[Harp-L] Tuning and gapping. Gapping and tuning.

[Toni Macaroni <macaroni9999@xxxxxxxxx>]

Hi Harpers

My chromatic harmonica technician skills are improving but I am often
frustrated by tuning and gapping. My tuning procedure often changes the
reed gap and my gapping procedure often changes the reed's tuning. If after
a few iterations my tuning/gapping procedure were to converge to my
targeted tuning and gap then I would be happy. But, to date, that has not
been happening often enough. Too often my tuning/gapping procedure
converges to a tuning/gapping which is close to what I want but not close
enough.

Any ideas on how to extricate myself from this vicious cycle?

My basic tuning procedure is to place a Hohner reed lifting blade under the
reed while I am working on it. I then sand the tip of the reed with a
sanding wand to raise the pitch or scrape the reed (with the Hohner
scraping tool) near the rivet to lower the pitch. I then plink the reed 4
or 5 times and check the tuning with the coverplates and reed plates
hand-held in place.

My basic gapping procedure is to use the Hohner hook tool to push the reed
near its tip.

I have decided to always tune the blow reeds with the reed plates off the
comb. This helps reduce the gap change after a tuning but does not
eliminate it.