Hobostubs Ashlock
244 posts
Dec 31, 2009
1:40 PM
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I bought a seydel solist pro bflat a few months back and blew a reed so i bought a new set of plates and blew a reed again.i havent learned to contol the amount of breath pressur cause i blew both within a month.but im trying to this time i had the harp and parts in a box put back well i thought maybe i could switch out the reed cause they were different and was thinking about doing this with a small screw i heard it could be done, wasnt sure where i would get the screw that small,but as i was checking out the reed plates it occured to me that the blown out reeds was one a blow reed the other a draw,i thought why not just switch out the bad plates and it worked ive had the harp laying in my parts box for 6 months.i couldnt believe i hadnt thought about the switch befor.I love the seydel solist pro sound and playability but firgured they were to exspensive to keep replacing,but i have another chance to try and learn how to play one without busting a reed so quick,I have to remeber that it aint one of my Lee Oskars and that i should relax.hopefully i can learn to play a senative harp like the seydels cause i love the tone of 1.
Last Edited by on Dec 31, 2009 1:41 PM
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nacoran
626 posts
Dec 31, 2009
2:23 PM
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Maybe you could work on your breath levels by plugging into your computer with the levels set real high- so high that if you blow hard you'll see the spike on the EQ if you blow more than just a whisper. Sometimes seeing something instead of hearing it lets you approach it from a different perspective. Those Seydels too expensive to keep blowing out. You'll end up in the poor house.
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Hobostubs Ashlock
245 posts
Dec 31, 2009
8:56 PM
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Thanks nacoran i might have to try that.I can play one softly if i concentrate,its when say i get into a song or jamtrack and get caught up in the moment,that i notice maybe im blowing it to hard.
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LittleJoeSamson
177 posts
Jan 01, 2010
3:08 AM
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I figure I am not a soft player, but can honk hard when it's called for.
I bought a set of Seydel pro's ( 7 harps in case ) at Charlie Musslewhites suggestion. They were great. Played them soft and breaking in.
Then, the regular D harp went flat: 3, 4, 5 draws.
ONE MONTH!
Played the rest, and had minimal success with the most used. The only one I still have in the arsenal is the Bb. Sounds good...but I only use it to play "Georgia".
If these harps weren't so expensive to begin with, I wouldn't complain....
but they FAIL and are not cheap.
Better off with Suzi's, LO's, or Huangs. [ Hohners are JUNK ].
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Hobostubs Ashlock
246 posts
Jan 01, 2010
3:53 AM
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yea this is a bflat seydel i firgure sence i had all but gave up on it until today ill play it and see if i can make it last longer,I got a bflat lee oskar for exmas so i have a tuff one in reseave,I wonder how hard it would be to retune a lee oskar to the same tuneing as a Seydel solist pro i think i heard they are a just 7 tuning,that would be a good combination the tuffness of a Lee with the tone of a seydel
Last Edited by on Jan 01, 2010 3:54 AM
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shanester
39 posts
Jan 01, 2010
7:46 AM
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I think learning to tune is always a good thing. You're more empowered as a musician being able to tune your own axe(s).
As for hohners being junk, I think in a manner of speaking, all harps are junk. The free reed has it's limitations, and it's heritage as a simple, portable, and affordable everyman's instrument with so much capacity for expression is a huge part of it's appeal, at least to me.
For that reason, I can't see paying much for a harp. You can mod a $30 harp to do just about anything.
For me, the tone of a harp is all in the embouchure, the cup, and is it vented or not.
If you blow a lot of reeds, maybe consider a harp that is not so "tight", like a marine band, or the like.
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http://www.youtube.com/1shanester
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Hobostubs Ashlock
248 posts
Jan 01, 2010
8:03 AM
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i allmost got a MB the other day and i think ill have to get one eventually,ive heard the are not as tight and that could be benifial to me from blowing reeds but,the fact that i would probelly want to seal the wood ,which i hear aint to hard but,its those nails in them that has kept me from getting one,i dont trust me not screwing it up trying to gap it cause i take em apart a few times befor i get one gapped like i like.and the Mb delux cost to much
Last Edited by on Jan 01, 2010 8:04 AM
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Hobostubs Ashlock
249 posts
Jan 01, 2010
8:06 AM
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My question is can a Lee oskar be tuned from equal temp to a just 7 temp and how hard would it be.And has anybody tuned a lee oskar like that?
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shanester
40 posts
Jan 01, 2010
8:09 AM
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They're not too hard to open and shut, the way adam showed in his video works well, have you seen that one?
