Re: valved diatonics

[Mike Curtis <wd6ehr@xxxxxxxxxx>]

> 
> So is the only disadvantage to valves the fact that overblows/draws can't 
> be done?  If you could bend every note with valves, why would you ever 
> need overblows?  You should be able to get all your notes much easier.  
> Is this the case?

yup - because you can get all your notes bending, overblows/overdraws are 
unnecessary.  You also gain 2 or 3 notes below the blow 1, and lose the 
overdraw on 9 (A Db on a C harp.  I personally find it a great tradeoff!

> I'm interested in all aspects of ads/disads.  Maintenance, how they 
> affect longevity, everything.

Good question.

Disadvantages to valved harps are:

1. The bends gained by windsavers are not "controlled" bends like you get 
with unvalved harps.  You must very finely hone your bending technique.  
I'm a fast learner and it took me about 3 months before I'd play it in 
public. 

2. Every valved harp has its own touch, so warming up is mandatory.  You 
can easily torque off people at jam sessions and such who don't know 
these things and mistakenly think you're trying to win the testosterone 
competition before taking the stage :#|  Warming up in the restroom can 
sometimes be done, if you can keep your lunch down.

3. Valves frequently stick when you first get them out to play, especially
on older, much used harps.  Keeping them clean is helpful, but water is
damaging to reeds.  The best way to clean them is disassemble, clean, DRY
THOROUGHLY, and reassemble once completely dry.  I often use a needle or 
other pointed instrument to unstick valves "on the spot".  It doesn't 
happen often, fortunately, and never on a clean harp.

I use my C harp almost exclusively (except for studio work, where they
often want chording effects), so you may not have the same problem with
yours if you change harps a lot. 

4. Related problem - valves tend to retain moisture more than open reeds.

5. Improperly adjusted valves and/or highly offset reeds can buzz.  Many 
would consider this a disadvantage, but I use it as a "technique" in my 
playing.  It sounds positively nasty when playing in "distorted" mode.

6. Valved harps require a much lighter "touch" than unvalved harps.  If 
you try to "blow your brains out" like you do on a GM with a huge reed 
offset, you'll tend to lock up the reeds.  "EASY" is the trick to playing 
valved diatonics.

7. If you're a "soaker", you won't like valves.  They really tend to come 
off when wet.  Not a pleasant experience when doing a hard draw note :-Q

8. Overblows are not possible on a valved harp - but they're not 
necessary, either.  ALL notes can be gotten via bends.

9. The draw 10 bend is quite difficult on all my valved harps.  I'm not 
sure exactly why, or if there's a fix for it.  It hasn't been enough of a 
problem to invest a lot of time in.

<Deleted stuff about posting to the list vs private reply>

<tally thus far: one vote for - and one vote against>

 -- mike
wd6ehr@xxxxxxxxxx