Re:Projecting

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

Dear Reeders;
                        A long standing interest of mine has been increasing the natural/accoustic volume of the
harmonica. Admittedly, it's been something of an 'armchair' interst, and the most I've done about it is think and
discuss with like minds. However, it's been a while, so maybe I'll just go fishing for responses again. My latest
thought was that the works of a music box bear a striking resemblance to the harmonica. The music box is essentially a
free reed instrument, with the difference that the reeds are plucked by the pins on the rotating drum. Also, the reeds
are usually cut into a single piece of metal, though I'm sure there are some older handmnade exceptions to thiss
practice. Anyway, the fact is that if you hold a music box mechanism in your hand while it works, you can hardly hear
it. Place it on a table or any other chunk of resonant,  solid material (or hollow; like a guitar top for instance)
and note the huge increase in volume. (Admittedly the music box reeds are steel which are a lot louder than brass, but
that doesn't necessarily effect what I am saying here) Now, I recall in past exchanges with tehnological boffins, it was
claimed that there was no transferrable vibration at the rivet end of the reed and that all sound emanated from the
vibrating mass of reed in the airstream. However, maybe that is only because of the way the reed is supported in a
conventional harmonica. I find it difficult to believe that some of the vibration could not be transferred to a
resonating mass, be it a sound board or a resonator diaphragm, as with a resonator guitar (ie Dobro, National etc.) or
the needle/diaphragm appuratus of an acoustic phonograph.Of course the simplest and most obvious thing to do is to use
an accoustic megaphone like Deford Bailey, which does increase the volume. (ok, so this might be the wrong terminology,
but it certainly seems louder) Oh, and yes, a I have tried playing a harmonica up against a table, but I don't feel it
was a fair experiment, as it's hard to tell anything in that physical situation. Anyway, I'd be keen to hear from anyone
with any insights. It would be great to be able to play the harp with something approaching the natural volume of a
trumpet, clarinet, or even a fiddle, with no #$%& amp to lug about!
Rick Dempster