How bad for an accordion is it to play it around a campfire? I'm not talking about potentially catching it on fire, but about possibly melting the reed wax.
Short of actually sitting on top of the fire, you should be safe enough as long as you keep the metal plate cover attached; it should dissipate most of the heat to the wooden surrounds and wood is not a good conductor of heat.
I wonder how long it will be before someone makes some disparaging remark about accordions and fires?
I'd imagine that if you were close enough to the fire to melt the wax you'd have been fairly well cooked by the time the wax melts. If you're worried just keep checking the outside temperature of your accordion and move if it starts to get warm. I'd also make sure that you're upwind of the fire so that there's no danger of drawing stray embers, smoke and hot gases into the accordion.
How do you define a masochist?
I would submit that posting a question like this on the yellow board MUST fit within that definition.
Most posters around here do not associate the word "bad" with damage to an accordion.
Seriously, I would not bring my accordion into the wild--uncontrolled temp and humidity, not to mention dust and debris, pose too great a threat to the instrument--you are asking for problems in the future. If you want to play a free reed instrument around the campfire, I suggest learning the harmonica.
I don't know, I think part of the reason we pay so much for quality instuments is their durability. It would be sad f I could only play my instrument in a climate controlled, dust free environment ("I can't play tonight guys, I forgot my acid-free, lint-free white gloves"). Use common sense. If the fire feels hot, move back. Imagine all those accordians that were/are played where there is/was no climate control save the cooking fire.
Remember the guitar player in the book/movie Deliverance taking a less valuable instrument on the canoe trip? Don't worry about campfires, watch out for hillbilly snipers.
Stupid Question
Stupid Question
How bad for an accordion is it to play it around a campfire? I'm not talking about potentially catching it on fire, but about possibly melting the reed wax.
# Posted on August 15th 2006 by Zazzaliss
Re: Stupid Question
Short of actually sitting on top of the fire, you should be safe enough as long as you keep the metal plate cover attached; it should dissipate most of the heat to the wooden surrounds and wood is not a good conductor of heat.
I wonder how long it will be before someone makes some disparaging remark about accordions and fires?
# Posted on August 15th 2006 by Conán McDonnell
Re: Stupid Question
I'd imagine that if you were close enough to the fire to melt the wax you'd have been fairly well cooked by the time the wax melts. If you're worried just keep checking the outside temperature of your accordion and move if it starts to get warm. I'd also make sure that you're upwind of the fire so that there's no danger of drawing stray embers, smoke and hot gases into the accordion.
# Posted on August 15th 2006 by Compo
Re: Stupid Question
Don't worry about "slow cooking". Just bung it straight in the middle of the fire along with the bodhrans.
# Posted on August 15th 2006 by John J.
Re: Stupid Question
Sorry Alex. I thought it might have been a piano accordian but I see you play a B/C box.
Conan, I've just read your last sentence or I might not have made the above comment.
# Posted on August 15th 2006 by John J.
Re: Stupid Question
How do you define a masochist?
I would submit that posting a question like this on the yellow board MUST fit within that definition.
Most posters around here do not associate the word "bad" with damage to an accordion.
# Posted on August 15th 2006 by AlBrown
Re: Stupid Question
Seriously, I would not bring my accordion into the wild--uncontrolled temp and humidity, not to mention dust and debris, pose too great a threat to the instrument--you are asking for problems in the future. If you want to play a free reed instrument around the campfire, I suggest learning the harmonica.
# Posted on August 15th 2006 by AlBrown
Re: Stupid Question
I don't know, I think part of the reason we pay so much for quality instuments is their durability. It would be sad f I could only play my instrument in a climate controlled, dust free environment ("I can't play tonight guys, I forgot my acid-free, lint-free white gloves"). Use common sense. If the fire feels hot, move back. Imagine all those accordians that were/are played where there is/was no climate control save the cooking fire.
# Posted on August 15th 2006 by ottoschmelk
Re: Stupid Question
Paraffin wax melts around 60 degrees C, so you'd be pretty uncomfortable for a long time before it melted.
PP
# Posted on August 15th 2006 by Pied Piper
Re: Stupid Question
... so you'd be pretty uncomfortable for a long time before it melted.
Don't know about that, at the rec.music...sqeezebox ng they seem to run pretty hot most of the time
# Posted on August 15th 2006 by Risto
Re: Stupid Question
Aren't box reeds held in with beeswax, not paraffin wax?
# Posted on August 15th 2006 by Wurzel
Re: Stupid Question
Is this where the term "Mind your beeswax." came from?
# Posted on August 15th 2006 by AlBrown
Re: Stupid Question
Remember the guitar player in the book/movie Deliverance taking a less valuable instrument on the canoe trip? Don't worry about campfires, watch out for hillbilly snipers.
# Posted on August 15th 2006 by oldstrings
Re: "How bad for an accordian is it to play it around a campfire?"
It depends on the extent of your repertoire.
# Posted on August 15th 2006 by BowHand