RE: [Harp-L] RE: Bad reed I think

["Todd Johnson" <tojohnson@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Thanks again for the advice. I have another reed problem on Bb Sp20. 5d is
just kind of dull. I mean the tone is just not a clear as the others next to
it. It holds its tuning but it just sounds kind of fuzzy. I've done a lot of
reading on-line about reed adjustments and I've tried everything I know so
far. I believe the gap is the best it can be. I've tried other gaps to no
avail. I changed the gap in both directions until it won't play. I've
checked the centering and it appears fine. I've checked for burrs and there
don't seem to be any and it doesn't appear to be loose. I'm beginning to
think the reed is just not good right out of the box. Now that I'm going to
have replacement parts, I'm thinking about replacing this reed with another.
Does anyone have any other ideas before I go to this extreme? Sorry to ask
questions that have been talked about before, but like I said, I'm kind of
new to all this.

Thanks

Todd Johnson 

-----Original Message-----
From: harp-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxx [mailto:harp-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf
Of Steve Shaw
Sent: Sunday, April 02, 2006 4:29 PM
To: harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: [Harp-L] RE: Bad reed I think


I think one thing worth mentioning about the "non-centred reed" scenario is 
that it's extremely unlikely to crop up suddenly in a harp that you've been 
playing without problems for a good while.  I must have bought over a 
hundred off-the-shelf harps by now (ah, my misspent youth...) and I've had 
the odd buzzing reed just once or twice that was due to a very slightly 
off-centre reed or a reed with a little burr either on it or in its slot.  
But if your reeds are nicely centred from the word go they are ~not~ going 
to go off-centre unless you fiddle around with them yourself.  A duff reed 
that develops is either a dead 'un or else it has fluff stuck in it.  I have

had mysterious gapping issues arising occasionally in older harps and why 
that should happen is a complete puzzle to me.  But what is life without the

odd mystery... ;-)

Steve


http://mysite.wanadoo-members.co.uk/trad_irish_harmonica
HEAR my CD clips: http://www.gjk2.com/steveshaw/cd.htm


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