Re: [Harp-L] Powerbender tuning

[Ken Hildebrand <airmojoken@xxxxxxxxx>]

I tried raising the pitch of a reed by adding weight to the base rivet-end (using Blu-Tac), but it did NOT work.  I think the reed looses its ability to vibrate properly.

Ken H in OH


--- On Fri, 9/17/10, D Baker <dbakerzzz@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

> From: D Baker <dbakerzzz@xxxxxxxxxxx>
> Subject: [Harp-L] Powerbender tuning
> To: harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx
> Date: Friday, September 17, 2010, 3:06 AM
> As soon as I read about Brendan's
> Powerbender tuning I was impressed
> with the practicality of it for contemporary music so I
> decided to try
> my hand at retuning, starting with some 5 USD harps I had
> laying around.
> Now I have done 4 harps and the results have been somewhat
> successful,
> enough that I have been able to try the tuning and found
> that it is
> everything Brendan has said. I have had some problems
> tuning 9 and 10
> draw up 3 semitones. I have taken the reeds down to foil
> thickness on
> the ends and have ruined one and replaced it only to have
> the
> replacement get so thin it had to be shortened. All of the
> 10 draw reeds
> have actually had to be shortened some, leaving a leaky air
> gap at the
> end. 10 draw is still playable but less than ideal. 
> Does anyone know of a solution to this. Removing metal
> further from the
> tip doesn't seem to have enough pitch-raising effect. Does
> adding
> material at the base, such as Blue-tac raise the pitch?
>