Re: [Harp-L] Customizing Problems-my two cents



"nonametribe" wrote:

I want the "secret" teachings on harp customizin (IMO). You know - where you just have to think it (IMO) and the harp plays itself, sweeter than ever before (IMO).
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I went back and read your original post, and here are my thoughts:


Advanced "secret" techniques really aren't of much use until you master the less advanced ones, especially gapping. There are several basic problems that occur often, and can sabotage any improvements you're hoping to make. Modifications may only make the flaws more pronounced, whereas they might not affect a stocker very much at all. Plates not flat, reeds not centered (at the rivet- not just swung off center), reeds with hidden and/or obvious twists, milling flaws, and profile damage done by the sometimes hacksaw-like factory tuning are some things that will cause you grief. On top of that there were several different flavors of reeds over the last 10 years of handmade Hohner production, all with different characters, and evolving plate tolerances along the way.

It is obvious (to me) that Hohner is seriously commited to improving their product to compete, judging by the latest Marine Bands I got. But- just because you bought a harp today doesn't mean it was manufactured recently. And some modifications that worked ok with earlier reeds/plates don't agree well with late production ones, it is very easy to ruin their organic tone. You won't find consistent results in an approach like 8 passes here and 4 passes there, because there are too many variables involved. Until you are able to recognize and resolve underlying issues within the the stock harps, creating a solid foundation to start with, you could be wasting a lot of time trying to build custom harmonicas out of them.

My suggestion would be to only make one light/medium pressure stroke when embossing later production plates, then gap and test before proceeding further, that's fairly safe. May be all you need to have a nice harp, if it was decent to start with. Two passes could easily make the tone too harsh for your taste or even cause interference, because the new reed material is already quite bright sounding and tolerances aren't as loose as they use to be. You might try further experiments one thoughtful modification at a time, one hole at a time. That way you learn what worked and what didn't (and you'll have less work to undo if it didn't). Besides that, each reed is subtlely unique and won't require the exact same manipulation to hit a specific target.


Good Luck,


Joe Spiers
Maysville, MO
www.spiersharmonicas.com











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