Re: [Harp-L] The reed issue



----- Original Message ----- From: "Zombor Kovacs" <zrkovacs@xxxxxxxxx>
To: <Harp-L@xxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Friday, March 23, 2007 10:27 AM
Subject: [Harp-L] The reed issue



Hi all!

I have been fiddling around with harps for a while.
The most annoying thing for most of us is the fatique
of reeds. I guess that reed quality today is
determined by sales figures and somewhere half way
between what is profitable to manufacture and what
customers still buy because they accept the lifetime.
Maybe because they don't know that reeds can last
longer. If they lasted longer, the harmonica lasted
longer and sales figures would drop. Also price would
increase because of higher reed quality.
But I am not willing to accept that we have to use
crap reeds, which are visibly crap. Has anybody tried
to make reeds?

About 8 years ago, I made a set of little machines with which I could make a reed of stainless steel, beryllium copper, or other spring material in several hours. This is much too slow to be practical. Using what I learned, I am undertaking a new effort to cut the time down to about 15 minutes. I am building 6 little machines and my progress is very slow because I have other things to do...like practicing with my Hands-Free-Chromatic.


I have heard a rumor that someone in Europe is working on a reed-making process. I'm curious about it but suspect that it is secret for proprietary reasons. Good luck making money selling reeds! ;o)

I believe that a properly designed SS reed can sound and respond just like a Cu-alloy reed of the same pitch but be much more robust.

I would be interested in corresponding with other reed-makers.

Of higher quality materials, from
different alloys with good surface etc. I would be
interested to know more about this topic.

Reeds can be made from any good spring material and, if properly designed, can behave just like standard reeds. Freedom from corrosion and from fatigue are desirable properties of SS and BeCu. Exotic materials will NOT produce exotic tone. Manufacturers avoid SS because the cutting tools are more expensive and wear faster. Musicians will wrongly attribute different tonal properties to SS, just as they do to different comb and cover materials..


Vern
Visit my harmonica website www.Hands-Free-Chromatic.7p.com






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