New Chromatic - Muffled sound on 1 Draw
Hi All,
I just purchased a new Seydel De Luxe Steel Chromatic in Solo C and am having issues with the (1) draw.
Every blow and draw note on the harp sounds nice and clear except for the (1) draw on the TOP reed. The bottom reed (with the slide in) sounds fine. The (1) draw TOP reed sounds muffled and is much harder to pull on then the rest of the blow notes.
I checked the reed gapping and it seems fine, similar to the other low reeds and not too close to the reed plates.
I've done work on my diatonics before (reed gapping, tuning, embossing, etc.) so I have some level of comfort going "under the hood" and looking for issues but this is my first Chromatic Harp so I'm not really sure where to start in terms of troubleshooting. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Thanks,
Ryan
if the reed is gapped properly and centered in its slot with nothing preventing its free vibration (debris, burrs on the edge of the reed or slot), the next thing I'd look at is the valves, the little reed-like flaps of plastic that help prevent air leakage.
The outisde valve is mounted over the blow slot, on the opposite side of the reedplate from the reed itself. When you play the draw note, the inhaled breath pulls the outside valve shut, preventing any air from leaking through the blow reed. if the valve is missing or fails to close, the resulting air leakage might weaken the sound of the draw note.
The inside valve is mounted opposite the draw reed. it will be pressed shut when you play the blow note. However, if it is twisted or out of alignment, it could interfere with the vibration of the draw reed.
It's also possible that air is leaking due to problems with the reedplate and comb sealing (not flat, debris interfering with the seal, loose screw).
The mouthpiece/slide assembly is a potential culprit, but that would affect both the upper and lower reeds and extend over several holes.