There are many tunings for Quebecois style...

the old original tuning was tempered .. and
the two middle reeds were 5 cents below 440 A
and one reed 5 cents above 440 A
Low reed and piccolo at 440

I can attest that this does not sound good for Irish

One reed needs to be at 440...

The Irish tend to tune dry.. or nearly so at about 5 cents above..

There seems to be a trend in the past few years in Quebec to go a bit drier and have one reed at 440

to be safe.. go with one reed at 440 and a few cents higher on the other.. this will cover most bases

Last time I asked Savoy if he would retune a cajun accordion to Quebec tuning.. he responeded.. take it back to the maker.. I said the maker was dead.. he said.. you have a problem...

PJ

Jefe wrote:
"There seems to be a trend in the past few years in Quebec to go a bit drier and have one reed at 440."

It's not a trend, it's just one of the possibilities.

He also wrote:
"Last time I asked Savoy if he would retune a cajun accordion to Quebec tuning.. he responeded.. take it back to the maker.. I said the maker was dead.. he said.. you have a problem..."

That's because he avoids spending his time doing re-tuning jobs on boxes that he didn't make. However, he will make a box to equal temperment, and he will do the 10,000 mile check-up and tuning adjustment for you, too. Unless maybe he just doesn't like you!

i called savoy's shop last week when i was doing price checks and this lady answered the phone.....i ask her if they would retune an accordion from wet to dry ...she asked if it was made my marc and i said no..its a martin... and she says " oh no marc doesnt have time to do other people's accordion's anymore..he's real busy"

So that doesn't contradict the idea that he's not interested in tuning instruments made by others.

Anyway, it was a nice tuning job to my ears, which are exposed to Quebec music may 10% of my listening time.

S'b'B

Steve: Exactly -- he doesn't tune instruments that other people built.

I agree, Marc's version of Quebecois tuning is very sweet sounding. Years ago I used a tuning meter to figure out exactly how it (the one I had from him) was tuned).

i wasnt trying to contradict anyone..just stating what was told to me last week

__. Larry Miller made a 1 row/ 10 button in D for me. I asked hime to tune it to a formula that Normand Miron had given me. Basically, it calls for the "A" to be set with one clarinet reed about 3 cents flat, the other 4 cents sharp (and L=220 and H=880). Take the "beat rate" that that give you and extend that up and down the keyboard (with whatever the "curve" that you like best).
__. I gave that info to Larry and he did a really sweet job on tuning my accordion. But he called me a couple of times (or emailed me to call him) and asked "do you REALLY want it like this"?
__. Most people who know FC music really like the way my h'accordion sounds. And I love it.
BH, NC, USA

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