Re: [Harp-L] Steel Reeds

[Vern <jevern@xxxxxxx>]

I don't know but I speculate as follows.

Because they don't sound very different, the only advantage of SS reeds is their longer life.  It has taken a long time to prove this.  

Any machinist will tell you that brass/bronze and SS are very different metals to cut.  SS is much tougher, requires more, slower, and lighter cuts to remove the same amount of material and causes more tool wear.  This raises the cost of reedmaking.  The SS reedmaking process may require different and new procedures and machinery requiring capital investments.  

Most harps that are sold are never worn out.  They are played with and then thrown in a drawer or given to a kid.  Only us serious musicians on Harp-l are concerned with reed life.  

That makes the market for SS reeds fairly narrow and higher-priced.  I applaud Seydel for addressing it.  After languishing behind the Iron Curtain for 50 years, they needed something to differentiate their products from Hohner's. IMO, SS for reeds is the most important recent improvement in harmonica quality.  When the majority of harmonica buyers demand SS reeds, then the competition will jump in.

Vern  

On Jun 20, 2012, at 12:07 PM, pneupco@xxxxxxxxxxxx wrote:

> Seydel has been making harmonicas with stainless steel reeds for some time now. How come none of their competitors have come out with them? Even the Chinese factories, for that matter.
> Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry