Re: [Harp-L] Special 20 reed failure

["John Kerkhoven" <solo_danswer@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Ross,

I can't answer the question about whether or not the higher keyed harps are
more prone to reed failure, but I can say two things.

1. If you have any inclination to learn how to work on your harps, go for
it. There's some up front investment for tools and a bit of a learning
curve, but it's well worth it. I blew out a 5-draw on a SP20 D just a week
ago and transplanted a 7-blow from a dying SP20 G. All is well.

If you start working on your harps, you will also learn to customize them
for your own style of playing. (It's probably more accurate to say that over
time, your customizing and playing style develop together.)

This leads to my second point which may not apply to you, but maybe it does.

2. Work on your technique. Reeds fail, but as you learn to bend only when
you want or need to, and as you control your breath, you will play with all
the force, attack and accuracy you want and your harps will last. Playing
quietly is good practice. I mean playing with all the technique, colour and
expression you can muster, but doing it so you don't wake anybody up at 3
am.

I can add a third point, which relates to some comments posted not long ago
about different harps for different contexts. I blew out the 5-draw when I
was playing amplified with my madcat shaker mic which does not have the
pickup for the setting I was in. (I love this microphone, but it's not
recommended for rocking out in a small bar.) I picked up some Lee Oskars and
switched mics (sm58). The Shure mic alone was probably enough, but now I've
got my main keys in Lee Oskars (G, A, Bb, C, D, F) for hard playing. I've
put a lot of time getting my SP20s where I want them for overblow-friendly
traditional-style blues. No point wrecking them on a loud version of Sex
Machine.

And what goes along with that, given what I said above, is that now I'll be
figuring out how, if at all, I want to customize my LOs.

All the best,

John
Montreal



> I play SP20s pretty much exclusively - why I'm not real sure, but they
just feel/sound and usually work right for me. I have a few of most mfgs.
but I keep coming back to SP20s.  I open up the covers and that's about all
I usually do out of the box. They're usually tight enough on the low end and
I can break them in fast.
>
> Lately though I have had a run of bad luck - specifically with D and E
flat keyed SP20s. W/in 30 days after purchasing and with < 10 hours of
playing time, a draw reeds go out. Always a draw reed - which makes sense
with the bending etc. It's usually the 4, 5or 6 draw reed.  All of a sudden
the reed goes half step flat and it's over after that?  or is it?  I'm
assuming that a micro crack in the reed has happened and I can't save it.
>
> Should I send it back to Hohner, open it up and try to tune the offending
reed up, or just send it to the boneyard and get over it.
>
> Other keys - G/A/B flat/C seem to last a lot longer adjusting for equal
playing time. Is there something about these higher keyed harps that makes
them more susceptible to reed failure?
>
> --
> Ross