samcortex
8 posts
Nov 19, 2009
1:01 AM
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Can a snapped reed choke a person? I mean while the player is drawing is it possible a reed snaps and enters in his mouth and harms his tongue or enters his throat and he chokes on it?
Or does comb stops the reed from getting out?
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Hobostubs Ashlock
134 posts
Nov 19, 2009
1:08 AM
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ive wondered that myself
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Ricardo
1 post
Nov 19, 2009
2:07 AM
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Usually it goes flat before snapping. Snapped a few reeds before but never experienced inhaling a reed. I think it is unlikely to happen but I also have that apprehension.
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Buzadero
199 posts
Nov 19, 2009
5:42 AM
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Yes. A snapped reed can get inhaled.
Back when I was young and regularly went big-game spearfishing, I thought my lungs were the most powerful muscles in my body. This not only translated into excessivly hard harp playing, but it wasted harps frequently. My enthusiasm had me thinking that hard hitting was hard driving (see recent BBQBob comments and my past posts in regard breath control) in the blues. I thought regular cash outlay for new harps was just the price of doing business. I did, indeed suck a broken reed down my pipes once. Scared the proverbial shit out of me. It went well past my gag reflex, but my system kicked in and it ended up getting ingested rather than flying all the way down the tunnel to the lungs. So it can happen. As I recall it was a Number 3 draw on a Bb harp. I since have seen the wisdom of breath control. Not necessarily as a direct result of that particular incident, but generally. Cheaper too.
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~Buzadero
Underwater Janitor, Patriot
Last Edited by on Nov 19, 2009 5:42 AM
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barbequebob
100 posts
Nov 19, 2009
6:10 AM
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You can not only choke from ingesting a reed, you also run a high risk of getting an infection as well. About 25 years ago, I did a session and a reed flat out went totally dead on a key of A Marine Band that I just got maybe 2-3 weeks earlier, and when we took a break and I opened it up and saw the reed barely hanging by a thread and just about ready to snap off and where it was happening was where it was tuned by filing diagnolly across the reed and it was at a time at Hohner where you'd often see extremely deep gouges on the reeds done from the tuning process and all harp techs cringe at the idea of tuning harps in this fashion because, tho it tunes the reed quicker, the problem lies in the fact that if you have deep gouges doing it this way, the structure of the reed gets severly weakened and it's not uncommon for a reed to snap off when played hard. Combs aren't gonna stop a reed from going down your throat anytime soon.
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Sincerely,
Barbeque Bob Maglinte
Boston, MA
http://www.barbequebob.com
CD available at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/bbmaglinte
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toddlgreene
157 posts
Nov 19, 2009
7:14 AM
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I've broken several 4-draw reeds over the years, but only ever had one of them come out of the comb into my mouth and landing on the middle of my tongue, and I promply spit it out, but it's scary. As Bob says, I've had them also go flat and/or no longer sound, and upon inspection I've seen the fail point where the reed would eventually break off, and machining marks/gouges are usually where the weak point ends up being.
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GO SAINTS!
crescentcityharmonicaclub@gmail.com
Last Edited by on Nov 19, 2009 7:16 AM
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samcortex
9 posts
Nov 19, 2009
7:31 AM
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Can I prevent it? Is a brand/model with lower risk? Is a technique which lowers the risk of inhaling the snapped reed?
Last Edited by on Nov 19, 2009 7:33 AM
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toddlgreene
158 posts
Nov 19, 2009
7:38 AM
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Play a bass harp-no draw notes!
http://www.harpdepot.com/index1.html?502.html&1
Seriously, I thought perhaps sanding in lieu of filing to tune reeds might make a difference, and my friend who mods and builds harps all the time does sand these machining marks a bit on OOTB harps, but I question how effective this really is at preventing failure.
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GO SAINTS!
crescentcityharmonicaclub@gmail.com
Last Edited by on Nov 19, 2009 7:41 AM
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barbequebob
101 posts
Nov 19, 2009
7:40 AM
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The only thing close to that is cutting waaaaaaaaaaay back on the amount of breath force you use when you play. Reeds can also break on bass harps too, tho not as easily, but they sure can.
