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[Bricklayer]

just a line or two to introduce an absolute beginner. I have suddenly after many years of not playing anything except a packing case and broomstick bass in the skiffle era found an instrument I get on with. I have a one row Regal with one note not playing and a Commander, also one row with two notes not playing. It may not be a good place to start but its where I am!

Any advice/suggestions/comments welcome especially from anyone in the Worcester area.

Nigel
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[Pete Dunk]

Hello Nigel welcome to the forum. 

You may be lucky and find someone on here who's fairly local to you that's willing to open up your boxes and find out why the notes aren't playing, or maybe we can talk you through investigating it yourself.

Pete.

[Bricklayer]

hi Pete
Thanks for that. I have had both boxes to pieces to try to reduce the leakages twixt box and bellows and was partially successful, using some green baize salvaged from a pool table (I am sure that's not the ideal material but a) its free, and b) it was possible to cut it so as to be a continuous gasket.
I have also replaced some of what were 'curled' leathers (using Copydex) which seems to have worked. The notes that don't sound come from both exposed reeds and those 'hidden' behind. I have tried to work out why when carefully pinged, with a scalpel point reeds sound but when I reassemble and try again there is no sound, or only a strangulated gargle.

I also belong to a motorcycle club and in that supports compiled downloadable technical notes as a collection of most of the points (with drawings) of interest to a competent repairer. I have found snooping this forum very useful but info seems to be distributed rather than collected as above.

Lastly is 'Tallships' a chosen name or does it indicate nautical interests?
Regards
Nigel

[Graham Spencer]

I have tried to work out why when carefully pinged, with a scalpel point reeds sound but when I reassemble and try again there is no sound, or only a strangulated gargle.

Three possible causes are that the "set" of the reed is wrong (ie the tip is sitting too high or too low in the slot), the reed is slightly on the skew and is binding in the slot (they can be GENTLY manoeuvred back on to the centre line with a fine blade) or there is debris of some kind - filings, tiny bits of wax or rust, even dust - trapped alongside the reed in the slot. The tiniest foreign body can stop a reed speaking - as I discovered this morning, when the offending particle was barely visible even under 12x magnification. A quick blast of compressed air (from an aerosol can) and the problem was solved.

[Pete Dunk]

Lastly is 'Tallships' a chosen name or does it indicate nautical interests?

Well I am a fan of Tall Ships and have been aboard quite a lot of them at events, but that has nothing to do with my internet handle. That comes from the days of writing/recording original songs and music with a friend of mine who found a logo he liked and created Tall Ship Music as a copyright name for our joint output. Don't be impressed, I cringe when I listen to any of it now!

So why not take plenty of pics of the boxes and start a thread in the Instrument Construction & Repair section and maybe we can figure out what's wrong. A couple of things strike me immediately:

Whenever the words 'strangled' or 'gurgling' appear I think valve. Even if it looks good replace it.

If the reed is set too low it may well start when you ping it on a tuning table, once in motion a reed will keep going but it will still choke inside the box.

Green baize isn't a good gasket material, it may well be better than what was there before but if it doesn't seal completely you're still loosing enough pressure to ensure that a reed that is struggling to get started has no chance! Proper bellows gasket is available from Theo, CGM and others, it's inexpensive and easily fitted.

As for collecting the wisdom of the forum into a cohesive and readily available resource, think cat herding!

Pete.

I see that while I was writing this GPS has pointed out another bugbear, dust and other particles. Take that on board too :)

[juker]

Welcome to melnet Nigel, this is the best forum and learning the melodeon is like a portal to a whole new world. I am not very good at it but all my friends think I am a 'musician'n  

[george garside]

I have tried to work out why when carefully pinged, with a scalpel point reeds sound but when I reassemble and try again there is no sound, or only a strangulated gargle.

  - as I discovered this morning, when the offending particle was barely visible even under 12x magnification. A quick blast of compressed air (from an aerosol can) and the problem was solved.

 sometimes just pressing the offending button and giving the bellows a really hard shove ( or pull as the case may be) will  dislodge  the 'particle'  wi;thout any need for openi;ng the box up etc.

george

[Graham Spencer]

I have tried to work out why when carefully pinged, with a scalpel point reeds sound but when I reassemble and try again there is no sound, or only a strangulated gargle.

  - as I discovered this morning, when the offending particle was barely visible even under 12x magnification. A quick blast of compressed air (from an aerosol can) and the problem was solved.

 sometimes just pressing the offending button and giving the bellows a really hard shove ( or pull as the case may be) will  dislodge  the 'particle'  wi;thout any need for openi;ng the box up etc.

george

True - I've used that trick more than once myself.  The reed in question from this morning was already out of the box, having new valves fitted.

[Bricklayer]

hey thanks everyone (i don't now if anyone remembers Jazz on a Summers day' there is a scene when Mahalia Jackson (an amazing gospel singer) comes on stage in the early hours of the morning and is greeted by huge applause. To this she replies "you make me feel like a star!) Now I have some inkling of how she felt!

I will follow the various helpful suggestions and report back and try to get some pics up so that folk can see what I am talking about. Though this may take a while.

Thanks ever so all of you
Nigel

[Mcgrooger]

Hiya Nigel. Welcome to the forum. Don't expect any technical advice from me on mending stuff though - I'm a right cack handed idiot when it comes to owt like that. 'S good fun here though and there are lots of tips on every aspect of melodeon as you'll have seen and loads of good videos and recordings to inspire/frighten us all.