Insides of an old German one

[Daniel Hersh]

This one on eBay is a good illustration of how the old hexagonal German 20-button concertinas look pretty similar to British-made ones on the outside but have radically different action and reed construction on the interior. I thought that this might be of interest to those who haven't seen German-style interiors before.

 

Daniel

[Dieppe]

Wood levers and reed boxes... I would think the wood levers would be prone to breaking? Are the reed boxes like that any better or just different than reeds on the frame or whatever?

[Michael Marino]

This one on eBay is a good illustration of how the old hexagonal German 20-button concertinas look pretty similar to British-made ones on the outside but have radically different action and reed construction on the interior. I thought that this might be of interest to those who haven't seen German-style interiors before.

 

Daniel

 

Haven't changed much in 150 years since they started building them. A lot of folks forget that the Anglo was originally the "German-Anglo" and the German was dropped around WWI. I own a Chemnitzer that has a very similar design within it. One would almost have to say that a Englished reeded "Anglo" is the less traditional of the types; considering the amount of German styles ones that where exported around the world including to here in the UK. They are interesting and you can even still get them with two reed per direction with Lange tuning (Octave tuning). They have their own sound and it quiet unique and in it's own way pleasant. Will have to see what that one goes for.

 

Michael

[asdormire]

Wood levers and reed boxes... I would think the wood levers would be prone to breaking? Are the reed boxes like that any better or just different than reeds on the frame or whatever?

 

Not that I have noticed on mine. Not as quick as my Tedrow, but a fairly good box, and far superior to the strips of metal that cheap boxes went to that effectively are the same design. Two years ago Frank Edgely played mine and said it was a nice little box. I payed roughly what they are asking for that one, including the shipping.

 

Alan

[Theo]

The one on ebay has been worked on by someone inexperienced and they have made the classic mistake of putting valves on all the high reeds. These reeds play better without valves, and none would have been fitted by the factory. Someone who can make a basic mistake like that may have messed up the box in other ways too.

[Daniel Hersh]

I have two Chemnitzers with this type of wooden action and breakage has not been a problem, though the glue joints are starting to fail on the older one (which I believe is around 90 or 100 years old).

 

This type of reed is called "long-plate" or "ganged". I have heard that they were cheaper to make than reeds in individual frames. They're not intrinsically better or worse than individual-frame reeds and vary in quality from instrument to instrument, just as those reeds do.

 

Wood levers and reed boxes... I would think the wood levers would be prone to breaking? Are the reed boxes like that any better or just different than reeds on the frame or whatever?

[ragtimer]

The one on ebay has been worked on by someone inexperienced and they have made the classic mistake of putting valves on all the high reeds. These reeds play better without valves, and none would have been fitted by the factory. Someone who can make a basic mistake like that may have messed up the box in other ways too.

Well, it looks like the valves are overdue for replacement again, so the next restorer has a chance to rectify the error.

Provided, of course, that he can figure out at what pitch the valves should no longer be applied!

 

How can one tell? Is there a rule of thumb for when to stop applying valves, or do you just experiment on the instrument, testing the sound and response of a reed with and without valves?

 

The factory would have tested this out on a prototype. Now I guess someone has to experiment again.

 

FWIW, on both my Hayden Duets, the valves are left off the higher reeds. I thought this was jsut to save moeny and "they weren't really needed." Just as dampers are omitted from the top notes of a piano. But this is the first I'd heard that high reeds play better without valves. I can imagine that valves might stifle the vibrations of really high-pitched reeds, so it sort of makes sense to me.

Thanks, Mike K.

[Theo]

Is there a rule of thumb for when to stop applying valves,

Not that I know of. When doing repairs I try to do as the maker did,

 

or do you just experiment on the instrument, testing the sound and response of a reed with and without valves?

 

That sums it up nicely.