Reed Replacement(Long)

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

Dear Reeders,
                       I have made slight progress in replacing reeds. Started some years ago in desparation when I
couldn't get a low Eb as fast as I needed it. Gave up because of the huge amount of time it took for pretty poor
results. Got me out of trouble though I might add.
                      Hearing from that a few of you out there (including local compadre Ian Collard) were having some
success with this process, I thought I'd have another go. Adding impetus to this was a regular gig playing harp with
accompanying high harp-attrition rate, and a need to economise, as well as the realisation that I would never get my
chromatic playing out of the woodshed if I couldn't maintain the instrument.
                    Not having any soldering gear at hand (I'm renting and my stuff is mostly stored) I tried chopping
bits off old reeds and super-gluing them onto the new reed to tune-down. Unbelievably, it worked, although it meant that
if reducing weight was necessary, it was best to scrape the back of the reed rather than the glued on bit, as it tended
to come unstuck.
                   I tried to get hold of some brass dust to mix with epoxy as I notice some of you do, but the best I
could manage were filings from an engraver/key cutter. The idea of a reed clipping coming unglued and ending up in my
throat was bad enough, but epoxy coated filings entering my lungs? No thanks.
                  I got me a tiny refilable gas soldering iron from a computer accessories shop.I love it. No cord
flopping around knocking the work off the bench being the best part. Some non-lead solder and I was away again.
                 I added to my purchases a pair of high magnification glasses from the local chemists, as my sight
ain't what it used to be.
                 Now comes the tricky part. A couple of times, I have actually found a reed of the right pitch that
fitted the reed slot that it was going into.
               Most of the time however, I find that even on harps of the same model (I'm talking Hohners exclusively
here) right pitch does not mean the reed will be the right length. If the harp is exactly the same model and key, then
(I think) the reeds  will be interchangeable.
              However, if the key or model is not the same, then it seems it is unlikely that the reed will match.
Either it will be the same pitch but longer or shorter (often by quite a lot) or if you choose a reed for its size, it
may be out by as much as a fifth; or maybe more; I've done so much of this lately I can't remember. I intend to start
keeping records to see if there is any kind of pattern. What I suspect is that a reed of a given length and thickness is
used by the factory to fit a broad spectrum of pitches.
            Next step is to find my micrometer and start measuring thickness.
            I have had enough success to make me want to keep going, especially if I can graduate from fixing short
harps to fixing the button jobs.
           I am just attemping tp replace the draw 9 reed (an 'A') on a low E MS model. The reed came from an old plate
I had that was a low E too, but a different model with a much smaller plate . The whole plate was OK and I would have
simply exchanged it if it had been the same model.
          I thought it looked like the reed would fit perfectly, but when I came to put it on (I use a tap and brass
10BA cheese-head bolts) it was something less than a millimetre over.
          As I usuall do, I held the reed in a pair of small pliers with just the length to be removed protruding and
filed away at it. Needless to say, I overdid it, and while the reed works, it's not too brilliant, and I am going to
have another go at it.
          I am definitely getting faster and better. If I wasn't, I'd chuck the whole business.
          I'd be delighted to hear from any of you about your efforts in this regard.

Cheers,
Rick Dempster