[Harp-L] The Reed Issue

["samblancato" <samblancato@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

I don't think the material (the quality of the brass used or what ever other
alloy involved) that would be the cost issue.  I think it's what you have to
do in terms of hardening and tempering the metal that drives the cost up.
Once you get a reed material that you can use there is the issue of how easy
it's going to be to adjust the pitch within the manufacturing process.
Maybe I'm really naive but I don't really think companies like Hohner are
actively trying to plan for reed material that both sounds good and wears
out fast. I think it's just been a balancing act all along between the
quality and density of the metal vs. having it in a condition wherein it can
be worked at the factory to easily render a finished product that's in tune.


 

What I think Hohner *could* do is to go back and research their product line
the way it was in the 1930s or 1940s and try to produce the same results.
But guess what?  I bet they have already considered this.  They're aware of
the criteria points we discuss on this list and I bet they have a couple
dozen other ones too.  Talk to a couple of mechanical or manufacturing
engineers and they'll wear your ear out.  How do you produce of a certain
quality such that you can make millions of them and have them all turn out
more or less alike? I think it's probably pretty complicated. 

 

Maybe we all need to just play then a little more gently.

 

Sam Blancato, Pittsburgh