RE: [Harp-L] Suzuki's Fabulus....Rant...



Yes. 

Not always, though. It depends on how much you change the gap, which part of the reed, etc.

Gap first, tune second (if needed) - no the other way around.

If you have a harp where you like how it's tuned but not how it's gapped, play each reed at normal playing volume into a tuner and note whether it's on pitch, or above or below (and by how much).

Then regap the reeds you want to change. 

Once they play the way you want them to, plink them several times to help them settle (plinking is lifting the reed a few millimeters with a fingernail or something similar, then releasing it to let it vibrate). If you've done really radical changes to the red profile, you may want to let it sit overnight to settle further.

Then you can play each regapped reed into a tuner and see whether its pitch differs from what you noted before gapping. Make any adjustments to tuning at this point.



G

Winslow Yerxa

Author, Harmonica For Dummies ISBN 978-0-470-33729-5

--- On Wed, 5/20/09, Anthony Smith <anthony@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

From: Anthony Smith <anthony@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: RE: [Harp-L] Suzuki's Fabulus....Rant...
To: "'Steve Shaw'" <moorcot@xxxxxxx>, "'harp-l harp-l'" <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Wednesday, May 20, 2009, 12:38 PM

I've heard from a number of customizers that gapping can create the need to
tune as well.  Is that true or not?


-----Original Message-----
From: harp-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxx [mailto:harp-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf
Of Steve Shaw
Sent: Wednesday, May 20, 2009 3:28 PM
To: harp-l harp-l
Subject: RE: [Harp-L] Suzuki's Fabulus....Rant...


 > But at the same time I do agree if I paid good money for a harp then it
should come with out problems...
> Then again, when you buy a guitar they will test it for you and maybe tune
it to make sure its good,,,, then the rest is up to you to maintain.....
> then again its me.
> 
> abner (Blueyes, then again who knew)


There just can't be a stock harp that is going to suit just everyone.  It
isn't possible.   It's a very simple (really!) yet a very big step to
understand how gapping affects response and an even bigger, and similarly
simple, one to learn how to do it to get the harp playing well for you.
It's much easier than tuning.  You need to be able to take off the covers
and then use one simple tool.  Decent harps of the big brands don't usually
come with big problems.  Hardly ever, I'd say.  The problem lies with the
player's inability to make small, fast and simple adjustments.   I regapped
a SP20 reed in the semi-darkness of the pub after three pints of Doom Bar
last Friday and didn't even drop a cover screw on the floor (never do this
over a shag-pile carpet though).   A darn sight easier than tuning a
12-string! 

 

Steve Shaw 

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