[Harp-L] RE: Manji welded reeds?

[Jim Adams <tusker23@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

--Forwarded Message Attachment--
From: dmatthew@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: [Harp-L] Manji welded reeds?
Date: Mon, 10 Aug 2009 14:08:23 -0700
To: harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx

> From: tusker23@xxxxxxxxxxx
> I'm a relative newbie to harp-playing and I know it's probably a dumb question, but.......if welded reeds are such a tremendous improvement over rivetted reeds, wouldn't replacing a welded reed with a screw-fastened reed result in a poorer quality harmonica?
 
You can get that perfect alignment with a screw-fastened reed. The idea is you ream the hole bigger than the screw, so there is room to move it around for perfect alignment, Yes, it can be a pain sometimes. 

 

>> Yes Dave, I understand this point and the logic behind the repair. But my original point remains....Wouldn't installing a screw-fastened reed in a harmonica which was originally manufactured with welded reeds, detract from the initial purpose of having all-welded reeds? And if if doesn't, then why have welded reeds at all (other than welding possiblly being a cheaper method of assembly for the manufacturer?)

 

As I understand welding, the reeds are aligned by machines who then dangle the reedplates over a tank of sharks with laser beams attached to their heads. The sharks look up and zap the reeds secure. 


>> You obviously haven't calculated the cost and amount of time involved in training the sharks initially, and then checking their work for accuracy -- to say nothing of the prohibitive feeding costs during the lengthy apprenticeship required. What about laser repair and maintenance? And are YOU going to cross their picket line if the sharks go on strike?

  
As for screws and bolts, it's not ideal for a factory setting. You would have to pay somebody to sit down and hand tighten the screws, or make a machine to do it. 

 

>> Surely no more expensive than the shark training and laser beams purchases? And nuts, bolts and rivets are used in many other factories to assemble everything from microwave ovens to <gulp> harmonicas.

 

It is expensive to make machines and the job cannot be done by sharks. 

 

>> Chimpanzees? They have opposable thumbs y'know -- and they'll work for peanuts....

 

Takes way too much time, WAY more than riveting and remember 99 percent of harmonicas are thrown away when blown out.

 

>> I think that's my point. If I were a professional, would I want to play a "repaired" harp or buy a new all-welded (by sharks or otherwise) one?  
 
But the answer to all these questions is there is more than one way to skin a cat. That's the beauty of the age we live in, cats are skinned in a multitude of ways and we can choose amongst them.


>> OK. That's it! I'm reporting you to the SPCA. First you're using sharks as forced labour and now you're skinning cats (to feed to the sharks no doubt!). You're obviously a sharkophobe as well as a catophobe.... 


Jim
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www.elkriverharmonicas.com 
 
 

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