RE: [Harp-L] Special 20 flat reed

[Steve Shaw <moorcot@xxxxxxx>]

> The 4 draw reed in a Special 20 in D major has gone flat (almost down to D).
> Is it worth trying to tune in back up to E or is it too far gone? Also,
> what physically happens to a reed to make it go flat?
> 
> Brian Irving

 

Keep your old busted SP20s as each one will still have 19 good reeds. It's relatively easy to tap out the knackered reed's rivet on SP20s and press in a good second-hand reed of the correct width. The replacement reed doesn't have to be the exact equivalent. It just needs to be either exactly long enough (lucky you) or too long.  In the latter case you can just snip the excess length off with sharp scissors then file (if necessary) and fine-tune the reed. If perchance the replacement reed's rivet is a bit loose because you went a bit mad tapping out the old one, all you need to do is apply a tiny drop of araldite-rapid (epoxy glue) at the back of the reed's heel (behind the rivet) to fix it down to the reedplate. Just make sure the reed is centred in the slot (it should ping nicely when plucked) before the glue sets rock-hard. I apologise if this post gives any harp-tech a heart attack.  It works for me.  Last night in a gig I played a low D all night that had its 7-blow replaced exactly that way six months ago by me and it gets a workout like that at least once a week. It's every bit as good as new. 
 		 	   		  
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