Weird clink sound on lower notes

[Mart1n]

Hello everyone,

I got recently almost new accordion to try. But I noticed a weird sound that I haven't previously encountered on any accordion.

It happens only when I play lowest notes on the right hand side playing normally, mezzoforte or more. Right after I suddenly stopped playing the note, I clearly hear metal clink sound like jingle bell or rattling zipper. There is also aftervibration of longer reeds but I know that's considered to be normal behavior, sound differently like growl or an echo. When I gradually lower the pressure on particular note, it doesn't do that bothering sound.

Here is the record of it:

Reeds are most probably Hohner T series with plastic valves.

So my question: is it a normal feature or is that a defect and if so, what's needed to be done?
Went thoroughly through the forum but haven't found anything like this.

Thank you and I'm looking forward to your erudite opinion.

 

[JerryPH]

Ahoj, vitam vas z Kanady.
I am hearing 2 things… a growl from some reeds which can be somewhat normal for some accordions, but also some harmonics added to some notes.

What kind and model of accordion do you have? I have heard this exact thing with a brand new Hohner Bravo III which in the end was returned as it had too many things wrong with it.

 

[Ikesaccordions]

That sound is the plastic valve closing. The valve is stiffer on the lower notes and when it is under pressure, it rustles on the reed plate.
It's a problem getting good leathers, as now these are mass produced, and factories are using plastic to save money especially on the low notes instead of leather with steel boosters of various tension.
The only person it bothers in a performance. is possibly the player, so I advise you to forget it, as it is unlikely you will find an instrument with no kind of problems. Just try to play better.

 

[Caps]

I agree with Ike. Although i did have an old accordion that was making a similar sound and found that it was due to an audio cable for the mikes on the treble side that came unglued and moved just enough that several of the keys would just barely tap it as they returned to their resting state. Hitting the keys with the bellows locked and no sound indicated that it was not a reed valve problem - easily fixed with a dab of shoe goo.

 

[Tom]

“Just try to play better.” Hmmmmm, now what could that be? Less mistakes? More challenging repertoire? Fancier technique? Cooler improvisation? Faster? The holy grail of playing more musically? All of the above?

Pray tell, dear Ike, I am very curious.

For me it would be less mistakes and more repertoire.

 

[debra]

I agree with all: you hear the valves closing, and some "growl". When the growl has a metalic sound it is an indication that the reed may not be centered completely over the hole it has to go through.

 

[Mart1n]

Ahoj, vitam vas z Kanady.
I am hearing 2 things… a growl from some reeds which can be somewhat normal for some accordions, but also some harmonics added to some notes.

What kind and model of accordion do you have? I have heard this exact thing with a brand new Hohner Bravo III which in the end was returned as it had too many things wrong with it.

Ahoj, moc děkuji za krásné přivítání do komunity.

It's actually Hohner Nova II 80, so basically same reeds, parts, probably same factory (China)... except it's CBA. This particular one has just this issue I've realised. I don't expect top quality for like 2200 €, just wanted a tiny CBA because I was tired by backpain from big keyboard accordions.

I agree with all: you hear the valves closing, and some "growl". When the growl has a metalic sound it is an indication that the reed may not be centered completely over the hole it has to go through.

I'm ok with valves closing noise and some "growl" on lower notes, can be acceptable for low-cost CBA.

That's the most probable thing that reed isn't properly aligned with the hole. I was thinking about the metallic clink that the reed with big vibration could touch the plate. It could not be the valve, just metal and metal makes clinking sound.
Just additional question: Probably not well manufactured or can it happen also during a shipment? So in conclusion, can this issue be resolvable by aligning reeds properly?

Thank you all for the comments and opinions

 

[kimric]

You might be able to wedge the reed over to improve alignment, but it may also be a burr in the plate stamping. I found that if you take something like the tip of a small screwdriver and push the reed to make it sweep through the slot in the plate that you can feel it hit any obstruction. You may have to remove the valve and hold the plate up to a strong light so you can see where no light can be seen between the light and the plate at some spot.

 

[Dingo40]

I got recently almost new accordion to try. But I noticed a weird sound that I haven't previously encountered on any accordion.

You've already had some expert advice.
I'm not an expert but (although a relatively new instrument) it does sound like the noise you may get from "rattly" curled reed-valves.
Also, there could be a suggestion of mild key-springs vibration (as sometimes noticed in models with individual extension-type key springs)

 

[dak]

Reeds are most probably Hohner T series with plastic valves.

So my question: is it a normal feature or is that a defect and if so, what's needed to be done?
Went thoroughly through the forum but haven't found anything like this.

Thank you and I'm looking forward to your erudite opinion.

Not likely to be the case here, but I have one low note that when played too loud and long developed a metallic ringing and went up in pitch. The cause was a screw fixing the bellows protector (Morino Artiste have some rigid plastic protector installed as standard) that was getting hit by the reed. Solution was to file off the top of the screw. When removing the bellows protector in disassembly, I have to make sure to replace the shortened screw to the right place. Definitely a metallic noise, but it was obvious when the tone was in full bloom rather than decaying.

As a note aside, this makes obvious that the note volume is very much determined by how much air you pull through the reed plate at a given point of time, not by how far the reed is actually oscillating (because it takes quite longer for the reed to start rattling than for the tone to get loud). But the latter does affect the tone quality. Those complex relations (where the tone follows the pressure quite slower than the volume does) are tricky to model for digital accordions.