The time period from Hohner where you could find the deep gouges from the file marks from tuning diagnolly across was from about 1981-1995, which was before they retooled and that period was their absolute worst in terms of quality, around the time of the last living Hohner in the company who basically ran it into the ground and they weren't concentrating very much on harmonicas, but making huge windfall profits on a keyboard instrument called the Clavinet, ironically made popular by a great chromatic harmonica player named Stevie Wonder.
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Sincerely,
Barbeque Bob Maglinte
Boston, MA
http://www.barbequebob.com
CD available at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/bbmaglinte
Last Edited by on Nov 19, 2009 7:44 AM
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toddlgreene
159 posts
Nov 19, 2009
7:43 AM
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@ bbq-I have cut back on the force I use over the years, and customised, better-sealed harps do help to achieve the desired bends with less draw force, but I've still broken draw reeds since, and they seem to usually fail on these milling marks.
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GO SAINTS!
crescentcityharmonicaclub@gmail.com
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barbequebob
102 posts
Nov 19, 2009
7:46 AM
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That's more likely tuning marks than actual milling marks more than anything else, but it certainly does happen on the milling marks, often depending on the grade of brass being used for reed material and also how old and/or well maintained the dies were for cutting them.
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Sincerely,
Barbeque Bob Maglinte
Boston, MA
http://www.barbequebob.com
CD available at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/bbmaglinte
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Ryan
37 posts
Nov 19, 2009
4:49 PM
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" Reeds can also break on bass harps too, tho not as easily, but they sure can."
I think he was refering to the fact that bass harps are all blow notes, so if a reed does break you're not gonna suck it down your windpipe.
Well now I'm going to be scared of choking to death everytime I pick up the harp. Excellent
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jbone
203 posts
Nov 19, 2009
5:41 PM
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in the mid 90's i managed to blow out 4 of my 7 harps in one gig, one night. was i too excited? yes i was! one of those failed reeds went someplace, i think i may have swallowed it. i never had a bad time over it thankfully, but imagine a spitty reed ending up in your lung or brachial sacs. infection! surgery!
unless you are very seriously hauling on a reed chances are you'll never break one. back in the days when i had that "memorable" night, i was in my first band, doing material i really liked, hard, fast, loud.
this is how new i was to gigging: i had one each of the most commonly used harps and thought i had enough. spares? who'd a thought i'd need a spare!
i will say this also: i'm going to check all my reedplates and make sure they aren't viciously tuned the way hohner was doing in the 80's. they need a good cleanup anyway so it's out with the alcohol. bob mentioned something on another post about how dried saliva and crud can alter the tuning of a reed and i want to be sure this isn't the case with my harps.
i think the most important thing i have learned in recent years is how to judge the limitations of a harp, the reeds, etc, and stay within bounds on how hard to draw and blow. it is so much more about focus than volume of air, and about relaxing the torso from diaphragm all the way to lips and tongue.
i'm really sensitive to hearing when a reed is crapping out and i immediately set that harp aside and grab a spare. when i have time i inspect the flatted reed. very seldom have i been able to see the cracks in a reed, they are far too small. but i know those cracks are there if the reed is flatting out, or the reed is caked up with spit and stuff now that bob has once again opened my eyes a bit further. thanks bob!
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samcortex
10 posts
Nov 20, 2009
4:07 PM
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The question is:
which one is safer? I mean which one snaps harder?
Phosphor Bronze or Brass reeds?
And another question is that:
What about Seydel1847 Sliver?
They seem to never break. Is it true?
Thanks
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southbound_60
7 posts
Nov 23, 2009
8:11 PM
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Huh, this was an interesting post.Just put a brand new set of reeds on my Proharp MS Sat. mornig.Went to practice Sat night all was good. Sunday morning went to practice at home,and my 4draw was gone!Upon inspection, checking for spit and stuff as Bob suggested,found a hairline crack at the bas on the reed near the rivet(used a magnifying glass).tried to re-gap the reed and it just fell off.I think that was a factory blem. or something in the manufacturing process.As I said it was a brand new set of reeds!
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LittleJoeSamson
142 posts
Nov 23, 2009
8:58 PM
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This did happen to me.
A particularly soulful solo...and I was at the crescendo, and the next thing I know I'm coughing and choking on stage!
The reed broke off, and I must have swallowed it.
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