High Pitch To Concert

[Hooves]

I know alot of concertinas are re-tuned from the older HP "High Pitch" to the lower concert pitch (i.e. A = 440 hz).

 

I was wondering how this has affected the timbre and sounding of the lowest reeds?

Edited September 6, 2007 by Hooves

[Jack Bradshaw]

I know alot of concertinas are re-tuned from the older HP "High Pitch" to the lower concert pitch (i.e. A = 440 hz).

 

I was wondering how this has affected the timbre and sounding of the lowest reeds?

 

If I had to guess, I would think that for the lowest reeds you would want to add weight to the tip to keep them "bright" (and likewise want to remove material from the root for the highest ones)

[Hooves]

I know alot of concertinas are re-tuned from the older HP "High Pitch" to the lower concert pitch (i.e. A = 440 hz).

 

I was wondering how this has affected the timbre and sounding of the lowest reeds?

 

If I had to guess, I would think that for the lowest reeds you would want to add weight to the tip to keep them "bright" (and likewise want to remove material from the root for the highest ones)

 

 

I had read that some reeds have those weights, but I haven't seen any on my boxes, one of which is tuned to concert the other high pitch. Its hard enough for the low reeds to sound at HP, a before and after comaprison would be nice if it could be accomplished.

[JimLucas]

I know alot of concertinas are re-tuned from the older HP "High Pitch" to the lower concert pitch (i.e. A = 440 hz).

 

I was wondering how this has affected the timbre and sounding of the lowest reeds?

Any noticeable effect is far more likely to be due to the skill (or lack thereof) of the retuner, rather than the retuning itself. That amount of change is very small, but timbre and response can be significantly affected by changes to the lengthwise thickness profile and bending profile. I've seen instruments where it seemed the retuner was unaware of these factors, and the results were never nice.

 

Once the thickness profile has been damaged, it's essentially impossible to fix, but I have significantly improved the response on a number of reeds (especially low ones) by cautiously altering the bending profile... even in top-range instruments, which were otherwise in excellent condition.

 

If I had to guess, I would think that for the lowest reeds you would want to add weight to the tip to keep them "bright" (and likewise want to remove material from the root for the highest ones)

I had read that some reeds have those weights, but I haven't seen any on my boxes, one of which is tuned to concert the other high pitch. Its hard enough for the low reeds to sound at HP, a before and after comaprison would be nice if it could be accomplished.

Adding weight to the tips is generally used only on very low notes (nothing in your average English, C/G anglo, or duet of 55 buttons or less), and in retuning I believe only for major changes, certainly not anything less than a semitone unless the reed already has a weighted tip. Any "improvement" over competent use of a file obtained by weighting is likely to be unnoticeable, while I'm pretty sure that an appropriate amount of weighting would be so small as to be very difficult to apply with good control.

[tony]

Any noticeable effect is far more likely to be due to the skill (or lack thereof) of the retuner, rather than the retuning itself. That amount of change is very small, but timbre and response can be significantly affected by changes to the lengthwise thickness profile and bending profile. I've seen instruments where it seemed the retuner was unaware of these factors, and the results were never nice.

 

Once the thickness profile has been damaged, it's essentially impossible to fix, but I have significantly improved the response on a number of reeds (especially low ones) by cautiously altering the bending profile... even in top-range instruments, which were otherwise in excellent condition.

 

Jim, what made you change your mind?

[JimLucas]

Any noticeable effect is far more likely to be due to the skill (or lack thereof) of the retuner, rather than the retuning itself. That amount of change is very small, but timbre and response can be significantly affected by changes to the lengthwise thickness profile and bending profile. I've seen instruments where it seemed the retuner was unaware of these factors, and the results were never nice.

 

Once the thickness profile has been damaged, it's essentially impossible to fix, but I have significantly improved the response on a number of reeds (especially low ones) by cautiously altering the bending profile... even in top-range instruments, which were otherwise in excellent condition.

Jim, what made you change your mind?

I'm not aware that I did.

Can you provide a quote from another of my posts to support your contention?

[tony]

Any noticeable effect is far more likely to be due to the skill (or lack thereof) of the retuner, rather than the retuning itself. That amount of change is very small, but timbre and response can be significantly affected by changes to the lengthwise thickness profile and bending profile. I've seen instruments where it seemed the retuner was unaware of these factors, and the results were never nice.

 

Once the thickness profile has been damaged, it's essentially impossible to fix, but I have significantly improved the response on a number of reeds (especially low ones) by cautiously altering the bending profile... even in top-range instruments, which were otherwise in excellent condition.

Jim, what made you change your mind?

I'm not aware that I did.

Can you provide a quote from another of my posts to support your contention?

 

 

I can't be bothered, but I suggest you look back to the time you and another "heavyweioght" gave me such a hard time.

[JimLucas]

Jim, what made you change your mind?

I'm not aware that I did.

Can you provide a quote from another of my posts to support your contention?

I can't be bothered, but I suggest you look back to the time you and another "heavyweioght" gave me such a hard time.

I suspect you've misunderstood me (us?). About the "hard time", as well as the change of mind.

 

But if you "can't be bothered" to support your own statement with evidence, I don't see why I should take the trouble.

 

Enough said.

[DavidFR]

Adding weight to the tips is generally used only on very low notes (nothing in your average English, C/G anglo, or duet of 55 buttons or less), and in retuning I believe only for major changes, certainly not anything less than a semitone unless the reed already has a weighted tip. Any "improvement" over competent use of a file obtained by weighting is likely to be unnoticeable, while I'm pretty sure that an appropriate amount of weighting would be so small as to be very difficult to apply with good control.

My G/D has weights on only two reeds. But it's a 30-button. G/Ds with 38 or so usually have a fair number of weighted reeds due to space constraints.