[Harp-L] re: Replacement reed plates vs replacing reeds

[Jonathan Ross <jross38@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Luciano wrote:

"This is a great harmonica colection:

http://www.g6pje.fsnet.co.uk/";


Yes, and a nice website with a lot of pictures.  Thanks for posting  
the link; some interesting beasties to be seen there.


"And here we can find an example of reeds with individual reed plates:

http://www.g6pje.fsnet.co.uk/DIATONICS__OTHER_.html

Is it what you´ve mentioned? it seems to be an old one..."


It is what I mentioned, and they are old.  That website shows the  
system quite well.  It really is a brilliant design, with so many  
differences from the standard that it's no wonder it didn't succeed.   
Still, I wish it had at least carved out a part of the market, as it  
is a very, very versatile format.  In many ways it is a truly  
"modular" harmonica design.  If you do get one, be careful--bakelite  
can crack and split very easily, especially if you overtighten the  
mouthpiece screws (which is quite easy to do).


Searching around I thought this was fascinating:

http://www.g6pje.fsnet.co.uk/Electronic_Harmonicas.html


I'd never heard of the "Elemonica" before (I have heard of and need  
to try the Harmonix sooner rather than later), even from sources who  
usually know of these things.  I wonder what an electro-magnetic  
amplified steel-reed harmonica would sound like.  I've heard and  
played Turbodog's prototype electric harp (not an amplified one like  
the Harmonix, but one which uses pic-ups for the reeds) and it was  
very interesting indeed.  But that was a much different system  
(optical or piezo, IIRC) and so would probably give a significantly  
different sound.

It's also another example of idiosyncratic usage of steel reeds for  
harmonicas.  This and the Harmonetta were both designs where steel  
reeds made sense from the perspective of the design itself, rather  
than as an aesthetic choice, but in both cases that didn't trickle  
down to more standard models.  I wonder what other idiosyncratic  
designs are out there which might be successfully adapted to more  
standard-style harps the way Seydel did with steel reeds in their  
1847 line.  Hmmm...



 ()()    JR "Bulldogge" Ross
()  ()
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