Re: [Harp-L] Second reed failure on a Suzuki Fire Breath

[Garry Hodgson <harp@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Richard Hunter <turtlehill@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

> my first Fire Breath, in  C, had a complete failure on the blow 4  
> reed after only a few hours  of playing.  I have now had a similar  
> failure, this time on the draw  5 reed, on the Bb instrument.
...
> it's pretty disconcerting when reeds go straight from fine to failed  
>  without passing through slightly-out-of-tune first or otherwise   
> giving any warning.  It's especially disconcerting because it   
> generally takes me years to blow out a reed on a Lee Oskar.

i don't know if this relates (different models.  maybe different reeds?),
but i had 2 suzuki bluesmasters die on me last fall.  they were less
than a year old, and both failed all at once, like richard's.  i don't
play my harps real hard, and my other harps are years old and still
playing fine.  i really like the bluesmasters, even bought some more
after this.  but it does give me pause.  we'll see how the rest of 'em
last.  i prefer the suzukis, but i like my old special 20's too, all of
which still play great despite being 3 or more years old.


--
Optimism and pessimism don't exist for me.
I'm a blues man.  I am a prisoner of hope.
I'm going to die full of hope.
- Cornel West