[Harp-L] Re: A-432

[Rick Epping <rickepping@xxxxxxxxx>]

Hi Trip,

The reeds in the highest two or three holes may have enough meat at their rivet ends to safely lower their pitch to A-432 but I'd say that's asking too much of the other reeds. 

I often use Blu Tack on those harps of mine where only a few reeds are to be retuned and where I may later want the harp back in its original tuning, but in this case, where all or most of the reeds are to be retuned using added material, I would choose solder. Solder will allow you to give the reedplates a good scrub should they need it later on, without worrying about dislodging the Blu Tack. 

Start removing material on the highest reed, checking the reed's flexibility as you progress by lifting the reed with your lifter, and checking its performance by playing it. Repeat this on the next lower reed and so on until the reed is as flexible as you want but is not yet flatted enough. Finish tuning that reed down with solder and all the reeds below that with solder. For consistency of response and volume you may want to remove material from a few reeds further down so that a smooth gradient of flexibility is maintained between all the reeds, with solder used as needed to reach the desired pitches. 

Whether you use a file or scraper for material removal, make sure it stays sharp to avoid bearing down too hard on the reeds and risking work hardening them. 

Best regards,
Rick



> 
> ------------------------------
> 
> Message: 12
> Date: Tue, 23 Dec 2014 16:28:03 -0500
> From: Trip <trip.tunes@xxxxxxxxx>
> Subject: [Harp-L] A-432
> To: "<harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx>" <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx>
> Message-ID: <FFD6CAAE-9B65-4ACF-9449-C01D2A340BE4@xxxxxxxxx>
> Content-Type: text/plain;    charset=us-ascii
> 
> Here's a question for the group, some string band players are tuning down to A-432, can harps be custom ordered down to A432 Hz? If not can removing material from the rivet end get the pitch down without risking reed failure? Or is solder the way to go?
> 
> Sent from my iPhone
> -- 
> Trip Henderson 
> https://soundcloud.com/trip-henderson
> www.youtube.com/user/TheWhistlingWolves
> 
> 
> 
> ------------------------------
> 
> Message: 13
> Date: Wed, 24 Dec 2014 14:21:13 +1100
> From: Rick Dempster <rickdempster33@xxxxxxxxx>
> Subject: Re: [Harp-L] A-432
> To: Trip <trip.tunes@xxxxxxxxx>
> Cc: "<harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx>" <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx>
> Message-ID:
>    <CALH_262oJZ_LZ-y7LdRa1c79ZhjrCD92-mUVCmsG=vXqC1CoNA@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8
> 
> I forget what it's marketed as in the US, but I use 'Blu-Tak' to tune down:
> https://www.google.com.au/search?q=%22Blu+Tack%22&espv=2&biw=1745&bih=893&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=yi-aVO_9JYak8QWikYHgCA&ved=0CDYQsAQ
> I think it was Brendan Power from whom I got the idea.  It's permanently
> soft, sticky, plastic (?) putty. If you want the reed back to it's original
> pitch, you just remove it.
> I've got harps that have knocked around in my case for years with this
> stuff on them, and it has never come off. Beats soldering.
> By the way, it does not work in reverse on the rivet end. At first I
> thought it was because it was not heavy enough, but then I grasped (thank
> you once again, Vern)
> that it is not weight that is critical at the rivet end, but reed
> stiffness, which solder can do, but Blu-tak cannot.
> RD
>>