Can You Fool A Concertina...

[John Sylte]

Hi All,

 

I would like additional volume out of my steel reeded Lachenal, and I was thinking about putting metal plates behind the wooden fretwork, without (of course) plugging the fretwork. I've got some stainless steel sheets that I could cut to the same dimensions as the interior of the ends and mimic the fretowrk so that no one was the wiser when the ends were on. Has anyone tried this? Would the wooden ends still absorb the energy or would the sound escape the concertina more efficiently? Just an idea... and maybe a bad one!

[m3838]

Hi All,

 

I would like additional volume out of my steel reeded Lachenal, and I was thinking about putting metal plates behind the wooden fretwork, without (of course) plugging the fretwork. I've got some stainless steel sheets that I could cut to the same dimensions as the interior of the ends and mimic the fretowrk so that no one was the wiser when the ends were on. Has anyone tried this? Would the wooden ends still absorb the energy or would the sound escape the concertina more efficiently? Just an idea... and maybe a bad one!

The wood shouldn't have anything to do with the volume. Wood or metal ends only add to the sound character.How about replacing all the reeds with higher quality?

[McIsog]

Hi All,

 

I would like additional volume out of my steel reeded Lachenal, and I was thinking about putting metal plates behind the wooden fretwork, without (of course) plugging the fretwork. I've got some stainless steel sheets that I could cut to the same dimensions as the interior of the ends and mimic the fretowrk so that no one was the wiser when the ends were on. Has anyone tried this? Would the wooden ends still absorb the energy or would the sound escape the concertina more efficiently? Just an idea... and maybe a bad one!

 

Go for it! Let us know how it sounds.

[Dirge]

If you have the technology to fret out a plate to go behind the wood ends why not make some metal ends complete and swap them as required.

 

Make them of dural (light) and get them anodised electric blue, so that everyone knows it's yours.

[Dana Johnson]

Hi All,

 

I would like additional volume out of my steel reeded Lachenal, and I was thinking about putting metal plates behind the wooden fretwork, without (of course) plugging the fretwork. I've got some stainless steel sheets that I could cut to the same dimensions as the interior of the ends and mimic the fretowrk so that no one was the wiser when the ends were on. Has anyone tried this? Would the wooden ends still absorb the energy or would the sound escape the concertina more efficiently? Just an idea... and maybe a bad one!

Wood or metal with a given set of reeds and reed pans etc. might be different in volume, but the difference comes from the varying absorbtion of the two types of ends. Adding them together will not only add a lot of extra weight, but would most likely reduce the volume even further. If you can replace the wood ends with the metal, AND make your fret work pattern considerably more open. ( less metal area and more open space area ) then you MAY get a very modest increase in volume. I wouldn't waste the time. Save your time and money for a concertina that already has more volume if that is what you are looking for. In most Lachenals, it isn't the ends that are the "problem" (which is actually sometimes an advantage to players looking for a less dominant instrument.

Dana

Edited June 3, 2007 by Dana Johnson

[John Sylte]

Hmmm. I've reinforced cracked fretwork with cardboard and glue from behind and that allowed for a certain degree of imperfection with my fretwork cutouts. I was hoping the same would be true with hidden metal. Sounds like it wouldn't work. Any handmade metal ends I make would likely end up looking like an incident between a shark and a cheap hubcap. I'll keep my eyes peeled for a metal ended concertina. Thanks for your feedback.

[JimLucas]

Any handmade metal ends I make would likely end up looking like an incident between a shark and a cheap hubcap.

Or like the recently escaped unveiled logo for the London Olympics?

(That's the year-number "2012", by the way.)

[chris]

Hi

I wonder how much us tax payers are going to be charged for that load of s***

chris (not an artist but I doubt that I could do a lot worse. tho I'm not 5 years old)

[mike delta]

Hi,

Re "metal ends". If you want a quick method of trying out metal ends without going to the trouble of all those hours in creating cut out plates then try this:

Take of the wooden ends, place kitchen foil (ali/tin foil) on the internal side of the end plates, stick in place using watered down PVA wood glue (about one part glue to ten parts water). This will provide enough adhesion for the foil to stick to the wooden end plates and is easily removed.

Then using a plastic prod/toothpick et cetera, cut out the foil around the fretwork. Then reassemble onto the concertina.Probably take you about 10 mins per end.

This will at least give you some idea of the tonal differences metal vs wood has.

Mike Delta.

[Peter Brook]

Hi

I wonder how much us tax payers are going to be charged for that load of s***

chris (not an artist but I doubt that I could do a lot worse. tho I'm not 5 years old)

 

£400,000

 

and now they have to change it because it "may" affect 23,000 with epilepsy and they don't want to be sued

 

we sure know how to organise things in this country

 

from the capital of the design world to laughing stock in two days................. well done London

[chris]

Hi

Isn't 'obtaining money under false pretences' a crime anyway? The ???design certainly is.

Chris (who is going to get his pension reduced by the removal of the 10% tax band next year ) ( I'm really getting into this 'Grumpy old man thing' should have done it years ago )