Question about steel reinforcement springs

[Pierre]

Hi,
I had a question concerning the steel reinforcement springs for the reed leathers.
I’ve noticed these springs are present in small clarinet reeds of the cassotto of my accordion while all other (even bigger reeds) have no springs.
Is this because of economic reasons and could it eventually be possible and beneficial to add springs on those too or is it just because the cassotto reeds have a different way of reacting?
Anyway I’ll respect the way it was done but I notice that the ones with a spring doesn’t curl away from the pallets.

Pierre

 

[debra]

Having booster springs on leathers is beneficial for all reeds. But in cassotto they are even more important because people tend to store accordions badly, namely on their feet. When the accordion is resting on its feet (which for instance is done all the time when an accordion is on display on a shelf in a store) half the leathers are being pulled open by gravity. (For the L reeds those are the leathers on the outside of the reed blocks and for the M reeds those are the leathers on the inside of the reed blocks.)
Whether the leathers have booster springs or not, an accordion with cassotto should *always* be stored in the playing orientation (except maybe for a short time when put down on a stage to reduce the risk of it being bumped and falling over). Experts like Richard Galliano even put down the accordion in the playing orientation during his performances. (He tends to take off the accordion after each song, announces the next song, then puts the accordion back on.)

 

[Pierre]

Thanks for your reply.
I also had the feeling it would be beneficial for the other (non cassotto) reeds but I’ve visionned lots of high level accordions which often had no booster springs at about the same levels.
Maybe that’s why I had so many springs delivered with the set leathers I ordered from Laetizia Bompezzo. Probably it was calculated for all the leathers.
Just wondering if with the extra tension added with the springs, the response of the reeds will be slower?

 

[Pierre]

I also mostly store my accordion in playing position even if I find that it sounds better when left it a certain time resting on the feet.

 

[Tom]

Mine often sounds better standing on its feet than sitting on my lap in playing position. But I record and post it anyway, otherwise how will I know I gotta get better?

 

[debra]

Thanks for your reply.
I also had the feeling it would be beneficial for the other (non cassotto) reeds but I’ve visionned lots of high level accordions which often had no booster springs at about the same levels.
Maybe that’s why I had so many springs delivered with the set leathers I ordered from Laetizia Bompezzo. Probably it was calculated for all the leathers.
Just wondering if with the extra tension added with the springs, the response of the reeds will be slower?

Accordion manufacturers have generally stopped using leather valves for the highest notes. So you will find new accordions where on each reed block that highest 4 or so reeds that still have valves have plastic valves.
The booster springs do not really increase the response time of the reeds, but the added resistance to the airflow may cause the frequency to go down at low volume, and you don't want that. Small plastic valves offer less resistance and thus a more stable frequency.