Re: [Harp-L] Cracker Barrel Harp

[Joseph Leone <3n037@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Apr 13, 2013, at 2:37 PM, David Terry wrote:

> I stopped at a Cracker Barrel resturaunt and having seen some posting here
> picking them up (10$ at the one i stopped at in "c") I gave one a shot.

They used to be $5.oo. And that was fairly recently. Like 1 or 2 years ago. 

> It is the leakiest thing i ever tried to blow on, worse than a chromatic 8
> hole educator. So I took off the reed plates and saw the draw plate had
> "burrs" or a raised point where they meet the comb.So-- flat sand burrs
> down to flush and  reassembled while useing a cross patteren in tightening
> screws ( kinda like torquing a head on an engine) now this is a hohner
> blues band international made in china.It is slightly better now but not as
> good as a sp 20 ootb.Not even close!

But also not nearly as expensive. Which, last time I checked, were in excess of $40.oo

> That being said the reed plate screws
> are of a smaller diameter and the covers and comb are virtualy identical to
> an sp 20. As a former Machinest I observed the brass of the reed plates is
> of a lower grade than their german cousins.

This is probably because the brass is virgin brass. This is the first time it is being used. Ergo, it is soft. German brass is rolled using a percentage of scrap. Scrap contains many trace ingredients that are actually beneficial to the brass' hardness....per se. 
Stuff like molybdenum, arsenic, bismuth, etc. 

> Would sealing the comb to reed
> plates help or are the lower grade plates the main drawback?

You could try gasketing the plates with construction paper or very thin blotter paper. Then wet the paper, then screw down the plates. 

> If nothing can
> be done I can at least give it to a young-un who wants to learn.Many thanks
> for this forum btw it's like getting advice from Les Paul at a guitar forum!