Re: [Harp-L] flat, tuning drift, and the 100-plink test

[G <gigs@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Date: Sat, 1 Dec 2007 14:27:03 -0800 (PST)
From: Winslow Yerxa <winslowyerxa@xxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Re: [Harp-L] flat, tuning drift, and the 100-plink test

8<
>One thing I find puzzling is the settling process in tuning. You raise
>the pitch of the reed and get it precisely in tune, leave it for
>a while, and it is even higher in pitch (but if you tune it down it
>pretty much stays put). Or alternately, you tune a harp just the way
>you want it. Then you play it and it sounds great, but the next time
>you pick it up the tuning on some notes has drifted by a few cents.
>
>The majority of tuning I do does not seem to involve reeds on the edge
>of fatigue. It's a mix of touch-ups, tempering the pitch standard (A442
>seems to work best for me) or tempering the notes in the scale to sound
>well together, along with the occasional altered tuning.

Pat Missin gives advice about the settling process of reeds as a result
of tuning, in his article tun.txt found in Altered States
http://www.patmissin.com/tunings/tunings.html

Another aspect that seems to lack in most sources or discussions on
harmonica customising and maintenance advice and instruction, is the
absolute requirement to warm reeds up when tuning.

Gapping has an affect on fine tuning as well.  Something else covered in
Altered States.   I first learnt this hard lesson when I let a mate use
my harps for a jam, it took a few weeks to get them playing properly
again.  When I've let some heavy player try out a customised harmonica,
the gapping and tuning can be thrown out of wack after a good blow.

8<
>When I suspect that a reed is on the edge of fatigue, I plink it 100
>times in quick succession, raising it a few millimeters each time
>before releasing it to vibrate. This only takes about a minute. If the
>reed is going to fail, it will very likely fail within the 100 plinks.
>Winslow

I do something like this as well, although I don't count to 100.
-- G.