[Harp-L] The shapes of the covers

["Steve Merola" <stevemerola@xxxxxxxxx>]

Harp-l
The greatest difference I've experienced as far as covers changing the sound
is using Turbo Lids on SP20's. It's mellow and warm and takes the bite out
of the higher keyed harps, if so desired.
Thanks
Steve Merola


Message: 9
Date: Thu, 10 Jul 2008 16:19:04 -0700
From: Ken Deifik <ken@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [Harp-L] Re: The shapes of the covers
To: harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx
Message-ID: <4.3.2.7.2.20080710161206.03499fc8@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed

Steve Baker wrote:
>the Blues Harp (like the Old Standby) was never anything else
>but a standard Marine Band comb & reed plates fitted with closed
>covers, which made the sound slightly less bright due to the
>different shape and of course the closed sides.

Wow.  This opens up something like a legitimate version of the materials
debate.  Aside from the holes on the sides, is there anything else about
the shape of the covers that changes the sound of a diatonic harp?

As a guy who mainly plays acoustically, I'd LOVE to experiment with various
shapes for the covers, if that's going to give me different colors of sound.

Has anyone on Harp-l monkeyed around in that jungle?

Beyond shape, here goes an actual materials question: do different metals
or coatings on the covers change anything?  I recall being knocked off my
feet by the sound of a tenor sax that had just been coated with an ounce of
platinum.

K