noise first reed crossover
I have just received a Hohner MB Crossover in A. It is a nice harmonica, very responsive even to me, a beginner (playing 2 years before joining this site).
However the first hole inhale makes a irritating ringing noise if inhaled strong but not too strong.
I experienced this also on my Hohner Golden melody in G (also first hole inhale).
Is this a malfunction. Do I have to send it back (complicated, bought it abroad on the Internet) or can I do something myself?
best wishes, Izaak
There was a posting by Steve Baker on Harp-L about the lower key Crossovers having this problem - and that they were unavailable until this issue was fixed. The post was dated January 10th and was in response to someone questioning Musician's Friend's website stating that the Crossover has been discontinued. Here it is:
"Musicians Friend is mistaken, Hohner has definitely not
discontinued the Crossover. As the latest addition to the Marine Band
range, it was only introduced in August 2009 - the instruments
available at SPAH were the very first to come off the production line
and the high level of demand has led to this 0 series being sold out
very fast.
"However, there is another reason for the current non-availability of
some keys: we've been making improvements to the covers in order to
eliminate reed rattle. This mainly concerns keys from Bb downwards,
hence the delay in filling Mad Dog's order. The new tool takes some
time to set up exactly right and we have been testing carefully every
step of the way. The factory expects to have it running by the end of
the month. Sorry for the delay, they'll be worth the wait."
It could be the reed swinging so high that it hits the cover. Does the pitch of the note also rise when you hear this sound? If you experience that and a sort of harsh honking buzz, then that's the cause. The immediate cure is to use less breath. (An expert customizer can re-shape the covers to give the reed more clearance).
However, if it's a sort of clear, high-pitched ring or squeal, that may be something you can remedy by changing the shape of your mouth when you play - make sure your tongue and throat are relaxed so that air can pass through your mouth and throat without any sensation off suction or pressure.
However, even with good playing technique, reeds can sometimes ring. One solution is to dampen the reed's torsional (side-to-side) vibration by putting a tiny dab of nail polish, wax, or even adhesive tape on the surface of the reed near the base. if you try this, make sure not to let anything get to the edges of the reed where it might obstruct the passage of the reed through its slot in the reedplate.