It's always mentioned in the Suzuki blurb and I have never quite been able to understand what it meant. At first I thought it meant Suzuki tuned each reed by adjusting the weight at the tip or weld end by abrading with a high power laser, but I have seen file marks on the phosphor bronze reeds, so that rules that out.
Here is a video of when Suzuki updated their tuning methods from the primeval tuning by the human hand and ear... I think they have worked out the bugs now.
Suzuki uses laser tuning on their chromatics (and maybe orchestral) reeds -- not on their diatonics AFAIK.
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I think the Harpmaster and Bluesmasters are claimed to be laser tuned also and both have file marks on the reeds. From what I gather, the laser just senses the tuning and its still in human hands to adjust it.
Seems odd, they invest in an expensive laser and then fine tune with a file?
This question is of no consequence, I'm just inquisitive to know why Suzuki mention it as a selling point yet no-one knows how it works. I think I'll contact Brendan and see if he can give me a contact at Suzuki who can explain. ----------
It's a trade secret, although, I doubt anybody else would be interested in using it. With little info available about it, I worked out my "sharks with laser beams attached to their freakin' heads" hypothesis.
ever since I came to this planet the yellow glow in the sky you people call the sun has afforded me special powers like x-ray vision and laser eyes. I don't know how Suzuki does it but I just stare at a reed for a while and it starts to turn red and tunes itself as I clap my hand to the correct frequency. ----------
"The truth may hurt for a little while, but a lie hurts forever."
The laser tuner has multiple uses. I could not find any video of it tuning harmonicas, but I did find a video featuring another use of it. But you can see the machine quite well and get an idea of how it operates. The machine is used around 2:50.
