Re: [Harp-L] Virtues vs liabilities of weighting the rivet end

[Joe Leone <3n037@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Apr 3, 2011, at 12:07 PM, Gary Lehmann wrote:

> Hello all--
> I just did a repair job for a well known harpist, and one of his harps
> needing repair was a high D chromatic--a whole step higher than normal.

Ok

> So the donor reeds I had were not acceptable,

Were you thinking chromatic reeds? Stop thinking chromatic reeds. Because chromatics (generally) only go up to C standard. (Although I believe Seydel will make a Db hi ?)
Diatonics go up much farther. The only thing you have to look out for are that diatonic reeds (make for make) are ever so slightly wider than chromatic reeds. So you have to trim the sides. Now trimming the sides won't change the pitch.

So, in conclusion, consider using a slightly longer reed from a diatonic (or even chromo, for that matter), trimming a little off the tip, and this should get you close to where you want to be. Then it's just a matter of taking off some 'dust'. In some cases I have found that I actually got HIGHER than I wanted. 

> and I had to raise the pitch
> of a reed using silver solder near the rivet end.

I wouldn't add. It could deaden the flex. The reed could sound fainter. And that would entail a change in breath pressure. The #1 demand on a harmonica is that it should sound evenly...across the full range. (Btw, I have never had a chromatic like that..but spl 20s usually are.) :) 

> Any thoughts on this use and how would you raise a reed beyond what could be
> done by removing material from the tip?
> I would not have had any tip left!

I'll let the rabbi joke go......

> How about some tips?