Andrew
10 posts
Dec 14, 2008
8:02 AM
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I started buying harps because I was poor, so I was a bit pissed off to hear that they don't last very long!
How long do you find your average harp lasts?
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GermanHarpist
4 posts
Dec 14, 2008
8:41 AM
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I didn't really figure out yet why harps go out of tune (I never had other problems than that with harps).
I heard, that it has something to do with playing/blowing too hard, but I can't confirm that.
It's true that, the harps that went off, I had played a lot. However. I have a Hohner Bluesband in G for 1,5 years now. I played it A LOT, and it still works fine.
I think I just had 3 harps that went off. I don't think, that how much I played it had something to do with it.
Plus I don't think that external influences like weather (cold) have anything to do with it either. I play quite a bit outside and I also left it in the car (when it was cold) and these harps still work.
so...
..?
Btw: The tone always got lower. Sometime by just a bit (6hole blow) sometime a whole tone (4hole draw).
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oldwailer
367 posts
Dec 14, 2008
9:36 AM
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I'm not a hugely experienced user of harps--but it seems to me that they last just exactly as long as they last. When they go out--they're gone. This might seem to be a connundrum, and it is.
I have two $5 bluesband harps that you couldn't kill with a nine pound hammer. I have a Delta Frost that went south after only about two months (I now have new plates in it). Big Rivers are reletively cheap and seem to last forever--but they don't sound as good as a Special 20 or MB.
When the tone goes a little lower--break out the files and tune them up. When it goes a lot lower--they don't tune up for me--I just replace the plates or put them in the spare parts bin. I never had one go sharp. . .
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MrVerylongusername
44 posts
Dec 14, 2008
9:36 AM
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Harps go out of tune eventually as a result of metal fatigue in the reeds; microscopic cracks in the metal, which eventually change the way the reed vibrates and thus altering the pitch. You can retune reeds a few times, but each successive time they will flat out quicker. Eventually you need to replace the harp, the reedplate or the single reed (depending on how much skill and effort you want to put into the job). I usually just replace the whole harp, although the way prices are going I'm starting to rethink that.
New players have a tendency to get through harps quicker, because they are still learning breath control and how to control the airflow. Once you've learned to play with a full rich tone and can hit your bends easily, then you can start to play with a gentler touch, which will stress the reeds less.
The brand of harp also makes a big difference because each will use their own composition of reed material. The harps that generally are credited with the longest lifespans are the Far Eastern made ones - Tombo/Lee Oskar and Suzuki/Bushman. Seydel (a German company) make the 1847 - a harp with stainless steel reeds. I believe these are very hard wearing although I can't personally endorse that because I've not played an 1847 (quite pricey) I have played other Seydel (Blues Session) harps though and they are fantastic.
Personally I play Lee Oskars. They last forever!
Last Edited by on Dec 14, 2008 9:38 AM
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TylerLannan
30 posts
Dec 15, 2008
8:52 AM
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Nicely put myverylongusername. I'm no expert also but I'd be inclined to thing that if the reed is even slightly off center in the slot it would hit the walls of the slot when vibrating. This would over time cause metal to be shaved off of the center of the reed which would lower the pitch. To sharpen it up just file a little off the tip
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*you can only keep what you have by giving it away*
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MrVerylongusername
46 posts
Dec 15, 2008
12:15 PM
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Hmmm... not sure about that Tyler. If the reed was hitting the side of the slot - even fractionally - it wouldn't ring properly. There would be a noticeable buzz.
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Oisin
57 posts
Dec 16, 2008
7:28 PM
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I totally agree with MrVerylongusername. When I first started playing I would blow out harps very quickly and couldn't understand why. After I learned how to play properly and control my breath that stopped.
The last harp I blew out was about 4 years ago when the 2 draw on my A harp Marine band went flat but I had been trying to bend it non-stop for about 6 months.
Learning the correct and subtle breathing techniques will add years to your harp life.
Oisin
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