Re: Subject: RE: [Harp-L] Magic reed gap adjustment

[joe leone <3n037@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Dec 28, 2009, at 2:32 PM, EGS1217@xxxxxxx wrote:

> honestly, I can't imagine ANYone not wanting the ability to be able  
> to gap
> ALL or most reeds...if there were a way to do it without muss and  
> fuss and
> without screwing up or damaging anything inside.

After giving this much thought over the last day, I had a few  
trepadations. Metal is weird stuff. If you take 100 harps, NONE of  
them will have exactly the same gap. Even the same note on the same  
model and key. What looks like .022 gap on one harp will sound the  
same on another harp at .023 or .024. I would think that it would be  
quite difficult to adjust even one reed on a harp and keep it  
consistent..harp to harp, that is. This would be a genuine wizardly  
feat of engineering.

There's the flex factor to the metal.
> I'd sure want to ...of course I'm talking primarily about  
> chromatics....but
>  then I watched Chris Michalek spend an inordinate length of time
> re-gapping the  reeds on my own 4 Buddha harps (he'd made for  
> me)..simply because I
> need  mine gapped differently from other people due to my TMJ problem.
>
> Something to make that easier (and take up less time) would be  
> great. When
> you mentioned a 'magic knob' I visualized a little sliding  one  
> running
> along  a slot in the back of the harp...but  then...that would get  
> into 'air
> leakiness'. And round and round we go  (again) <G>

AND, how much would one adjust this fixture. I mean, we're talking  
thousandths here. Why golly gee, you can get a thousandth worth of  
flex just out of the covers. THEN, the covers would have to be  
pristine, correctly clearanced from the reeds and with NO dings or  
dents.
> Wouldn't you at least have a sure-fire market with most of the   
> customizers?

But I  L O V E  it.  :)
smo-joe
> Elizabeth