Re: [Harp-L] flat reeds

[Winslow Yerxa <winslowyerxa@xxxxxxxxx>]

If you've been playing for years and this has never happened, then I'd send them back to Hohner - they may have had a run of bad reeds.

However, if you've been playing less than a year, or if you're an experienced player but this is a recurring problem, then I'd suggest that it might be a good idea to examine your playing technique to see if you could avoid stressing the Draw 5 reed.

Draw 5 is the most sensitive reed in the harp to excessive force in playing. Hitting the reed too hard, or trying to bend it too far, will deliver energy the reed can't dissipate, and the resulting stress can result in early failure.

Winslow

Winslow Yerxa

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

Resident expert at bluesharmonica.com

Harmonica instructor, jazzschool.com

Columnist, harmonicasessions.com

--- On Fri, 5/14/10, Mike <otisharp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

From: Mike <otisharp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [Harp-L] flat reeds
To: harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx
Date: Friday, May 14, 2010, 12:42 PM

I recently bought a Special-20 and within two weeks the five draw reed was flat as a pancake.Bought another at the same place (a large guitar oriented chain) and the five draw also went flat; this time in one week. The salesperson told me if i wanted to i could send it back to Hohner. Both of these harps were in blister-packs if it matters. This is the first time i've had trouble with this model harp. Anyone else experiance this problem?
                 Mike