Re: [Harp-L] Marine Band Deluxe

["Splash" <celtiac@xxxxxxxxx>]

I have had lots of misfortune with F harps as well as D's. But I have a D MB
I have had for so long I don't remember.  At least 30 years.  I haven't
babied it and I haven't dogged it either and it hasn't gone out of tune and
still responds better than almost all of my other harps.

I have an A Blues Harp from around 1972-74 that similarly is a good'un.

Recently bought a Pre-War MB inG.  Will see how it holds up under combat
active duty.  News at 11.

Oh.  I thought I'd mention.  I love the F harp. But I never had a Honer in
the key of E that I liked.  Just don't like'um.  What is it about that key?
E   Dunno.

Blues in B, I'm going for my strat.

PEACE
Scott
Believe in Magic!
----- Original Message -----
From: "Joe and Cass Leone" <leone@xxxxxxxx>
To: <pdxharpdog@xxxxxxxxxxx>
Cc: <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Friday, April 25, 2008 4:09 PM
Subject: Re: [Harp-L] Marine Band Deluxe


>
> On Apr 25, 2008, at 3:22 PM, pdxharpdog@xxxxxxxxxxx wrote:
>
> > Hi list - I have a MB Deluxe in the key of D that I bought from a
> > friend who didn't like the reed plate ridges.  I fell in love with
> > it - very loud,  bright and with fast response - so I tuned it a
> > bit yesterday and when I played it last night I cracked the same
> > reed (draw 5) that I had just tuned. It cracked and broke smack dab
> > in the middle of the reed length - no where near where I sanded off
> > the tip. Is this just a coincidence that it was the same reed I tuned?
>
> Yes. The reed was already failing. That's why it was loosing pitch.
> Your tuning may have exascerbated it (depending on which angle the
> torque was applied).
>
> > I slipped a shim under the reed and carefully sanded with a small
> > sanding wand as per Rupert's video.
>
> Yes, as long as you went directly toward the rivet OR directly away
> from it, you were probably fine. As long as the shim was thin enough
> and you went PAST that fracture point. If you didn't go past the
> fracture point, you may have given downward pressure which 'pinched'
> the crack that was already IN the brass.
> >
> > How tough is it to replace a reed, and where would I find rivets to
> > replace the drilled out one?
>
> It is iffy to replace a reed and takes practice. I would practice on
> another junker first. The rivet shouldn't be drilled out, It sould be
> filed on the bottom side and then punched half way out and then the
> entire rivet pad should be pried with a razor knofe till it is free.
> Then the rivet should be chamfered on the very tip to remove the
> 'flare'. This way it is reusable. You can make a rivet from a paper
> clip. Taper it into a drift pin (i.e. the tip is every so slightly
> smaller in dia than the main wire dia.) After seating the rivet, you
> can clip off the top with cuticle cutters or other close cutting
> cutters and begin to 'peen' a head onto the wire. THEN clip off the
> bottom (opposite side of reed plate), and do the same.
>
> > Would any reed of the same width and length get me back in the game
> > with my harp?
>
> Not necessarily, you either find a reed that is the same pitch OR one
> that is LOWER. Then after seating, file the new reed UP to the
> correct pitch.
>
> >   I'm not an expert under the hood guy, but want to learn.  Right
> > now everytime I go under the hood I feel like I'm ruining my harps
> > a bit less often than in earlier attempts.  I never mess with new
> > harps - just the ones in the boneyard.
>
> Yes, do it that way.
> >
> > Also - it seems as though I replace D keyed harps more than any other.
>
> Me too.
>
> >   And it really doesn't matter what brand.
>
> Right.
>
> >   I am a SP20 stock guy most of the time
>
> I play spl-20 exclusively
>
> > , but loved the MB Deluxe until it died and have lost Delta Frosts
> > in the key of  D as well.  I play other keys way more often - G's
> > and A's seem to last forever as do C's.  B flats are problematic
> > for me as well.  Anyone else have keys that crap out on them with
> > more regularity than other keys?
>
> Just the Ds. Also. I have never had a good F.
> >
> > I have an SP20 custom, key of A from Bob Meehan that is 2 years old
> > and still in tune and working fine.  I also have a couple of Tim
> > Moyers Journeyman harps that are more than two years old and they
> > work awesome as well. Seems I'm a bit cursed with the D harps.
>
> No, this is common.
>
> smokey-joe
> >
> >
> > Thanks in advance for any direction you can give me.
> >
> > PdxHarpdog
> > www.myspace.com/sassparillajugband
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> >
> >
>
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