[Harp-L] Tension Headache

[Elizabeth Hess <TrackHarpL@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Okay, so, while waiting for my valved harps and PT Gazell valves to  
arrive, I decided to bear down and try to set up one of my harps for  
overblows.  I heard a rumor that after you learn a certain amount  
about how to do it, the key thing is determination.  So far this seems  
partly true.

I have arced and gapped the reeds on my Bb Special 20.  I contrived a  
light box, and have embossed the reed slots of 4, 5, and 6. You know  
how, sometimes, when you're part way through cleaning a room, and it  
looks worse before it looks better?  That's how my week has been.   
Early on, I got some pretty robust overblows on 4, 5, an 6.  Then I  
got greedy and tried to get 1 overblow.  Put the harp back together,  
and couldn't get 4, 5, or 6 for nuthin'.

Searched the archives to see if anyone had written anything definitive  
on why plinking is better than putting the reed plate up to your mouth  
and drawing air through to sound the reed (per Rupert's DVD -- Hi,  
Rupert!).  Didn't find anything definitive on that, but Smokey Joe is  
a genius:  He wrote that instead of screwing the harp back together  
every time, you can take two large binder clips -- the black ones made  
of spring steel -- clamp them on the ends, and try out your  
modification without all that screwing and unscrewing every time.  I  
tried it, and darned if I didn't get 4, 5 and 6 overblows again.   
Screwed the harp back together, couldn't get them.  Backed the  
interior screws off a bit (Did I have them so tight that I was warping  
the reed plates?), but no joy.  Gapped and embossed too far, backed  
off, back and forth, stayed in denial and just tried for  
determination...   last couple of days:  bupkis.

Just now I disassembled the harp, held it together gently, and didn't  
I overblow 4, 5, and 6 as just nicely as you please.  Put on the  
binder clips, and lost the overblow on chamber 5.  Took the clips back  
off and got it, again.  Can anyone explain what's going on, here, and  
what the remedy is?  Besides using the binder clips permanently, that  
is:  They make my harp look like an elongated X-Wing Fighter, which is  
kind of cool, but it won't fit in the case, and once a clip flew off  
and might have maimed someone, had someone been standing there.  I  
can't afford that kind of risk in the long term.

Thanks in advance.

Oh, and I was traveling when Michelle asked why people wanted so much  
to play chromatic notes on diatonic harps.  My reason:  Gluttony.

Elizabeth