RE: [Harp-L] custom harps

["Tim Moyer" <wmharps@xxxxxxxxx>]

Richard Smith wrote:
> One thing I don't understand is the open 'vents' in the sides of 
> the covers on Marine Band harps. There's so much talk about 
> the 'airtightness' of harps, and using Micropore to seal them, but 
> it seems like the cover vents would pretty much defeat the purpose, 
> wouldn't they?  I know the Micropore goes between the plate and the 
> comb; I've tried it on a couple of my own Special 20's.  Or since 
> the vents are on the other side of the reeds from one's mouth, does 
> it only affect the 'sound', or projection, of the harp?

The tightness of the seal has to do with channeling the air from your 
mouth to the harp (or vice versa) with as little leakage around the 
reeds or reedplates as possible.  The configuration of the covers 
won't have any effect on how tight the harp feels or plays (unless 
you're channelling the blow/draw air back through the harp, which is 
kind of a parlor trick), but will affect the tone and your ability to 
manipulate the tone with hand effects, as BBQBob points out in his 
post(s).

-tim

Tim Moyer
Working Man's Harps
http://www.workingmansharps.com/