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

["Tim Moyer" <wmharps@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

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.  

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