[Harp-L] Re: Harp-L Digest, Vol 29, Issue 4

["Michael Timler" <mail@xxxxxxxxx>]

Hello,

> Message: 15
> Date: Tue, 3 Jan 2006 15:54:54 -0600
> From: "Eric Neumann" <eneumann@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Subject: RE: [Harp-L] Baritone harmonica
> To: <winslowyerxa@xxxxxxxxx>
> Cc: harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx
> Message-ID:
> <B870C00CE3B1E445BB8C84365ED5CAC401784575@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
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>
> Just wondering, if anyone has looked into soldering and tuning an
> existing 270, or CX? You could weight the reeds to tune them down - I
> know this only because of a low low F harp I have... and the low A...
> and the back ordered low G... the reeds have been weighted with solder
> to get the notes pretty darn low.
>
> So I bet an exisiting chromatic could be modified to meet this need.
>
> Would I do it? If anyone wants to pay a few months salary while I go off
> and figure it out... sure thing. I reckon a CX would be a decent model
> to staart with.
> Would it work? Probably not. haha
>
> But, I think the concept of soldering, weighing the reeds, and adding
> the appropriate valve types, would be fine. Heck I bet half valving
> wouldn't be so bad either.
>
> flame on
>
> BTW, I call my low low F a "diatonic tuba".

The problem is not that harmonica manufacturers possibly sleep.
Players demands do not occur when somebody may discover the limits of what 
she/he is learning or has learned to master on her/his instrument in January 
2006.
Remember, the first Chromatics where made in the 20ties of the last century 
and since then all advanced players worldwide discovered what you discuss 
here, however even about 70 years earlier.
(Well, they didn't discuss it like we do, but the players always occured in 
the factories with their demands anyways)
I bet that ultra-low Chromatics have been tried to make in the factories 
lately in the 50ties.
However, the problem are not the reeds actually. It are the windsafers.
A low note is caused by a slow swinging reed. You can slow down the 
frequency either by weighting a reed at the tip or bei making the slot and 
the reed longer. Both solutions end up with a bigger up and downstroke of 
the tip of the reed.
If you now have a construction that needs to be valved the reed will touch 
the windsafer sometime.
(Cup valves have been proofed to be no soltion, because they are to slow, 
inert(?) while closing back and also hard to make to be flat at the sealing 
surface. Nobody uses them anymore as far as I am informed)

That's the main reason, why a Chromatic lower than C0 is not a problem to 
make, however to sell.
Always be aware, that a manufacturer has to guaranty the features of an 
item, even to the hardest dummie you can imagine. What would you think about 
a manufacturer that tells you, that you have to deal with touching reeds 
when buying an expensive custom Chromatic?

Naturally, manufacturers do not publish what they decide NOT to make, and 
then justifying in case someone could have a demand. Whole Harp-L would be 
full of it.
Most of the time it is not tiredness, it is, that the problems that come up 
with a demand or improvement idea can not be solved within a reasonable 
economic enviroment. Always keep in mind, that YOU, the customer, has to pay 
for anything we do. And WE are responsible, that we do not have to charge 
you for developments that are not paying back within a reasonable framework.
However, for Seydel it's very thrilling to discover the limits of this 
economical compromise that always has to be made in the dialogue you and we 
really try to stave off the compromise point into new, undiscovered 
features, like we did with the low Diatonics. They are close to the limit, 
actually.
(Sorry for my bad English, hopefully it is understandable what I wanted to 
point out).

Yours
Michael from Seydel