Tuning issue... Valve????

[losthobos]

Hi and grateful for any advice or help .. 
I have one reed, an offset Reed, that sounds out of tune ... However if I really give the box a hard squeeze it comes back in tune for a period of time but doesn't stay there forever... 
Any ideas... Thanks

 

[debra]

A valve may indeed be a bit sticky (for instance because some repairer spilled a bit of wax onto the reed plate or reed) but an inside valve may also rub against the end or side wall of the resonance chamber. Only close inspection will tell what the problem is.

 

[losthobos]

Thanks Paul, Emilio had a look about a year ago and thought plate may be loose... Nailed not waxed in, realigned and returned... Fine in shop but time I'd driven home out of tune again... Been avoiding tunes with tremelo and said note in but this morning fired an almighty squeeze and noticed tuning corrected itself..

 

[maugein96]

Thanks Paul, Emilio had a look about a year ago and thought plate may be loose... Nailed not waxed in, realigned and returned... Fine in shop but time I'd driven home out of tune again... Been avoiding tunes with tremelo and said note in but this morning fired an almighty squeeze and noticed tuning corrected itself..

Terry,

You have my sympathy. 

If Emilio can't fix it then a rather overused six letter word might apply, and it sounds like it you might need to put it in for a more thorough investigation. If you (or he) swap the inner and outer reeds around, would that maybe work?   

On the other hand, if you are confident that you have perfected the "almighty squeeze" technique that will probably suffice.

You'll probably know that my knowledge of the "infernal" workings of the accordion is not even elementary. Every one of my boxes has tended to develop "an issue" over the years, but there is a limit to how often they'll put up with being hit by a 10lb hammer. Cracks start to appear in the casing after a dozen or so whacks!

 

[debra]

There are mysteries about accordions... you can get a reed perfectly in tune only to find that the next day it misbehaves again, and then repeat the process a number of times... I have had issues with a reed where swapping it out for another one didn't even work. I swapped two (otherwise identical) reeds in the same accordion (one M and the H reed of one octave lower, so the same note) and the problem remained the same, meaning the problem reed had no more problem in its new position and the "good" reed suddenly had the problem when moved to the problem spot. So there is something mysterious about that spot on the reed block (but nothing suspicious to be seen, no burrs, no pits, no debris, no odd shape...) It is a mystery. I got it to the point that the reed now sounds fine after playing the note a few times, but not the first time (of the day). Maybe something about this specific accordion model...

 

[losthobos]

Life's full of oddities... I rang Emilio Allodi this morning and he suggested don't touch it, don't be tempted to fettle about inside or anything... Just give it an almighty squeeze before playing and do this for a month, perhaps some dust fluff or cat hair is the culprit... He noted that the box had been hardly played by previous owner, I didn't get from Emilio, but is "as new" condition and could do with some heavy playing to settle it down.. If that don't soften things then he'll do the necessary...
I was half tempted to switch this box at weekend for same model only 96bass if its closer to swing tuning but I'm having second thoughts as this box is the closest thing to romance I've ever played...and the tone is beautiful
Ahh... The search for the holy grail continues...
Thanks for all help and input
Terry

 

[maugein96]

I was half tempted to switch this box at weekend for same model only 96bass if its closer to swing tuning but I'm having second thoughts as this box is the closest thing to romance I've ever played...and the tone is beautiful
Ahh... The search for the holy grail continues...
Thanks for all help and input
Terry

Terry,

New box might bring new worries, and if you can fix the one you have by just giving it a big squeeze every day then I'd think about keeping it. It certainly sounds as good as any Piermaria I've heard. That new box has midi in it. As you'll know Midi means pubs, clubs, and other places where you might think twice about taking a box. Not saying there would be anything wrong with it, but it might have had a hard life, and the ad suggests it is/was musette tuned. 

I've had 8 boxes in the last 30 odd years and thought I could have done better with all of them, as they all seemed to have been deficient in one way or another. Then I had a look in the mirror and realised what the real problem was. The guy staring back out at me wasn't as much of a player as he might have been, so I went to work on improving that. Two lessons a month isn't cheap, but 6 months down the line I've learned an awful lot and my confidence has improved a fair bit. Just another 30 odd years will nail it I reckon!

As my old Irish grandfather from Strabane would have said:- "A bird in the hand means it won't shite in your eye!" 

The last clip you posted proves it suits your style, and it doesn't cost you anything to keep it.

 

[jozz]

but this morning fired an almighty squeeze

 

[losthobos]

but this morning fired an almighty squeeze

We have a colloquialism here Joss... A Dutch Oven ?... However not exactly what I meant to imply