Re: [Harp-L] Huge achievement! Who's buying me drinks?

[Pierre <slavio@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Oups, I did not scroll down and notice Tim's last paragraph.

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Pierre" <slavio@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Wednesday, September 08, 2004 11:38 PM
Subject: Re: [Harp-L] Huge achievement! Who's buying me drinks?


>
> Great news, I'll buy you a beer if you show up in Montreal!
>
> Tim is right, but I really wonder if its worth the trouble, you just set
up
> your harps and this (I believe) will completely undo all your work. Also
you
> may need to retune as embossing may scratch the reeds (not sure?). My
> teacher plays OB/OD style professionally and does not emboss, he sounds
> great.
>
> I tried gently embossing one of my old special 20s using a canadian penny
> and I did not notice any fillet being created. Guess I did not press hard
> enough although I pressed fairly hard. Maybe canadian pennies are soft.
> Anyway, I gave up for now. Please let me know if you have better luck.
>
> I am wondering how well set up your harps are by the way, if they are well
> set up you should be able to play OB hole and non OB note quickly and with
> the same length note for both blow and draw notes. Until you can do this,
> your work is not complete.
>
> Pierre.
>
> PS: I hate doing OB setup, hope you're better or more patient than me. I
am
> now using Turbo AXs Special 20s from Antakamatics, they just need a light
> tweeking to get right. No embossing required. Saves a lot of hours. I'm
not
> hard on my harps so they last a long time.
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Tim Moyer" <wmharps@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> To: <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx>
> Sent: Wednesday, September 08, 2004 10:06 PM
> Subject: Re: [Harp-L] Huge achievement! Who's buying me drinks?
>
>
> > Jonathan Hill wrote:
> > > Chris Michalek wrote:
> > > > To emboss a reed take a penny and lightly drag it over the reed
> > > > slot.
> > > > Be careful not to do it too much or the reed will not sound.
> >
> > > Umm....maybe I'm a moron. Why would that be helpful?
> >
> > Embossing the reedslots narrows the clearance between the slots
> > edges and the reeds, which in turn reduces air leakage there and
> > makes the reeds more repsonsive.  It serves a secondary (and perhaps
> > more important) function, which is to push the reeds down into the
> > slots up near the base.  If you then gently arc the reeds to the tip
> > so that they curve VERY gently upwards you will further improve
> > their reponsiveness.
> >
> > I'd argue that slot embossing on modern harps (for example, Hohners
> > made since 1996) stands a better chance of harm than good, since the
> > tolerances are already quite good, and as Chris points out,
> > overembossing can make the reed stick quite badly in the slot.  It
> > also can brighten the tone dramatically, which some (like me) find
> > objectionable.
> >
> > -tim
> >
> > Tim Moyer
> > Working Man's Harps
> > http://www.workingmansharps.com/
> >
> >
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>
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