Re: [Harp-L] Re: Soaking harps, Ultrasuede

"Vern Smith" <jevern@xxxxxxx> · Thu, 19 Jul 2007 12:00:06 -0700

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Winslow Yerxa" <winslowyerxa@xxxxxxxxx>

To: "Vern Smith" <jevern@xxxxxxx>; <Snaruhn@xxxxxxx>; <harp-L@xxxxxxxxxx>

Sent: Thursday, July 19, 2007 9:30 AM

Subject: Re: [Harp-L] Re: Soaking harps
Vern -
Ultrasuede comes in several thicknesses. Can you characterize the
thickness (and any other selectable and significant attributes) of the
material you have successfully used to make valves?
Winslow

I obtained my Ultrasuede from www.fieldsfabrics.com .  For $15 they will 
send you a bundle of  2" x 2" samples of all thicknesses, finishes and 
colors.  You get 15 or 20 samples of each thickness in the various colors. 
Because I only use it to replace troublesome valves in my own harps, I have 
enough to last a very long time
"Ultrasuede Light" is about .015" thick.  I have used it for short valves in 
the C5 octave and above.  I think that it is too limber for longer valves 
and would droop away from the bottom side of the plates.
"Ultrasuede Soft" is about .022" thick.  It seems stiff enough to support 
itself close to the plate on a longer valve.  This is, I believe, the 
thickness used by P.T. Gazell in his valved diatonics.  I had the 
opportunity to feel a swatch of his but could not measure it or make a 
direct comparison with the samples that I obtained a year later.  P.T. 
describes it as "about as thick as a credit card."  My VISA card is .030" 
thick.
"Ultraleather" is about .030" thick, has a slick leather-textured surface on 
one side and a fabric backing on the other side.  It reminds me of a product 
that I know as "Naugahide".  Because it doesn't appeal to me as a valve 
material, I haven't tried it. We used to joke about how many Naugas you had 
to kill to cover one sofa.
I have encountered a very strange valve problem in Hands-Free-Chromatics 
(HFC)  Because  it has no slide and the valve prevents air from passing the 
opening reed, the HFC is virtually leak free.  The sound pressure seems to 
overcome the static pressure and pop open and vibrate the normally closed 
valve.  It makes a nasty snarling sound. It only seems to occur in the range 
of A4 to E5 where the resonance seems very strong.  Although it occurs with 
standard Hohner valves, it occurs more often with teflon.  However, 
replacement with the softer, sort-of-porous Ultrasuede Light cures the 
problem as well as any sticking/popping from condensation..  This ties in 
with my unverified theory that the leakage of "DC" breath is not what 
bothers the player, but the leakage of  "AC" sound dampens  the resonance of 
his embouchure.   I'd welcome comments on this.
I have only used a few Ultrasuede valves so do not feel that I am an expert. 
The above is about all I know on the subject.
Vern
Visit my harmonica website www.Hands-Free-Chromatic.7p.com