Hole 1 Overblow

["Rick Dempster" <rick.dempster@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

I discovered overblows for myself 25 years ago. Think I called them 'reverse bends' at the time. I messed round with it
as a kind of novelty for a while, but found that it worked on some harps but not on others, so I didn't push too hard. I
didn't know anything about reed offset. So now I'm getting back to it again, and it's a whole lot easier with the
additional info. I've gleaned from various sources, including this list.
OBs on 4,5,6, (Eb,Gb,Bb on a C) and ODs on 7,9,10 (Db,Ab,Db on a C) are all OK,though the ODs a always a little harder.
Nevertheless, I can 'flutter' any of these (I mean trill from the natural blow to OB and natural draw to OD)and go from
any  note, straight or bent, blow or draw, directly to the OB or OB.
But hole 1 OB, which has the richest tone of all (Eb on a C) is still giving me problems. If I adjust it so I can go to
it easily from a natural blow, then I can't go back to the natural blow after I have hit the Eb. If I adjust it so that
the straight blow sounds, then I can only go straight to the Eb from silence. I cant sound the C and take it to the Eb
without interrupting the airflow.
Also, I find that if I can get all of this to work with the covers off, it doesn't work with the covers replaced, due,
I think, to the change in mouth-shape/lip-placement.
Actually, having the covers off means you can actually use your lip to block the reed physically, rather than simply
choke it with air pressure/resonance., which is interesting. I thought I might make some 'cutaway' plates that allowed
this while still giving you enough plate to hang on to. On the other hand I wish I could just get hole 1 adjusted right!
Any words of advice/sympathy greatly appreciated. My 'experimental' C Special 20 is never out of my pocket and my wife
and family are being slowly driven nuts.

Rick Dempster
Australia