Re: [Harp-L] Harp Tech With Richard Sleigh

[joe leone <3n037@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Oct 13, 2010, at 2:35 PM, Elizabeth Hess wrote:

> On Oct 13, 2010, at 2:00 PM, joe leone wrote:
>
> > >  I worked on tuning and replacing reeds, with Richard actively  
> > > encouraging me to make every possible mistake in the shortest  
> > > amount of time so as to compress the learning. “You have to  
> > > accordion at least one reed, “ he said. (And I did. )
> >
> > What is his meaning for 'accordioning a reed'? Since I have worked  
> > on them, I would be Veeeeery interested.
>
> When you tune a reed, you file it from the free end towards the  
> rivet end.  (I just now realize that I neglected to ask why.)  If  
> you hold the file too low, or press too hard, the free end of the  
> reed can catch on the teeth/grooves of the file and suddenly  
> crumple up (like an accordion) in the time it takes to do one  
> stroke with the file!  Whups!  Ruined reed!
>
> Elizabeth
Oh, Ok, I know what that is. We used to call that a 'Tee-Pee'  (hee  
hee).
 Ok, the reason you don't file a HARMONICA reed from the rivet end  
to the free end IS:

1... You would have to hold the file nearly flat. THAT can't happen  
because the rivet will be in your way. Even though it only sits 1 mm  
above the plate, this will still give you too much of a downward  
angle and you will be taking material off of the extreme tip of the  
reed while not even touching the rest of the reed. If you are only  
touching the extreme 1mm or even 1/2 mm of the tip of the reed, you  
will quickly run the file through the metal Whey before you have  
taken off enough to affect the tuning.

     1..(b)... You can get around this dilemma by coming into the  
reed from an angle that puts your file's body slightly off the rivet  
to either the left or right. One caution though. This can throw the  
reed off center in the slot. Generally, a small adjustment with a pin  
will fix that. I usually set the reed into a cigarette paper. That  
usually holds the reed centered.

2...Fileing from the free end TOWARD the rivet gives you an almost  
flat angle of attack. One caution though. When working with spl-20s,  
you have to protect the plastic edge as these reed plates are  
recessed into the comb and you can ruin that leading edge. I cover  
the area(s) I don't want to touch with a (dulled) :) razor blade.
And with spl-20s (which I play exclusively), I sometimes take the  
plate off.