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Author Topic: Help please, LH tonic on the pull chord button suddenly stopped sounding  (Read 2018 times)

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Boxhead

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Hello, long time since I have posted on here, though I am a regular lurker. I hope somebody can help me. I have just discovered the tonic note on one of the LH chord buttons has suddenly stopped working on the pull. ( b/c melodeon )  leaving me with just the fifth ( the third is fine but I always use the third stop up) there has been no gradual ( or even sudden) going out of tune or similair warnings of a reed about to go.

Thinking / hoping it may be just a speck of dust of something, I have opened up the LH and pinged the outer reeds on the block to no avail, the outer reeds look and sound ok. Not knowing much at all about melodeon anatomy I'm not actually sure which reed would be the suspect one , though I can identify the correct 'air channels 'concerned as I can see which ones need looking at when I press the button and see the pallets open.They align with the air holes on the block.

Would I would need to ping one of the inner reeds of the block which I can't get to? Is there a way of doing this without unwaxing the outer reed? I am not prepared to go this far as it is beyond my current skill level (though I am really keen to avoid a costly repair)

 Also i noticed that one of the reed cover 'flaps' of the inner reed had dropped down inside the 'air channel', I very gently nudged it back into place with a screwdriver, but to no avail, when I put the case back toether and tried the button again I had no joy.

Any comments or advice anyone please? I don't really know what I'm doing!

Thanks in advance

Boxhead

« Last Edit: September 14, 2017, 01:02:30 PM by Boxhead »
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Theo

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Re: LH tonic on the pull chord button suddenly stopped sounding
« Reply #1 on: September 14, 2017, 01:06:30 PM »

Would I would need to ping one of the inner reeds of the block which I can't get to?

Yes

Quote

 Also i noticed that one of the reed cover 'flaps' of the inner reed had dropped down inside the 'air channel', I very gently nudged it back into place with a screwdriver, but to no avail, when I put the case back toether and tried the button again I had no joy.


This is almost certainly the cause of the silent reed.    If the valve ("cover flap") is out of place even by a few mm it can make contact with the reed beside it and prevent it from sounding.  The usual way to repair this is to take the reed off the block, glue the valve back in place, then wax the reed back in place.

With bass reeds it is sometimes possible to use a pair of tweezers to get the reed back into the right place.  You need to take it out first to apply fresh adhesive.  It is tricky to get the position correct using this method,but is a bit quicker if you know the technique.
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Theo Gibb - Gateshead UK

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Boxhead

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Re: Help please, LH tonic on the pull chord button suddenly stopped sounding
« Reply #2 on: September 14, 2017, 01:37:35 PM »

Thanks for your swift reply Theo, very informative too, I've learnt what those 'flaps' are called.

Looks like I will have to visit my (not so) local box repair person then! It was you who put me onto him a while back actually.

I don't fancy messing around with wax and glue inside my beloved box when I don't know what I'm doing! I usually do like to have a go at repairing stuff myself but I guess sometimes you have to leave it to the experts if you are out of your depth.

Cheers

Boxhead

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playandteach

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Re: LH tonic on the pull chord button suddenly stopped sounding
« Reply #3 on: September 14, 2017, 04:55:25 PM »

Would I would need to ping one of the inner reeds of the block which I can't get to?

Yes

Quote

 Also i noticed that one of the reed cover 'flaps' of the inner reed had dropped down inside the 'air channel', I very gently nudged it back into place with a screwdriver, but to no avail, when I put the case back toether and tried the button again I had no joy.


With bass reeds it is sometimes possible to use a pair of tweezers to get the reed back into the right place.  You need to take it out first to apply fresh adhesive.  It is tricky to get the position correct using this method,but is a bit quicker if you know the technique.
This is probably obvious but I suspect Theo meant to type valve instead of reed for the tweezer technique -so no need to mess with wax for that method.
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boxcall

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Re: Help please, LH tonic on the pull chord button suddenly stopped sounding
« Reply #4 on: September 14, 2017, 05:38:42 PM »

Yes I think your right Pete about the valve but you would still need to pull the reed and rewax it back in as the valve is out of position
« Last Edit: September 14, 2017, 05:40:37 PM by boxcall »
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Theo

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Re: Help please, LH tonic on the pull chord button suddenly stopped sounding
« Reply #5 on: September 14, 2017, 06:38:36 PM »

I did mean valve not reed.

It is possible to re-glue a bass valve on the underside of a reed plate without removing the reed plate and without any re-waxing.  Not easy, but quicker than disturbing the wax once you learn the technique.
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Theo Gibb - Gateshead UK

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boxcall

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Re: Help please, LH tonic on the pull chord button suddenly stopped sounding
« Reply #6 on: September 14, 2017, 10:29:58 PM »

I stand corrected, as usual  ???
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