Re: [Harp-L] reed plate thickness/now nailed reedplates



From: "steve@xxxxxxxxxxxx" swebb@xxxxxxxxxxx

>You like nailed harps better than ones with screws? ... How many times can you take a harp apart with nails before it starts to become a >problem getting the cover plates back in place and tight? Or am I missing something here?
>Steve Webb in M inn.
>where I just give up on a D Big River that was the worst out of the box harp I've ever seen.



Yes I do like them better. We're a minority, but I'm not the only guy on this list that thinks so.  There is something to miss, sure. How many times do I take a nailed harmonica apart in your average year? 
Zero.
Unless it's a D, then probably once a year.
Other keys: Two years, zero or one. I have two nailed harps in my main attack case that I've had since 2003 and neither have been aprt yet. 
There is only one repair that I have to take a harmonica apart for and that's reed replacement. Everything else can be done with the harmonica together. So maybe once a year or longer I gotta take it apart. 

Say a blow reed goes out of tune, I tune it without taking the reedplates off:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VlEsyuO_Z0s

Adjusting blow reed gaps can be tricky with the plates on, but it can be done. I hardly ever do that, I got em gapped before I put them together.

With the toothpick trick, you can prolong the life of the nail hole and take it apart and put it back together numerous times. With toothpicks, the nail holes have a finite life, after 8 or 9 times, the comb can crack because the toothpicks are harder than the comb, I use matchsticks, which are softer than comb wood. Thus, inside the hole, the matchstick wood will give instead of the comb wood and you don't have the eventual problem you can have with a hardwood toothpick. How many times can you do it with matchstick wood? I don't know. I've yet to have a single problem. Whenever I do, I'll fill y'all in, but the world may never know: 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GlUXr-sVplg

This is a new  video on flatsanding. Most wood combs are thicker at the top of the comb teeth than elsewhere. This was originally, I suppose, so that when they swelled they became tight, but I notice a lot of sealed combs are like this. On Seydels, the Solist Pro and 1847 are pretty flat, but the solist still has that unsealed comb cut and is thicker at the top. Thus, something like a Marine Band can actually be LEAKIER sealed than if it were left unsealed because of that cut. Harps will also play tighter if you hone the reedplates flat, but that's a lot of work. Flat sanding the comb is easier and produces better results:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ccMzJKuHVA

 
On the Big River, there are things you can do to help it, but, alas, no man can make gold from guano. ;)



_________________________________
Dave Payne Sr. 
Elk River Harmonicas
www.elkriverharmonicas.com 




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