seperate reed plates with 1 single reed

[Deleted member 48]

I have been thinking of how to get single reed plates with 1 single unisonoric reed (only blow airflow) on the plate.

Found this Phil Sardo patent online:
Harmonica and technology for retrofitting harmonica
US 8847050 B1
http://www.google.com/patents/US8847050

quote:
The harmonica has a plurality of reed units, each reed in a separate unit. Each reed unit is individually replaced when a reed requires replacement or when modification of the harmonica key is desired. The reed units can replace a reed plate in a conventional harmonica.

Does anyone know if these separate reed units can be purchased online?
Im looking for this type of reed plates, having 1 reed , blow only.

These single plates would give an amateur luthier complete freedom in making different layouts in mouth harmonicas, melodicas, accordions and concertinas.
I only can find complete reed plates with all (harmonica) reeds mounted on a single plate.

They must exist because accordina makers now use this type of seperate reed plates for making accordinas. I have also seen photos of the inside of top melodicas having this type of reed plates (eg Hohner Pro 36).

 

[Glenn]

I guess an email to the leading accordion component manufacturers may bring something.
Is there a known list of these?

 

[Pat S.]

Sounds like a concertina reed. If that is what you are thinking of, try concertina.net

 

[Deleted member 48]

One accordina maker in France uses Binci separate single reed plates.
I emailed them today.
Dont know if the website is still active ? Its
http://www.binci.it/
But there is no info on what type of reed plates and reeds they make.

Concertina reeds are quite expensive and also the concertina reed plates.
Im figuring out how to make a 4 row accordina or symphonium, so Id prefer smaller mouth harmonica reeds or accordina reeds.
Im looking for a reeds that respond easily and do not cause exhaustion by the player.
Dont really know if accordion reeds, concertina reeds or harmonium reeds are easy to blow.

I hope Phil Sardos idea of single unit harmonica reed plates will go into production, but the patent is recent 2013/2014.
If not, I could try to find some old Clavietta melodica, they had separate reed plates, or some old Hohner melodicas too. But these are not easy to find. I would prefer new reed plates if the cost isnt too high.

I would need at least 30 reed plates, only unisonoric blow reeds like a melodica.

I know Harmonikas from Louny, Czech makes separate harmonium reed plates:
http://www.harmonikas.cz/en/assortment#obsah

 

[TomBR]

Most Italian reed makers have a minimum order in terms of sets of reeds. Last time I bought from Voci Armoniche it was five sets.


Consider the volume of the players lungs and compare that with bellows volume. A quick search suggests average "tidal volume" of breathing is about 500ml. That's very small in accordion terms. (Very easy to work out accordion bellows capacity in cc.)

In terms of bellows driven reeds, concertina reeds would surely be best, but traditional concertina reeds are very expensive new.
Harmonica and melodica reeds are much smaller than accordion reeds to make air requirements realistic.

Material surely matters. How are you going to avoid rust if you have normal steel reeds? It's not a problem accordion makers worry about.

If you want to try concertina reeds then old brass reeded English concertinas do often sell for low prices. The cheap Lachenal Tutor model usually has brass reeds, only four peaks to the bellows, and red and white buttons. You can try out the reeds without damaging the concertina, but always screw it back together straight away after opening to reduce risk of warping.
Because it plays "both ways" one concertina would have enough reeds for two of your instruments. Ideally you'd find something that's a bit of a wreck in terms of woodwork and bellows but with OK reeds - it's very easy for the cost of repair of brass reeded concertinas to far exceed the playing value.
(Chris Algar of Barleycorn concertinas might be able to help you with something suitable, apart from Ebay etc.)

Devising a way of mounting concertina reeds might tax your ingenuity. Tapered dovetail slots are a great system, but not that easy to make. You could try a router bit in a Dremel, or think of another way.
Good luck.

All that said I think your cheapest and easiest route might be to cut up the reed plates of a melodica.

 

[Deleted member 48]

Thank's Tom for this info and your ideas.
We also thought about cutting up the 2 reed plates inside a Hohner Student 32 melodica (16 x 2 plates), because the spacings are a bit larger than on a mouth harmonica reed plate.
However one would need to be able to cut very precisely, but it's possible. That would be a cheap way to experiment, all we risk is losing a cheap plastic melodica. This is a good idea.

There's good news from Binci in Italy, they answered me by email, saying I can buy accordina separate reed plates, and for a good price. Amateurs like me pay off course +22% VAT, but this is normal.
The price is good, it's about half the price of a concertina reed. I calculated 30 accordina reeds would cost me about 140 euro (VAT included). But as you said, I don't know if it is possible to only order 30 accordina reed plates.

The Hohner HM-32 and Hohner HM-36 melodicas have also separate reed plates, but these instruments cost a lot, so I think buying brand new accordina reeds might be a better idea.

This would give us 2 trials: cutting up the cheap Hohner Student 32 melodica, and a second trial with the new accordina reeds.
The accordina or melodica reeds are stainless, no problems with rust oxydation on a short term.

But this reed plate issue is only one of the many questions...
The mouthpiece can be taken from the Hohner Student 32 (not the tube, the hard plastic black mouthpiece).

We are thinking of making 4 colums vertical up of each 8 reed plates (lying flat), 2 columns mounted on one "wall" reed block. These 2 "reed walls" could be put together in a not too sharp triangle form (the triangle being put inside a small rectangular case (case: plastic or ... or wood? moisture issues...). By using a triangle form, we could minimize the volume of the "wind chest" or "air chamber", but we must keep an eye on the angle the air direction must have. Best is to direct the breath as direct as possible on the tips of the reeds.
The biggest problem will be making the action between the 30 buttons (concertina buttons or accordion buttons) and the valves. We must work around a 90° corner (all the buttons being on the right hand side).

Wax can't be used for fixing the reed plates (breath moisture !!), but we're thinking of some silicone or alternatives that are water/moisture resistant.