Re: [Harp-L] Re: Blu-Tack: I Deserve All the Credit


On Mar 24, 2009, at 9:34 PM, Rick Epping wrote:

Sorry for coming in late on this. I did indeed get the Blu-Tak trick from
Brendan. Up til then I used a mixture of beeswax and powdered brass,
inspired by the mixture of beeswax and powdered lead used to tune shengs.
Blu-Tak is fine for lowering a reed's pitch by a semitone, though I find
that using it to lower the pitch a wholetone or more can sometimes tend to
dull the tone. Blu-Tak sticks much better than beeswax and can be fine
tuned by shifting it forward or back a little from the reed's tip. I always
keep a bit of the stuff in my toolbox. Thanks Brendan!

Another trick: If I'm stuck with a reed starting to go flat and I haven't
the time to replace it, I sometimes add a little super glue (the thin
variety) to the back of the reed, where it will ultimately fail. This both
raises the pitch and acts as a splint to keep the reed going, sometimes for
as much as a few weeks.

Here comes one of my closely guarded secrets. But since I'm getting old, I see no reason not to share it. You people writing books can use it. I am beyond minding.

A drop of super glue into which you drop a sliver of cigarette paper. The paper fibers will (as Rick says) 'splint' the fractured reed, and I have gone a long time with this type repair. NO risk on a blow reed and you WILL get a warning before the reed fractures and lodges in your throat on a draw reed.

sMO-JOe (who would rather LeOne than LeZero)

Not something I ever recommended while working for
Hohner, as the safest thing to do is to replace the reed, but it does the
job.

I haven't forgotten about posting photos and info on restoring leather
windsavers, just been away much of the time. I'm off again to Denmark on
Friday but I'll keep trying to get to it.

Best,
Rick



Message: 10
Date: Wed, 25 Mar 2009 10:06:59 +1100
From: "Rick Dempster" <rick.dempster@xxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [Harp-L] Re: Blu-Tack: I Deserve All the Credit
To: "Brendan Power" <bren@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, "Harp-L"
       <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx>
Message-ID: <49CA0243.7C8A.0066.0@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII

Brendan,
Perhaps you could turn this into a market opportunity: I can
foresee kits of pre-weighed blobs of Blu-Tak; 'The C Richter to Paddy
Richter Kit'; the 'G Richter to Melody Maker Kit' and so forth.
Perhaps a Blu-Tak syringe that could deliver metered blobs;
perhaps the Bostik (I believe they are the manufacturers) might be
interested in doing a deal with you.
Anyway, when your boat comes in, just remember that it was
suggested to you by your pal across the Tasman,
Your's Sincerely,
RD

PS I may have been overdoing the Irony Supplement pills lately....

"Brendan Power" <bren@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> 24/03/2009 20:21 >>>

I'm going to come out boldly and claim that I was the FIRST to adopt
Blu-Tak for retuning harmonica reeds. If I'm remembered for nothing else, I
wish to be known as "The Man who Brought Harmonicas and Blu-Tak Together"!
Forget numerous CDs, half-valving and innovative special tunings (even
being
invited to play at The Old Neptune pub in Whitstable!) - I consider the
BLU-TAK TRICK to be the true summit of my modest contribution to the
harmonica community - and I won't have anyone else steal my thunder ;)

Rick Epping has showed me many of his nifty tools and tricks for harmonica
tweaking - he's great like that :) But I showed HIM the Blu-Tak Trick, as
I'm sure he would attest. I've been doing it since the mid-80s (to tune the
custom 11 hole harps I used at the time). I've imparted this precious
knowledge to many others over the years, without even asking for a cent!

It allows you to have one harp that can be quickly and reversibly changed
to
alternate tunings.

For example, the 5 draw can be tuned up to the major 7th in 2nd Position
(F#
on a C harp), then lowered with the right amount of Blu-Tak to the F. When
you want the F#, simply remove the Blu-Tak and stick it on the rivet pad.
Then reapply when you want the F again. Since it is the right amount, the
tuning will be dead-on every time. It's a bit like a Scruggs tuning peg for
the harmonica!

It takes less than a minute, and most of that time is in
removing/rescrewing
the coverplates (with a Turbolid the job would be done in 20 seconds or
less). Good for trying out new tunings quickly and reversibly too. The
stuff
sticks like you wouldn't believe and stays there for decades of violent
reed
vibration. Just make sure the reed is clean and free of dust and grease
before applying.

A real money saver in these tough economic times... No need to buy lots of
harps in different tunings, just "Blob on Some Blu-Tak"! (but if Lee Oskar
goes bust, I never told you, right! ;)

---------------

For Americans, with their unfortunate irony deficiency, I feel boringly
obliged to point out there is a certain tongue-in-cheek element to this
post. (If I didn't, they'd probably take me at my word and I WOULD only be
remembered for Blu-Tak :)

Cheers,

Brendan Power
WEBSITE: http://www.brendan-power.com
YOUTUBE: http://www.youtube.com/BrendanPowerMusic



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