Help needed with setting a harp for OB OD
Hello Kinya,
I need your wisdom yet once again.
I have decided to set up a harp for myself that would help me gradualy learn the OB OD techniques.
Since on that site there are some lessons available for a Bb harp I have decided to start with that.
Following all that I have learnt I have purchased a brand new special 20 and attempted on it the following customisations.
*Replaced the comb with a BMH corian one.
*flat sanded the blow plate and straightened the draw plate as best as i can.
* used the parallel pliers with a toothpick to set the 0 point for the 1-5 blow and draw reeds.
* embossed all the reed slots as best as I can with an embossing tool.
*adjusted, profiled all the reeds.
*gapped all the reeds based on a previously prepared gapping chart that i am updating for my current Bb harp for a year now.
* finally reduced all the gaps a bit.
* applied a bit nail polist at the base of all the reeds about 1/6 of each reed length.
* Opened the back of the reedplates.
* tuned the harp as best i can using octaves.
The end result is a well responsive and a lowder sounding harp...BUT
To my big surprice I have disscovered that the OB and the OD are now more difficult to achieve than the other harp that I have, for which I had only exchanged the comb and gapped the reeds. :(
Can you please help me? What Can I attempt further to fix that?
Thanks!
Angel
Hello Angel, it appears you have too many spices mixed into your Paella Valenciana!
Early on Rick Epping taught me that in order to properly set up harmonica, "many little things" have to be done well. What came to me over time is knowing when and where to apply each technique. Sometimes building a harmonica for overblow/draw may be a little like the "horse before the cart". I have found that unless the player has mastered all the lower and upper octave bends, attempting to OB/OD will be an extremely frustrating process. For the Harp Tech/Player, my advice would be to set up your harmonica to help you facilitate "normal" bending for DRAW BEND; 1', 2',2",3',3",3''',4' and BLOW BEND; 8',9',10',10''
Setting up a diatonic harmonica for OB/OD is fundamentally different. For example; the gapping, both free-end and zero-point are extremely shallow (most people would not be able to get a sound out of a Jason Ricci harmonica). In addition, I tend to size the reed slot tip as well as the sides.
In my studio last night, I began laying down tracks of Little Walter's, "Roller Coaster" (from my must do before-I-die song list ;o). Interesting enough, my HARPSMITH infused Hohner Rocket A (w/SP20 cover plates) produced the desired sonic tracks, but my enthusiasm (maybe nerves) became a liability. I forced too much air through the harmonica--stalling the 5 draw reed. The reason this happened was that I originally built the harmonica to facilitate OB of the #5 (raised 7th), and #6 (flatted 3rd). The only three options I had in front of me, were to [a] calm down, [b] raise the gap and zero point of draw reed #5, or [c] record the track with a stock out-of-the-box Hohner Rocket A. So that I could hurry things along and complete this first run recording session, I chose option C. This weekend, I will adjust the 5 draw on my HARPSMITH Rocket and record again (it just sounds so damn good not to include in the recording)
This event reminded me the importance of matching the playing event (live performance, studio work, bedroom jammin', etc.) with the type of harmonica you had or will set up.
For you Angel, I would recommend the following:
- with acetone, remove all traces of nail polish from the reeds (be careful not to get any acetone on your comb)
- invest into magnification (at least inexpensive 3+ reading glasses)
- watch again HARPSMITH Bench ep7. Don't worry about reed chamfering, but rather watch closely about REED SLOT SIZING https://www.bluesharmonica.com/harpsmith_bench
- review https://www.bluesharmonica.com/zero_point_tip_of_the_year
- send me photos of your zero point and gapping
- don't concern yourself with OB/OD at the moment
Your Harpsmith, Kinya
Angel, regarding action item #3; it is difficult to see at first, but pay particular attention to the shading of the light (like sketching with a pencil) as I sized the reed slot. That "slight" coloration change is actually the corner of the reed plate material being pushed into the direction of the open slot. This will be the microscopic overhang we are attempting to create with the Reed Slot Sizing technique. Hey, maybe I'll change the name of this technique from Sizing to OVERHANGING ;o)
One more thing Angel, in addition to a photo of your reed gapping and zero-point, please send me a sound bite of you playing a lick with copious amounts of bending.
Your Harpsmith, Kinya
Here is how the harp plays now (without removing the nail polish).
I will do the removal in the weekend and send you a pic.
By the way: do you offer any alternatives to the richard sleigh scrapping tool?
It is not available on his website and in addition he does not seem to ship to europe, so I will need to look for a solution in Europe.
Nice job on that Cm piece. You were in the ZONE!
Looking forward to seeing your pictures of your reed gapping and zero point settings.
Bummer that you can not get Richard's Draw Scrapper tool in Spain. Try searching for a Jewler's Chisel, similar to
The difference will be this tool will cut on the PUSH stroke, not Draw. See if Rio Grande will ship to Spain:
https://www.riogrande.com/product/ECMullerCarbonSteelStraightLineGraver1...
Your Harpsmith, Kinya
Removing the nail polish has turned out to be quite a chalenge even with a nail thinner and some scraping i could not get all of it off but still a decent amount.
here is the result:
Draw plate:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1QEgGTDC3p9GsoXLq_ttUBGNalXXCPUeW/view?u...
Blow plate:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1QFpE9JEo_bEoeOWnA1YZIu-0PWCSE4GM/view?u...
Please let me know if you would need more photos from a different angle and perhaps what I could do to improve the performance of that harp!
Thanks in advance!
Angel
Hi Angel, yeah nail polish is some serious stuff! Try soaking your reed plates in Acetone.
Look at Reeds #1 and #2 (I have not done the other reeds yet) Unfortunately, the smallest feeler gauge I have on my bench is .001” (.025mm), which stops short of reaching the back of the reed plate slot by ⅛”. For Reeds #1 and #2, I am estimating these zero points at .0005”
In general, when building OB/OD harmonicas, I found that if I extend the first third of the reed (from the rivet side) as parallel as possible to the reed slot opening, the better success I had.
.002” is a good gap to start with for Reeds #5,6,7,8,9,10
For Reeds #1,2,3,4 start with .004” gap
Your Harpsmith, Kinya
Hi Angel, did you check out the new Power OB MK2 harmonica? https://www.bluesharmonica.com/power_marine_band_overblow_booster_mk2_harmonica
Your Harpsmith, Kinya
P.S: I wonder if this may be cos I have done a sloppy job with the embossing??
I have not been using a microscope after all...just a light table and some magnifying glasses...but that's the second harp I am trying to emboss in my life and although I am using a dedicated tool (the one from andrew zajak) maybe I have been doing it wrong :(...I really am clueless at that point