"Sterilize" an accordina

[Jim2010]

So it becomes a laborious process of taking out the reed plate, filing or scratching a bit, then putting it back, measuring, taking it out again, filing or scratching again... etc. Also, some reeds may respond better when "upside down" which is why you see a mix of directions. Some of the highest pitched reeds may have such difficulty to start that a bit of an air leak is needed to help them out. It can be tricky to pierce the right size of hole (which I do in the wax) to provide just the right tiny leak so the note starts quickly.

Each time you put a reed back in to check the tuning, do you rewax it completely as though it is going to okay and you are going to be finished. Or is there an intermediate step?

 

[debra]

Each time you put a reed back in to check the tuning, do you rewax it completely as though it is going to okay and you are going to be finished. Or is there an intermediate step?

The only way to guarantee you measure the tuning correctly is to wax the reed plate completely and let it sit for some time (preferably a few hours). So the best approach is to tune all the reeds, put them back as if you're done, then put the accordina away until the next day, then measure again, write down all the deviations, tune, let rest, etc....