Re: Purpose of windsavers?

[Mike Curtis <wd6ehr@xxxxxxxxxx>]

> 
> 
> Can someone please explain to me exactly what windsavers do? Do they just 
> extend the life of the reed or do they affect the mechanics of the 
> chromatic and the way the reed sounds?

Windsavers do exactly what their name suggests - they "save wind".  
Chromatics are notoriously leaky, so windsavers are added to try to 
minimize air leakage.

Otherwise, you have to have the air capacity of a certain politician 
known for his propensity for heating up the air :-)

oops - no Newt jokes!

Windsavers also enable you to bend notes not otherwise bendable, e.g. the 
low note in a hole.  I use them on my diatonics so I can play chromatically.

You can get windsavers from Hohner.  They recommend Phylobond rubber 
cement, and for chromatics, that's probably best, so you can remove and 
replace them when they buzz.

> ... Should I try to reglue the windsaver on? Would it 
> aversely affect the harp if I took off other buzzing windsavers?

If it were mine, I'd get replacement windsavers and replace the whole set.


 --  mike curtis
wd6ehr@xxxxxxxxxx