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Author Topic: Meet Gloria  (Read 11203 times)

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Pete Dunk

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Meet Gloria
« on: January 07, 2013, 03:37:06 PM »



Gloria is an odd little beast and I haven't quite decided yet if she's worth fettling or destined for the spare parts box. This is a Bb/Eb Club box with half of it's reeds mounted on removable blocks (1 treble, 1 bass) and the other half mounted on fixed blocks, not something I've encountered before. The treble buttons are all over the place as regards level, much of the action is stiff and the weedy little springs are unable to overcome even moderate resistance. The helper row pallets come up so far that they lift up pallets on the inside row!

Removing the fingerboard brings the whole of the action out so refacing pallets is a doddle but once taken way from the thingy (please substitute thingy with 'action board' or 'fondo', whichever takes your fancy  ;D ) the pallets are all over the place so the spring pressures must be wildly out of balance.

More pictures here.

To be fair I've wanted a Bb/Eb box for a while and the box has quite a nice tone, I'm just not sure that any amount of time and effort will make anything like a half decent box out of it. More pics to follow later as I delve a little deeper. If anyone has worked on a box that's built like this then any comments would be gratefully received!
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Adam-T

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Re: Meet Gloria
« Reply #1 on: January 07, 2013, 04:52:21 PM »

Gloria is an odd little beast and I haven't quite decided yet if she's worth fettling or destined for the spare parts box.

Definately Fettling because - 1:- you`ll have a Bb/Eb Box which is a real good thing and 2:- Assuming its a Saxony made box, the spare parts may not be of much use in the future if you scrapped it (if you`re hohner centric like most box fettlers here anyway) .
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Gary P Chapin

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Re: Meet Gloria
« Reply #2 on: January 07, 2013, 04:53:35 PM »

Wow. Not knowing exactly the level of work involved I can't say if it's "worth it" but that's a sweet, unique little box.  I, too, am looking for a Eb box because that just happens to be where my voice falls.  So, colour me unobservant but ... I'm not the only one who sees no bass buttons there, am I?
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Rob2Hook

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Re: Meet Gloria
« Reply #3 on: January 07, 2013, 05:01:05 PM »

Odd, but quite a simple system.  I'd guess that you'll have to learn to make new springs to get them even - fiddly but quite doable.  Have to devise your own action limiting device, too.  I have a Hohner Club Modelle 1 in Bb/Eb and agree that the tone is greatly to be preferred in the lower pitch.  Got to be worth a go, just for the satisfaction.

Rob.
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Theo

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Re: Meet Gloria
« Reply #4 on: January 07, 2013, 05:05:44 PM »

I'm not the only one who sees no bass buttons there, am I?

Indeed, It must be one of those models where the bass buttons face the players body. :D

The glued in reed blocks are interesting.   Saxony boxes very often have the bass block glued in, but the chord and treble blocks removable,  But I've never seen one with one treble block glued in.   I have a hunch it is because one reedblock is too long to fit screws/brackets etc.  That in turn may be bacause this is an attempt to compete with Hohner club boxes using a standard case size originally intended for a 2 row.
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Adam-T

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Re: Meet Gloria
« Reply #5 on: January 07, 2013, 05:12:13 PM »

Indeed, It must be one of those models where the bass buttons face the players body. :D

yeah - someone has had the bass end off and put it back upside down  ;D - unless its a BASS Melodeon with only a "treble" end but an octave lower   ???
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Pete Dunk

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Re: Meet Gloria
« Reply #6 on: January 07, 2013, 06:07:06 PM »

Tsk! I'd had the treble end off to take a pic of the reeds and just dropped it back on the bellows for a full frontal - back to front obviously. ::)

Now I'll have to do another pic!  :|bl
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Pete Dunk

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Re: Meet Gloria
« Reply #7 on: January 07, 2013, 06:13:26 PM »

Ha!



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Pete Dunk

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Re: Meet Gloria
« Reply #8 on: January 07, 2013, 06:40:33 PM »

I'm not the only one who sees no bass buttons there, am I?

Indeed, It must be one of those models where the bass buttons face the players body. :D

*blows loud raspberry*  :|glug

Quote
The glued in reed blocks are interesting.   Saxony boxes very often have the bass block glued in, but the chord and treble blocks removable,  But I've never seen one with one treble block glued in.   I have a hunch it is because one reedblock is too long to fit screws/brackets etc.  That in turn may be bacause this is an attempt to compete with Hohner club boxes using a standard case size originally intended for a 2 row.

Yes indeed. It also has that interesting Liliput idea of squeezing two and a half rows of reeds into just two reed blocks . . .

