Re: [Harp-L] Reed direction

[David Payne <dave@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Here are a couple of details that might help in an evaluation. I think this was a whole-package kind of thing, a relationship of blow and draw reeds. Back in the 1980s, Vermona (then known as KHW), was creating a harp designed specifically for blues. The blow reeds are extremely open, I mean extremely open. The draw reeds have zero offset. Seriously. Zero. They are down in the reedslot, but the reed is slightly shorter than the reedslot, so the air comes in through that gap to start the reed. I saw those reeds and thought "wow" these are way too open... but then when I played it, I found I had to open the 2 blow a little more. 
The harmonica will not choke. I cannot get it to choke. It will overblow stock and I can even bend the overblows to some degree. But it is very hard to play. It takes a lot of effort. I played nothing but it for about four days, just to see how it would feel once used to it. It was nice. But then today, I switched back to my regular customs or even a stock Db  Seydel Session Steel and the improvement was unbelievable. 
Harmonicas are tools, what really matters are the people who play them... so it definitely has its place in history. The Second World wanted to play the blues. This was the instrument that gave the average folks in the socialist world that voice. This was something you could play as hard and as feely as you wanted and it wouldn't choke out.   
 
 
David Payne
www.elkriverharmonicas.com


Elk River Harmonicas Forum now available via Iphone app, www.elkriverharmonicas.com/forum


________________________________
 From: "pneupco@xxxxxxxxxxxx" <pneupco@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx 
Sent: Tuesday, May 22, 2012 6:45 PM
Subject: [Harp-L] Reed direction
 
Not too long ago, Dave Payne was on this Forum talking about a DDR made Bandmaster. He stated that the blow reeds were in the wrong way - that is, the free end of the reed was by the mouthpiece rather than facing to the back. What difference to a harmonica's playability does the direction of the reed make?