I am wondering what work can I do to my LeeO.s to get the high end notes to play as easy as the low end. Ive heard of gapping and embossing but wonder if that will help these harps play with ease. I am willing to chance ruining some reeds to learn these skills if it will mean smoothness and good sound from the higher register. Any advice
I recommend gapping every harp, but I've only bothered embossing three, and even then it was only the 2 & 3 draw holes.
Last Edited by on Oct 03, 2009 11:27 AM
I say just pitch the LO in the trash and start with a different harp (just kidding).
It sounds like you haven't been playing very long?(just an assmumption because you've only heard of gapping).
The upper end of all the harps take a lot of practice to make them sound good. You can try closing down the gaps on both reedplates until they almost stop playing. This will make them more responsive for blow bends. However, if they just don't sound good to you, I bring you the bad news that it is just you, and you need more practice.
The lower end will always sound deeper and richer because it IS low. (which is why you will see many blues players never get far from the lower octave).
You can always go the route of modding your harp. Just remember, it will take away from your practice time that may solve your problem anyway. You will soon find that there is always another tweak to be done to the harp. It is a worthwhile thing to learn at the right time in your harmonica playing development, just make sure you have developed the chops to use it.
e56505 Firstly I wonder what key harp you are having the problem with. The higher the key, the smaller the reed and the harder to blow. I've only ever regapped holes 1 - 6. I've never gone higher than that because I haven't needed to but I should imagine it could be quite difficult and time consuming to get them just right. ----------
I really dislike my Lee Oscar. It's in the key of C and I had a lot of trouble getting the high notes to sound.
I thought it was gapping, and I played around with that. I should have spent the time getting my embouchure right because after a few more weeks' practice, it got better all by itself.
P.S. I agree with KingoBad. Throw it out. (Just kidding -Not!)
Last Edited by on Oct 03, 2009 1:16 PM
I agree that there's nothing wrong with LO's, other than I don't like the size of them. But find and watch the LO factory video on youtube. There's a section where a lady is gapping them. She's holding 4 or 5 in her hand at once, and very quickly eyeballs the reeds and pokes at few of them. That's all the TLC a harmonica gets at the factory sometimes. Check my vids on youtube under choppajoe, I'll show you how to gap them yourself. It makes a big difference especially in the high end. Just go easy and take your time.
ok thanks everybody, ill admit i am only 1 year into this so im sure my technique is not the best and best i can tell gapping is a good idea so ill take it all in and go back to work thanks again.
I have a lot of Lee Oskars, mostly in alternate tunings, but also a standard C & D. What I found was the harps were not responding well both on the high & low ends and it was really frustrating. I clean my harps regularly & I noticed that the cleaned ones responded perfectly after reassembly. What it was, was simply a result of tightening up the screws on the cover plates.
That said, my D is frustrating on the high end ie holes 9 & 10. This is not just on Lee Oskars. I am learning some Irish fiddle & bluegrass which is quick and requires lots of work on the high end. Practicing was a real pain so I switched to practice on a Lo D ie until I was able to play. Once a piece is memorised the problem of using a normal D was not as noticeable.
Well yeah, but is anyone suggesting that harps on any other manufacturers mass production line get more than the same cursory attention at their factory?
MrVLUN > I really like my Lee Oskars but prefer Suzukis for comfortable playing. The LO's are well made.
What I notice with LOs is that I really need to moisten my lips more as I tend to 'drag' on the LO cover plates whereas on Suzukis the term would be 'glide'.
I teach my students to stay in the low end ( 1-6 ), until they start getting proficient. Then, I have them g.r.a.d.u.a.l.l.y begin to play 7-10 on only blow notes, and on the very low key harps. Takes discipline, and not all have it.
Now, some come in having experimented themselves with the cheap "toy" harmonica's, and they undoubtedly ( with exceptions ) are playing standards in 1st pos.. and so are used to blowing. They adapt quickly to high melodies, glissando's and bends. They have a heckuva time with low bends and 2nd pos.
I have a friend that was Henry Mancini's go-to harp player ( chromatic ) that STILL has no idea how to do simple diatonic bends! { He's somewheres around 90YO and can't remember, but plays wicked "Smoke Get's In Your Eyes", or "Bluesette", on a 64 Chromatic! }
I don't remember ever having trouble making high notes sound good. You just need the correct embouchure and check the gaps aren't too wide. Maybe they are and you are blowing too hard. I think it's best to make the high notes sweet - it's tempting to try to burst your audience's eardrums when you're amped, but sweetness is better.
If you have a good memory, you'll tell me I'm contradicting what I said when I said I wanted a lower GM than my key of C. That posting was because in Danny Boy, there's a climax on a high note, and if that high note is too high and too loud, it just doesn't sound right.
The only problem I had was finding a woodshed when I was a beginner to practise bending the 10-blow without annoying anyone.
---------- Bollocks, Wiglaf!
Last Edited by on Oct 16, 2009 4:51 AM
I went back and worked on the vertical gap on an older sp20 "A", and tweeking it did help. I read somewhere that a .002 shim is what is used to do the lateral gap. Anyone know?
