[Harp-L] B-Radical questions for owners and repairers

[pneupco@xxxxxxxxxxxx]

For those of you who own and use B-Radicals regularly, here's some 
questions: How have they held up? I know that the grey coverplate 
finish is crap and doesn't last,  but what about the reeds? If I 
remember correctly, it was touted that the lengthwise milling on the 
reeds would make them last a lot longer than the traditional crosswise 
milling. So are they really any better?

To the repairmen: If you get a B-Radical in with a blown reed, what do 
you use to replace it with? I doubt if Brad had any kind of spare parts 
inventory built up, so what to use? Where his reedplate slots the same 
size as Hohner's or Seydels? A slightly longer reed would be easy to 
shorten, but how do you go about making one narrower?

Lastly, what's Brad doing these day? Operating the Tilt-a-Whirl on the 
weekends for some cheap carnival? Something else? (Before I retired, I 
was a State Inspector who inspected carnival rides, amongst other 
things. I know all about Tilt-a-Whirls, cheap carnivals and the 
carnies.)

Thanks,
Paul N.