Valved Diatonics

[Greg T Hill <greghill@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hello to all on the list
   I've been lurking on the list since about a week before the big crash with 
garply, but this is the first time I've posted to the list.  I've been 
playing diatonic for a year now, and have been trying various brands and 
models trying to find the proverbial 'right' harp for me.  My current 
favorites are the Suzuki Bluesmaster and Sp20's with TurboLids.  
   A few months ago I cobbled together a discrete comb like Winslow Yerxa 
makes by grinding down two PocketPal combs and using micropore and nail 
polish to divide the chambers and hold the two halves together, and dropped 
in American Ace G reedplates, just to try out the concept.  With very little 
practice I was able to get nice 'valved' bends on the low blow and high draw 
notes.  Nowhere near the beauties that Winslow makes, but it works.  I was 
intrigued enough to want to try out a valved diatonic, and after I saw a 
thread on the AMH newsgroup about putting valved Promaster plates in the 
Bluesmaster I thought I would give it a try.  By mistake a was sent a 
complete Promaster instead of the plates.  What a beautiful little 
instrument.  I was immediately able to get nice blow bends on the low end, 
but the high end draw bends just went straight to squeal.  This being a 
Promaster, I attributed this to my technique, and have been working on it a 
little each day till I can get a fairly reliable halt-tone bend on the 
7-draw, and a really unreliable bend on the 8, forget 9 & 10. Very 
frustrating.
     While doing some plumbing repairs with some teflon pipe thread tape a 
little light went off in my head.  I had been planning on giving making my 
own valves a try,  so I cut off a piece of the tape, laid it out on the 
kitchen counter, laid some micropore over it, peeled it off the counter, 
snipped a couple of strips off and laid them over the 7 & 8 blow slots on a 
SP20 with a cracked 5 draw, and held them in place with a bit of micropore, 
slapped a TurboLid on it, and gave it a whirl.  Silky smooth draw bends, no 
squeal unless I bend too far, no buzz or rattle.  The thread tape seems to 
cling to the reedplate and make an absolutely airtight seal.  Don't know yet 
whether it will work as well on the longer reeds, or what kind of longevity 
it will have but I'm going to find out.

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Greg T Hill
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Today is Prickle-Prickle, the 2nd day of The Aftermath in the YOLD 3168