Why are brass reeds more variable in pitch than steel?

[Ffingers]

As a means of preventing rust developing that is quite practical and was often adopted for maritime uses.

Are brass coloured accordion reeds necessarily brass? Could they be of brassed steel?
My foster father's late 1940s Settimio Soprani had brass coloured reeds.

 

[Big Squeezy Accordions]

A

Are brass coloured accordion reeds necessarily brass? Could they be of brassed steel?
My foster father's late 1940s Settimio Soprani had brass coloured reeds.

Any coating would be scraped off where the reed is filed during tuning. Pretty sure melodica reeds are brass, except apparently Suzukis and Borels. That is curious about your father's Soprani. The only accordions I've seen with brass reeds were from the 19th century.

 

[Dingo40]

It was never tuned during his ownership, so couldn't see whether it was a coating or solid brass

 

[debra]

From wikipedia (which accords with my slight knowledge of the topic):

"...The modern form of the instrument was invented by Hohner in the late 1950s,[1] though similar instruments have been known in Italy since the 19th century."

Wikipedia presents no absolute truth. It is written and corrected by "the people" and may reach consensus on something that has no absolute truth. What is tru is that around that time the Italians Gola and Morino were employed by Hohner to design accordions. But what really happened is that Gola and some other Italians (I can never remember these names) collaborated in designing the "perfect" accordion, resulting in the top end instruments by Hohner, Scandalli and Bell. So the modern form of the instrument was really invented by Italians, some of which worked for Hohner.

 

[debra]

It was never tuned during his ownership, so couldn't see whether it was a coating or solid brass

When you lift the valves (or just look at the high pitch reeds that do not have a valve, you can see the other side of the reed tongue. When the reeds are steel that side is blue. It can also be brown from rust, but there should still be traces of blue. If the reeds are brass that side will not be blue. With most steel reeds the base of the reed (where the rivet is) is also still blue on the outside.

 

[Big Squeezy Accordions]

Wikipedia presents no absolute truth. It is written and corrected by "the people" and may reach consensus on something that has no absolute truth. What is tru is that around that time the Italians Gola and Morino were employed by Hohner to design accordions. But what really happened is that Gola and some other Italians (I can never remember these names) collaborated in designing the "perfect" accordion, resulting in the top end instruments by Hohner, Scandalli and Bell. So the modern form of the instrument was really invented by Italians, some of which worked for Hohner.

I believe he was referring to melodicas, rather than accordions.

 

[Ffingers]

I believe he was referring to melodicas, rather than accordions.

Yup.

 

[saundersbp]

This is interesting, not only 27M Melodicas sold, but also that they became the standard teaching instrument in Japanese primary schools. Great alternative to the recorder as a budget instrument for little hands.

Updated News | Suzuki Musical Inst.MFG.

You can check Suzuki updated news about products and artist information.

suzukimusic-global.com

 

[dunlustin]

In England for much of the 19thC, concertinas had brass reeds - I'm guessing accordions were the same.
I believe steel (or "finest Swedish steel") took over because reeds gave more volume and tuning was more stable.
Stability was a good thing unless you were this man:


ed: Just realised that this has nothing to do with the question -- aah well.

 

[debra]

I believe he was referring to melodicas, rather than accordions.

OK. It doesn't change the Wikipedia versus what fact issue... Wikipedia always needs to be taken with a grain (sometimes bucketful) of salt.

 

[Ffingers]

Paul - everything must be "taken with a grain of salt".

That's the basis of all science and societal progress.

Wikipedia is most useful at the bottom of the page where all their sources are listed for further reference.

 

[Hilobox]

I tune accordions and melodicas, and I had thought that the melodica's greater variability in pitch based on air pressure had something to do with the fact that you are blowing into a melodica with lungs rather than a bellows. I came up with a method for tuning melodicas using a CPAP machine to maintain a consistent air pressure. However, since coming into possession of a couple of Borel Claviettas and working on a Borel Accordina for a client, both of which have stainless steel reeds, I find that the pitch is quite even and more accordion-like. It's quite hard to bend notes at all on one of these the way you could with a melodica or even on a lower accordion note by half depressing a key. So the variability in pitch must be due to the reed metal, which is brass in melodicas. Does anyone have a technical explanation for this? Is it somehow due to brass being softer than steel?

Your use of a CPAP is creative. I know many people whose lives were improved when their sleep apnea was managed. But to use the device to reduce the painful sound of ill-tuned reeds is genius.