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Author Topic: 3 rows, 2 voices, 9 keys! EAD, GCF, BbEbAb with switch, 580 reeds, 15 lb.  (Read 1109 times)

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hickory-wind

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Here's one for my record books. Before today my highest reed count was a 4 voice with 392 reeds. This beauty has 360 treble, 176 chord and 44 heligon bass reeds for a total of 580 all just under 15 lb.

There is a switch under the keyboard to select one of the three key combos. All 5 treble reedblocks are bound together and are moved en masse one reed position (parallel to the blocks) for each switch of the lever. Each reedblock has 36 reedplates with intermixed keys. The 3 rows of buttons are mapped to a 6x5 matrix of pallets instead of along rows.

Made in Austria in 1931. It is in very nice condition considering its 90 years of life so far and all reedplates are there except 2 of the 11 heligon double basses. I'll be on the lookout for replacements.

Quite a feat of engineering. It claims a patent. The lever is stiff and currently shifts between two settings but the third takes more force than I'm willing to apply so it will need to wait until I've freed movement up some more.

Scott
« Last Edit: May 30, 2020, 03:31:58 AM by hickory-wind »
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too many boxes...please buy one, or two, or

mory

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Wow........
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Mike Hirst

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Oh, what a beauty, I've never seen one as big as that before.
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"Slip like Freudian, your first and last step to playing yourself like an Accordion" - MF DOOM - Madvillain

hickory-wind

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There are wooden crossbars and diagonal steel straps. Five leaf springs hold down each end of the block ensemble but allow sliding motion.
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too many boxes...please buy one, or two, or

pgroff

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That's fantastic Scott, many thanks for sharing it.

PG

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hickory-wind

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23 bass buttons, dual reed heligon basses, dual air buttons.
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too many boxes...please buy one, or two, or

Schnorbitz

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That really is a work of art. Beautiful!
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