There's a third option, Christopher, that I prefer. Leave the reedplates on. Leave the reed in its normal position, in fact, support it in that position by pushing a stick into the hole with a flat surface to support it. Then reach an exacto blade into the slot and tune away. To pitch-raise, scratch brass off the end, using the slot walls to stop your strokes. To lower the pitch, use the blade tip to scratch the reed once along the long axis from ~1/3rd up from the base of the reed to the base, deepening the groove as needed to further lower the pitch. Works for me.
Christopher B <s5gv2@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote...
> I have a couple of harps that I am going to be retuned to paddy >richter tuning. I have only done this once before on a D Special 20 >which worked out fine. > I would like to know how others go about retuning the 3 blow, do you >tune it by leaving the reedplates on and poking the reed up through the >slot or take the reedplates off and do it that way?