I was going to call this thread 'Sick Transit Gloria Monday' because the box arrived today by courier but the swine was driving a Mercerdes van!
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Gary P Chapin

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Re: Meet Gloria
« Reply #9 on: January 07, 2013, 07:51:39 PM »

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Pete Dunk

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Re: Meet Gloria
« Reply #10 on: January 07, 2013, 08:18:28 PM »

The coupling of the air valve lever to the internal mechanism is possibly the single most bizarre thing I've ever seen. It would take me ages to describe this most simple of ideas except that it isn't really an idea and there's nothing simple about joining one half to the other. To give you a general idea the air 'button' is fixed to the plywood bass end cover and the 'mechanism' (pad, lever, spring etc.) is on the bass end 'action board', 'fondo', fondue set' 'whatever'! So when you put the bass end cover back on you need to couple the actuating lever to the internal mechanism, (sucks teeth) - the means of doing this are not immediately obvious.  :o

I'm not the sharpest knife in the box, granted, but I'd like to think I'm not exactly stupid either. The design criteria here are clearly beyond my simple intellect.  :D
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AirTime

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Re: Meet Gloria
« Reply #11 on: January 08, 2013, 03:18:06 AM »

It's a nice enough looking vintage box, but the question would be - why? Why deal with the peculiarities of this particular design when there are plenty of more standard vintage BbEb boxes floating around?
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forrest

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Re: Meet Gloria
« Reply #12 on: January 08, 2013, 05:00:08 AM »

It's a nice enough looking vintage box, but the question would be - why? Why deal with the peculiarities of this particular design when there are plenty of more standard vintage BbEb boxes floating around?

Yes. And I don't wish to be indiscreet, but Gloria has a much classier sister out there...her name is 'Erika'
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Adam-T

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Re: Meet Gloria
« Reply #13 on: January 08, 2013, 07:58:28 AM »

Erika is a likely to be a far more expensive date though   :-* . I don`t know how much Gloria cost but if all it takes is a bit of wax, a few valves and some pallet facing material and he ends up with an interesting Bb/Eb (for under £50 ?)  then it`ll be a triumph ..
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ACE

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Re: Meet Gloria
« Reply #14 on: January 08, 2013, 12:43:57 PM »

To give you a general idea the air 'button' is fixed to the plywood bass end cover and the 'mechanism' (pad, lever, spring etc.) is on the bass end 'action board', 'fondo', fondue set' 'whatever'! So when you put the bass end cover back on you need to couple the actuating lever to the internal mechanism, (sucks teeth) - the means of doing this are not immediately obvious.  :o


It might need a bit of keyhole surgery.
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Pete Dunk

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Re: Meet Gloria
« Reply #15 on: January 08, 2013, 06:58:04 PM »

Yes. And I don't wish to be indiscreet, but Gloria has a much classier sister out there...her name is 'Erika'

Erika is a class act I'll admit, Gloria is far more 'fur coat and no knickers' but she was cheap bless her. The jury is still out on whether I spend much time on an attempted restoration, we'll see!  :||:
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boisterous budgie

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Re: Meet Gloria
« Reply #16 on: January 08, 2013, 07:50:49 PM »

I can't really see the attraction of this totally obscure key (Bb Eb). Would it enable you to play alongside a clarinet or so?
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Gary P Chapin

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Re: Meet Gloria
« Reply #17 on: January 08, 2013, 07:58:17 PM »

I can't really see the attraction of this totally obscure key (Bb Eb). Would it enable you to play alongside a clarinet or so?
Yes, exactly so.  It's useful for playing with brass (tex-mex, etc.)  But for me, personally, it suits my singing voice.
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Adam-T

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Re: Meet Gloria
« Reply #18 on: January 08, 2013, 08:01:26 PM »

it`s for playing in German Ooompa bands with brass . the most common key for Brass instruments is Bb Lechner are now making Alpine Baritones & Tubas in C (better key for singing and compatible with the millions of GCF Steirisches) so Bb boxes are less and less needed thesedays . over here it means you can join in with the Black Dyke Mills or the Brighouse and rastrick should they come to visit your town ..

I love the sound of Bb Boxes so long as they have enough reeds, thoroughly recommend the F/Bb/Eb Hohner Vallenato - preferable to the more usual Bb/Eb/Ab
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AirTime

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Re: Meet Gloria
« Reply #19 on: January 08, 2013, 08:02:30 PM »

Quote
I can't really see the attraction of this totally obscure key (Bb Eb).

Oh dear!  :o

In & of itself, to my ear, it's the best key for a melodeon! All the notes from high to low are playable. It's warm in the lower register without being murky the way a GC can be.
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