs but was glued tightly against the inside of the fretwork. Its purpose seems to have been partly cosmetic, partly to keep all foreign objects and insects out of the inner workings.

There's even a picture of a concertina with red fabric.

 

 

 

Thanks, I had found a number of references to baffles, but did not come across the information above!

 

Pam

[m3838]

Unfortunately general rule for sound dumpening is the density of materian.

The best sound dumpening barrier is 1 meter thick led wall.

In concertinas/accordions the best is thick vynil, it will turn your concertina into an overpriced clarinet without bending capabilities.