[Harp-L] Re: Sp20 reedplates was...

[Garry Hodgson <garry@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

"Rick & Dana Siekmann" <dsiekmann@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

> A couple of people have said the MS harps are fine, once they been 
> regapped, retuned, whatever. ..in my case, however, 
> I don't have any real interest in reworking the harps for two reasons: 
> first, I don't really want to go through the time and expense of learning 
> the trade (I'm not that interested); 

if you're talking gapping and such, vs. tuning, it's not that hard,
nor that expensive.  i felt the same way, but wasn't happy with 
how difficult some of my harps were to play.  a quick look at a
very good article at harmonicasessions.com showed me what to do.

my toolkit consists of one of those cheap sets of eyeglass screwdrivers
that i bought at a drugstore for $1, a couple of toothpicks, a broken popsicle
stick, and a set of automotive feeler guages.  it all fits in the plastic case
the screwdrivers came in, about the size of a pack of cigarettes.

> second, my ear just isn't sufficiently practiced to hear if any one reed 
> might be a little off and in which direction.  Much less a whole set of reeds. 

again, i don't mess with tuning.  but the difference in responsiveness
from a little bit of gapping is remarkable, more than worth the effort.

----
Garry Hodgson, Technical Consultant, AT&T Labs

Can't you hear my lambs a callin'?
Oh good shepherd won't you feed my sheep?