Re: [Harp-L] Reed Problem - Need Help

["J.Gordon" <jgordon@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

samblancato wrote:
> When I bed the 2 down a full step I often get this raunchy
> (and not in a good way) "other" tone that seems almost like a
> chatter but at such a high frequency as to be a tone rather
> than an actual chatter.
<snip>
> My somewhat limited experience with fixing this is to try
> swinging the reed to the right and left of the slot and then
> lining it up again in hopes of better seating the reed against
> the plate but when I've tried this before it didn't seem to do
> much and I'm afraid of loosening the rivet's hold on the plate.

tim wrote-
> Please remember that if you're hearing the problem on a deep bend,
> what you're hearing is almost EXCLUSIVELY the opposing reed in the
> hole.  In other words, if you're hearing the sound on a 2 draw bend,
> it's the 2 blow reed that's sounding.  If you're tweaking the 2 draw
> reed in hopes of fixing it, it's probably not having much effect.

<You describe swinging the reed from side to side and recentering it.
<I'd suggest that rather than using this technique, which very well may
> loosen the reed excessively, you try sliding a very small (0.002")
> shim between the reed and the slot, down both sides of the reed.  You
> can turn the shim angle slightly to move the reed more to one side or
> the other.  The shim will also shave off small burrs on the slot and
> reed edge.  If you hold the plate above a lighted white surface you
> can see the offset between the reed edge and slot edge to make sure
> the reed is centered.  Plinking it will also reveal eccentricity.
> Remember, you're working on the BLOW reed, not the draw reed.

> Best of luck,

> -tim

An offcenter reed at the rivet end can cause a whistle or extraneous tone 
which may be difficult to
resolve. If one uses a reed wrench to center the reed by twisting the reed 
back and forth the rivet should then be peened to tighten it again. However, 
if the reed is still adjacent to the slot at the end of the reed near the 
rivet pad after moving the reed toward the center the tip may then be 
offcenter.
This is especially important if any slot reduction has been done, as there 
would be less clearance between the reed and slot along the entire slot 
length, and while the reed may clear the side at the base of the reed the 
offcenter tip may contact the slot and not speak at all.
To fix this, the rivet itself can be recentered by securing the reedplate 
and tapping the rivet in the desired direction until the reed can be 
centered along it's length and then peening the rivet to tighten it.
The tip may also be carefully filed along the side to clear the slot when 
necessary.
Hope this helps, good to be back here after many years.
Best Regards to All,
Jimmy
http://customharmonicas.com