Re: Chromatic questions

[Winslow Yerxa <winslowyerxa@xxxxxxxxx>]

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Hello again, and thanks in advance for advice. I recieve great advice
here. I have a Super X, 16 hole Hohner, that seems to eat reeds. I have
never tried replacing a reed, but this critter is a frequent flyer, to
Hohner repair, with flat notes. I have an ancient Chromonica that I got
at a yard sale in the early seventies. It has some weak notes, but
nothing flat. This thing is from the forties, as old as I am. I just
bought a new Chromonica, the cheapest from Hohner, and it doesn't have
the tone of either of the others. 
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Is it only the 64X that has problems? If so, it may have soething to do
with the double-thick reedplates. These deliver more volume, but also
make the reeds work harder, meaning they may wear out faster than reeds
in a regular thickness reedplate.

If it's chromatics in general that are biting the dust left and right,
then you technique may be the culprit - stressing the reeds too much.
It's possible to get a big sound out of a harmonica without killing the
reeds, if you keep your mouth cavity and throat open, breathe from the
gut and only use as much effort as is needed to make the reed vibrate.
Find the minimum, then work on making the sound big just by opening up
inside and letting it resonate. Use that as a basis for building your
tone, volume and attack, and you may find your harps start to last
longer.


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I'm blind, and wonder if replacing reeds is something I should attempt.


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For myself, I can't imagine doing reed replacement without the visual
element that helps me line up tiny parts and do fine adjustments - but
then I've never faced that challenge, and I know people can do amazing
things without the senses considered essential to the task - like the
percussionist Evelyn Glennie, who went deaf as a child but became a
world-class musician and recording artist nonetheless.

The equipment to do it isn't very expensive, and if you have a boneyard
of dead harmonicas you could experiment without damaging a working
instrument - shy not try it?


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I make my money with harps, and go through them at a good clip. I've
gone with harp replacement rather than repair, for years. Any advice
would be gratefully appreciated. 

+++++

Well, it's cutting into your livelihood if your harps are biting the
dust quickly. The cheapest solution is to work on your technique.
Second cheapest is probably repair, with replacement being the most
expensive.


Winslow
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