Thicker reedplates = louder ?

["Vern Smith" <jevern@xxxxxxx>]

For you proponents of thicker reedplates, here is a proposal:

I am the proud owner of a sound level meter.  I also have an air pump and a
water manometer with which to measure its exact pressure.

If someone can loan me a harp with doubled reedplates and grant me
permission to remove the extra plates, I can find a definite, quantitative
(in db) answer to this question.  I will compare the loudness of various
reeds machine blown at  the same pressure with and without the extra plates.
This procedure will avoid the subjective uncertainties of human breath
pressure and hearing.

You must, of course, either trust me to report the results honestly, or send
a trusted committee to my shop in Laguna Woods, CA to witness the
comparison. I could do it at SPAH except that the pump is too bulky to take
on an airplane with my guitar and other luggage.

If the thicker reedplates produce a higher sound reading on the meter, then
I will admit that I was wrong on harp-l...wouldn't you love that!    ;o)

Vern

Visit my harmonica website: www.hands-free-chromatic.7p.com