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http://www.youtube.com/1shanester
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Hobostubs Ashlock
250 posts
Jan 01, 2010
8:13 AM
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yea i bet that would be a lot of filing a little off the blow reeds then asemble test then take apart do another adjustment,the draw reeds wouldnt be as hard im firguring,but then i could be wrong im just trying to visulize in my head
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shanester
41 posts
Jan 01, 2010
8:25 AM
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Kinya Pollard's Harmonica Workbench on the Mel Bay harmonica sessions website is a wealth of info. He uses small spring clamps to temporarily hold it together and he mentions using a dremel with rubber polishing wheel to tune. Can't find bit at local home depot but i'm intrigued because it sounds more controllable and would put grooves in the reed, which seems like would be better for longevity...
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http://www.youtube.com/1shanester
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shanester
42 posts
Jan 01, 2010
8:27 AM
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...I mean would NOT put grooves in the reed.
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http://www.youtube.com/1shanester
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Hobostubs Ashlock
251 posts
Jan 01, 2010
8:49 AM
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thats a interesting way i was wondering how you would adjust the blow reeds without out so much assembly disassembly but then that brings me back to would doing a lee oskar in just 7 tuning be very hard to do and would it be worth trying
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shanester
43 posts
Jan 01, 2010
9:05 AM
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I am in the early stages of the learning curve with tuning. Simply restoring mine to factory compromised tuning. It takes a little trial and error, first time's the hardest. It would be tougher to do just 7 because there's more reeds to retune. You can do blow reeds by without removing plate by levering them up gently above the plate from inside the hole with a paperclip or something and slide a feeler gauge or razor or something under it. It hasn't thrown off the gap too much for me. Then you can stick spring clamps on the ends to hold covers on and blow.
One of your old lee oscar plates could be a place to experiment. Totally economical.
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http://www.youtube.com/1shanester
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Hobostubs Ashlock
255 posts
Jan 01, 2010
9:49 AM
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knock on wood but i havent had to get any new reed plates for my 5 oskars they gone a year and just now seem broke in.Except my c went a little flat on a reed but i tuned it back to pitch aint had no problem,but i will eventually have to replace the reed plates so that would be a good idea.I also tried the method of bringing the blow reeds up and putting a feeler guage under them to tune ,but it was on a huang star performer that i had reworked it had some playing time on it befor i started tuning it anyway i ended up busting a reed i wondered if the way i had the blow reeds could have effected the stress on the reed or it could have been just a worn harp
Last Edited by on Jan 01, 2010 9:50 AM
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barbequebob
282 posts
Jan 01, 2010
11:16 AM
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I know of plenty of players who've retuned ET to 7LJI or 19LJI, be it GM's, LO's, Suzuki's, you name, and so it CAN be done. If you're new to tuning, you will definitely need a very quiet area to work in, use the very LIGHTEST breath force you can physically manage, and NEVER totally rely on the tuner alone, as your ears are probably your most important tool in the process.
Seydel and Hering slot tolerances tend to be tighter (the Manji is now the tightest of all the out of the box harps) and harps like those, the first thing you HAVE to learn ASAP is to adjust the attack with your breath force DOWNWARD, or risk blowing them out in a hurry and this is even more so with an expensive custom harp.
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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 Jan 01, 2010 11:18 AM
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MrVerylongusername
744 posts
Jan 01, 2010
11:34 AM
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@Hobostubs
I got Richard Sleigh's book for Christmas and one really good piece of advice he gives is to take an old junker harp and actually try breaking a reed. Start gently and gradually increase the pressure until you bend it beyond repair. You will surprised just how much abuse reeds can take. knowing the limit will give you more confidence when working the reeds
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Hobostubs Ashlock
256 posts
Jan 01, 2010
1:06 PM
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thanks guys there some good ideas i will have to check into
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Shredder
85 posts
Jan 01, 2010
6:35 PM
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I never throw away old harps, I just bput them in the wrecking yard.
This paid off as I just saved a "D" S/P20 I had bought on 12/10/09. I had the 4 blow break near the rivet last night at a gig. I had an older one that went thru the flood from IKE that had a 4 draw broken.
I just swapped out the upper plate from the old one and I'm back in buissness. I am retuning as I write. The old plate seems to be a bit sharp.
I will start another topic on what I discovered when disassembling the older flooded IKE harp and why I think it played so well after the flood.
Mike
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nacoran
641 posts
Jan 01, 2010
8:10 PM
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Someone commented that those Turbo Harp lids are useful for working on harps (as long as they fit the harp you are working on) as a quick way to cover-up.
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