Difference between 4 & 5 reed bass

[Ganza]

I'm sure this has been answered many times before, but the search doesn't let me look it up as the words are too common:

Is the difference between 4 and 5 reeds in the bass simply that in the 4 reed bass there is no Soprano reed?

Thanks

 

[JIM D.]

In most all cases, yes the highest set is eliminated. Many accordionist's that don't have a shift that will close the high set simply tape them off.

 

[debra]

In most all cases, yes the highest set is eliminated. Many accordionists that dont have a shift that will close the high set simply tape them off.

Guilty as charged...
On an 80-bass accordion with a 5 reed bass and only 2 switches (meaning there was no way to close the high set) I taped the high reeds shut. I generally do not like high tones on the bass side. Many accordions have several switches so you can choose to enable or disable the highest set of reeds.

 

[JerryPH]

That's right, make me feel like the odd duck... lol
Usually after turning off that 5th set on the bass, it lasts about 1 minute before I turn it back on. I must admit, I like both register settings equally, but especially when using the master register on the right hand, I want all the reeds doing their thing, both left and right, it just sounds so "right" to me.

:b

 

[Morne]

Just some historic info, as I dont think this is the case nowadays.

Older 4 reed Hohners, like the Morino, left the duplicating or Contralto set out. So you wouldve had Bass, Tenor, Alto and Soprano.
Some of the older 5 reed Hohners, again some Morinos, also left out the Contralto set but had an additional higher reed (marked as 2 Soprano dots) where your total span was 5 octaves.

However, in both of those cases the lowest note was lower than usual, so the highest high wouldve been a bit lower too.

Info from https://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/lilypond-devel/2011-07/msg00250.html

 

[Matt Butcher]

Where available I like low bass + high chords, reminds me of guitar + bass or stride piano. Won't do for everything mind.

 

[Ganza]

And can anyone please tell me: what is the difference between 5 and 6 reed bass?

 

[Morne]

In the case of the Hohner Gola that 6th set is a duplication of the Alto set.

Here is the range of the 6 reeds represented with notation (it is the one marked Überbass):
http://www.musiker-board.de/attachments/bassregister_gola_414-pdf.73491/

 

[dak]

Just some historic info, as I dont think this is the case nowadays.
[...]

Info from https://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/lilypond-devel/2011-07/msg00250.html

Uh, that is LilyPonds source code for the code creating accordion register diagrams.

I dont think I ever intended this as a reference for register layout, and it is rather Hohner-centric. I probably acquired my Excelsior later, and its rather closer to the Italian layout described in the second reference (the Accord Magazine article) with reed sets starting at A1, A2, F#3, C4, C5 if memory serves me right. Particularly the higher bass notes lack some of the fundamentally low character of the Morinos starting at E1 (though the stock Morinos cannot turn off the reed set at E2 and thus you always have a higher component), and C5 is a bit less squeaky than the Morino E5. And of course, with master register the octave break in bass walks is better masked than with the Morinos.

 

[Morne]

Did I misrepresent what you wrote there? That was the only reference, in English, I could find of that 5-voice Hohner (Morino)-specific register layout with the two dots at the top.

It didn't make sense to me at first that you'd want a musette effect on the bass until I read your post that it indicates another octave.

Basically, those 5-voice Morinos had 5 octaves whereas the standard 5-voice has 4 octaves plus the middle straddling set. Or is this incorrect?

 

[dak]

Did I misrepresent what you wrote there? That was the only reference, in English, I could find of that 5-voice Hohner (Morino)-specific register layout with the two dots at the top.

No misrepresentation. It just was never intended as a reference so I was sort of amused to see it turn up in that manner.

It didnt make sense to me at first that youd want a musette effect on the bass until I read your post that it indicates another octave.

Basically, those 5-voice Morinos had 5 octaves whereas the standard 5-voice has 4 octaves plus the middle straddling set. Or is this incorrect?

Well, correct with regard to the Morinos but standard 5-voice bass is a mythical beast. Basically every manufacturer appears to do it in his own manner, and differently across models. A 96-bass Capriole accordion (little-known model from the GDR from something like the 60s or so) I ultimately gave to my niece is also 5-reed non-overlapping but F1, F2, F3, F4, F5 (again assuming that my memory is accurate). So its not just Hohner with regard to non-overlapping layouts, even though this is another German one.