Re: [Harp-L] Hohner Blues harp vs. Marine Band... and repair !!!

["Tim Moyer" <wmharps@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Ron wrote:
> Question: do the dimensions of the BH reedslots make for a poorly  
> responding harp?

No.  I have a few Blues Harps that I like quite a lot.  My biggest 
beef is the depth of the comb tines from the front edges of the 
reedplates, and for that I just overdrill the holes in the comb so I 
can slide the plates back a little.  

The tuning gouges you describe were a big problem with MS harps made 
a few years back, and I haven't seen them in a while.  I think 
they're not using that tuning technique anymore.  I actually saw 
reeds with gouges that went all the way through on a Big River 
once.  

I believe that the newer MS harps are better quality than those of a 
few years ago.  I know that they are much less machine built than 
they used to be, and the quality of the hand-assembled production 
seems to be higher.

One thing you might want to try is moving the reeds farther down in 
the slots.  That should help tighten the response.

-tim