[Lowboy]

Hi Troy,

A very engaging performance and song. I really enjoyed listening to that. Who says the melodica is not a serious instrument.

Regards,

Lowboy

[Kipp Sturgeon]

Thanks Melodica-Me. I took it apart, cleaned everything with alcohol and a Q-tip twice. No luck. On the third time I cleaned a little deeper and took a small flat head screwdriver and gently twiddled the reeds, especially the two not working ones. Put it back together all snug and it worked! What a beautiful tone. Not as loud as my Hohner but miked through my 90 watt Polytone Mini-Brute with a 15 inch speaker and some reverb, it’s going to sound gorgeous. It is nice and quiet for home practice so not to bug my wife too bad! I’m so glad my buddy found it for $80 in a pawn shop with a case. Professionally designed and built with quality. I’m still a novice on melodica type items but what a great addition to an acoustic band or jam. So portable and easy to sound good with limited keyboard skills. I gave my another buddy my Hohner and he’s crazy about these instruments now too! My daughter gave me a Guitar Center gift certificate so I just ordered their 32 key airboard keyboard with the rasta motif and new designed shorter flex mouth piece. That should be louder for unplugged applications. I always get great comments and questions when I play my Hohner on jams and gigs. Thanks for letting me join you all and I’m spreading the joy!
Kipp

[Daren]

Thanks Lowboy! I was quite happy with the sound for this recording – we took off some of the shrill highs, and gave it a quite a boost in the mids to add some weight. If only the Clavietta sounded like this in real life, it would indeed be the perfect melodica 🙂

Glad you’ve discovered the Clavietta Kipp!

[Alan Brinton]

I have acquired two Claviettas recently, one that was in playing condition except for a broken black key and the other a “donor”. The tricky thing about replacing a key is working with the spring. It’s very hard to hold the spring down and engage the tiny nut. I held the spring down with a screw driver tip, but one slip and the spring is launched off into the stratosphere. The first Clavietta (older one with red trim) has very good rubber washers, while the washers on the donor were a shade of brown in color (as in Oskar’s photo) and hard and brittle, mostly in pieces. Now that the first is repaired, it plays and sounds good. But there are two issues: (1) The key action is uneven, some less springy than others, and I’m wondering if I should tighten the spring nuts on some of the keys. (2) There is a lot of leakage, too much. There is some (specky) corrosion on the plate on which the rubber washers sit and around the rim of the metal reed cover where it meets the gasket. I’m thinking I should use fine grade sandpaper to clean off the corrosion. If anyone has any ideas about other possible sources of leakage, I’m interested.

[Melodica-Me]

Alan, I worked on my claviettas and had the same issues, the new rubber washer work much better than the original that come with the clavietta. They make a better seal. I can look up what size washer I used and let you know. I picked them up at orchard hardware
Melodica-Me

[Alan Brinton]

You said 7/16″ earlier, Melodica-Me. I think the washers are okay. In fact, they’re in such good condition that I suspect that they have already been replaced. However, I’ll check them all carefully to be sure they’re all sound. It’s good to know that 7/16 rubber washers will work.

[Daren]

Hi Alan, adjusting the nuts on the springs will make a difference to the pressure of each spring, so should help with unevenness. Airtightness is often a problem with the seal between the main body and the air chamber cover. It’s a rubber material that has probably become brittle. Try sealing that area with tape to see if it makes a difference?

[Andre]

Hi Troy

I love your song, it´s beautiful!

[Shannon M]

Melodica-Me

I know this is an older thread, but I have recently acquired a clavietta that needs all new seals. I see that you used 7/16 rubber washers-could you tell me what thickness they were? Also the inside diameter if you have that available. Anyone else who would like to contribute a thought I would appreciate it. Any issues to watch out for when replacing the seals?

Thanks,

Shannon

[Melodica-Me]

Shannon the center hole was 3/32 so they will fit a little loose. Someone on here found a little o-ring that made them fit tight the overall thickness was 1/16 of an inch. I found these at orchard hardware (OSH). I also found the gasket material there too which is twice the thickness of the original gasket but works fine as well. It’s all about making it work.
Melodica-Me
Monsters of Melodica

[Shannon M]

MM,
Thanks for the quick response. I appreciate you sharing the dimensions. I am having a hard time finding washers that thin-what I find are mostly 1/8″, which I am sure will be too thick. Do you know what these washers were originally intended for? it might simplify my search.

Thx,

Shannon

[Melodica-Me]

Shannon, if you send me an email with your mailing address, I will send you a pack of the washers I use so you can check them out.
Melodica-Me
Monsters of Melodica

[Shannon M]

MM,
that is very kind of you. I have tried to find your email address but failed. I know I saw it once but cannot locate the thread. if you could repost it I will send you my address.

Thank you,

Shannon

ps I also owe you some photos of my pro-36 with reed plates. took them weeks ago but got busy and forgot to upload them. I will be back home later this week and will get it done then.

[Melodica-Me]

Shannon go to our Facebook page and send me a message there with your address

https://www.facebook.com/MonstersOfMelodica?ref=bookmarks

Melodica-Me
Monsters of Melodica

[Melodica-Me]

Hello Shannon, just wondering if you received the rubber washers yet, if not you should get them any day. When you get them write me before you install them and I will give you a quick tip on how to install them.
Melodica-Me

[Author]

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