[Harp-L] Dee's Free Gaskets

[Richard Hunter]

I installed Dee's gaskets on three harps this weekend: a Lee Oskar melody
Maker in G, a seydel Session steel in A, and a Special 20 in Low D.  The
results were promising.

The biggest surprise was how the gaskets improved the performance of the
Seydel.  I almost didn't test this set, because in general I don't do mods
to higher-end harmonicas unless something is obviously broken.  This
particular A harp has been my walking-around harp for months, and it's
always had a certain subtle harshness in the tone and a slight unevenness
in its response.  The gaskets didn't make it louder, but they evened out
the response and eliminated the harshness completely.  This Session steel
now sounds and plays more like an 1847, an instrument that costs $30 more
than a Session Steel out of the box.  I intend to treat all four of the
Session Steels in my kit with these gaskets.

I chose a Low D Special 20 for this test because low-pitched harmonicas
intrinsically have a slower (and generally weaker) response than higher
pitched harps, so improvements should be more easily audible.  The gaskets
in this case improved both volume and responsiveness.  The low end notes on
this harp speak fast and loud.

The test on the Lee Oskar wasn't tops; I had persistent problems with one
reed buzzing with the gaskets in place.  I've talked to Dee about it, and
he's shipping me a slightly reconfigured set of gaskets for testing.  Solid
customer responsiveness there (and a testament, I bet, to the ease of
reconfiguration with 3D printing).

I made a point of cleaning the reed plates and combs on these instruments
with a wet medium-firm toothbrush before I installed the gaskets, brushing
the plates in line with the reeds, and I think that's a good idea in
general when you're putting something in place that needs to make firm
contact top and bottom.

Installation time in general was minimal, though I spent a lot of time
futzing around with the Lee Oskar to eliminate the reed buzz.

I think these gaskets, at $5 per set, are a modestly priced means to
turning a decent moderately priced harp into something that performs like a
higher-priced harp.  Well done Dee.

Regards, Richard Hunter

 -
"The Lucky One" 21st century rock harmonica project at
https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/richard-hunter-s-the-lucky-one/x/5259889#/
Author, "Jazz Harp" (Oak Publications, NYC)
Latest mp3s and harmonica blog at http://hunterharp.com
Vids at http://www.youtube.com/user/lightninrick
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