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[Pat McInnis]

At this stage I'm more of a mechanic than a player but I'm closing in on narrowing down what system I will settle on. My mate that I play Irish music with is a BC player and that's the only option in his world. haha I'm leaning more towards a C#D system but as I said before, I'm currently just a dabbler.

Alright, so the green AD Hohner that I've been working on will be the case that I will be using...maybe forever. I have CF and CC# treble sides to use parts from at this stage, unfortunately the C# row is on the 10 reed row. Would making the 11 reed row from the C into C# be a good option? Easier the better for this old novice. I'm not even looking at the bass side at this point but I guess that it should be considered as well.

Thanks in advance and Merry Christmas friends.

[Theo]

Use the 10 C# row and then find the nearest from the other reeds retuned to provide the reeds for the 11th button.

[Pearse Rossa]

I'm not even looking at the bass side at this point but I guess that it should be considered as well.

Your A/D bass will do grand as it is. Compare C#/D bass here with A/D bass here.

[Pearse Rossa]

Easier the better for this old novice.

Easier still would be to purchase new reeds on blocks directly from Hohner. Their Erica blocks will fit your box.
To fund the purchase you could sell off all the reeds you don't need.
But, where is the fun in all that you may well ask!
Anyway, it's an option.
Treble reeds here. Bass reeds here.

[Pat McInnis]

Thanks guys, all good info. I just printed off all of the button charts for the three systems that I have. I just realized that this won't tell me what note I'm supposed to be hearing and in which direction though...

I'm so glad that the bass is so close. That's one less thing to think about.

Pearce, I agree totally that it's all about the build. I may not have much of a clue what I'm doing but I'm learning by leaps and bounds the more I work on them. We have a common term in the custom car building world and that's "built not bought". I feel like that may apply here.

[Pearse Rossa]

I just printed off all of the button charts for the three systems that I have. I just realized that this won't tell me what note I'm supposed to be hearing and in which direction though...

You've lost me now Pat...

[Pat McInnis]

I just printed off all of the button charts for the three systems that I have. I just realized that this won't tell me what note I'm supposed to be hearing and in which direction though...

You've lost me now Pat...

Haha, sorry. Keep in mind how green I am. The button chart from the main page gives a note indicator for each button in or out but (this is where my mind melts a bit) each button has two voices for my application. So I need to tune to each one separately I assume if I'm tuning reeds on a bench. Feel free to tell me how out to lunch I am. I can take it.

[Tiposx]

New reeds on blocks from Hohner are an easy and inexpensive option. However they don't sound nearly as good or respond as well as the older reeds in my opinion. I recently bought sets in b/c and in a/d and they were clearly inferior.
I replaced them all with new Cagnoni reed plates from Charlie Marshall. More expensive but well worth it
 The standard ones (macchina?) are a good match for the older Hohner reeds in my opinion. I have them mixed in with T, H and Zinc plated Hohner reeds in several instruments and they work fine.

[Pat McInnis]

Will there be a noticeable difference combining base plate materials? All of my CC# plates are aluminum and the AD and CF sets are H stamped zinc I think.

[Steve_freereeder]

Will there be a noticeable difference combining base plate materials? All of my CC# plates are aluminum and the AD and CF sets are H stamped zinc I think.

Yes - the zinc plate reeds usually have a noticably mellower sound compared with the aluminium plates.

[Pat McInnis]

Yes - the zinc plate reeds usually have a noticably mellower sound compared with the aluminium plates.
[/quote]

OK good to know. I'll try to keep with one plate material if I can.

[Theo]

Older aluminium plate reeds often, but not always marked H, have a sound pretty close to that of zinc.

[Pat McInnis]

Use the 10 C# row and then find the nearest from the other reeds retuned to provide the reeds for the 11th button.

This is looking like a winning plan. The missing reeds on the small end of the C# row is G#/D# which I don't have in my spare parts but maybe there is something close? On the D row that I plan on using (with the AD set) the first button is C/Bb but according to the C#/D button chart it wants to start with F#/B. Not sure how close these are or if I should even worry about it.

[Stiamh]

On the D row the low F# isn't especially useful but you should aim to maintain the integrity of the row, as it were. Its partner the low B is vitally important, for Irish music anyway.

BTW if you have a 21-button box, the lowest pair on the C# row would not normally be D#/G# but F/A#. However, if you have to source a new reed plate for the lowest button on the C# row, I'd suggest you use it to extend the D row bu putting in a low D/G pair - the low G is very useful.

You will lose the low Bb (A#) which is very occasionally useful. The G is a much more useful asset though.

Edit: I now realize you were talking about the "small" (= high) end of the C# row. Sorry. But actually you can replace that reed pair with more useful options, too. I would suggest G/E.

[Pat McInnis]

[[ADMIN]] Redundant quote removed. 

Please see http://forum.melodeon.net/index.php/topic,23242.0.html
[[END ADMIN]]

I thought for sure that you were mad at me for saying that you have crazy hair. I meant it as a complement of course. Thanks for this Steve. Since you are a bit of a C#D guru here I'll take advise under strong advisement. Now is the time to make the changes if I decide that this is the right system. (Let's face it, it is) I feel like you have done your due diligence to try and convince me not to try and learn. Haha Happy Christmas Einstein hair.