Sample reed calibration

Hiya Kinya!

I just got a brand new Feeler gauge set.

The increments are;

.001 - .0025 - .0028 - .003 - .0035 - .004 - .005 and on up by thousandths from there.

I know you love that .002 gauge.

Should I get a whole new set?

Hiya Kinya,

You asked "So how are your harp tech projects coming along?" Well they're slowing down! I find I'm devoting almost all of my Harp time to 'Lips On" practice as I like to call it. I have been increasing my tool collection and continueing to learn new techniques from you through Blues Harmonica.com and it has been extremely helpful!

I've got a Sjobel tuning table and ceramic file set paid for & coming from John at Masterharp in my future so that is going to be a major step foreward in my tech work. I own around 50 to 60 harps and I'm slowly going through the collection embossing/sizing the slots. I'm a neophyte at gapping but I'm getting ready to plunge in and give it a shot. I can fix a reed that's not sounding or is a tough bend but as to setting zero point & optimizing both reeds in the channel, well practice will make perfect. I've learned some nice tricks from you!

Then will come the incorporation of the Sjobel tuning table. Right now I'm using a Zajac French Tuner and a Peterson Strobescope app on my iPad along with my trusty old Korg tuner. So my workshop is pretty well set up! I'm lucky enough to have a stereoscope so I can really see what I'm doing and what I have done.

Anyway, thanks for asking and stay safe & keep well in these crazy waning days of 2020!

TomE aka Grasshopper

Hey Tom, yes I do. Especially early on with your harp tech work, whereas you have not yet implemented reed slot sizing or zero point techniques. It will make ease of work when attempting to transfer your successful gapping techniques over to your inventory of 55 harmonicas. Longer and weighted reeds will be found on G, Ab, A, Bb, C and all Low tuned harmonicas. Shorter (and skinny reeds) will be found on Db, D, Eb, E, F, F# harmonicas.

I'm glad you found the "hidden" feeler guage. 

I'll be ready for your questions when you start experimenting on the soon to be delivered Harp Tuner.

Your Harpsmith, Kinya

Hiya Kinya,

The Tuning Table has gotten some quality bench time. My biggest issue is setting it up with the bellows I got from Mr. Ingram so that it gives me constant air pressure. I decided I didn't want to hyperventilate with the tube in my mouth and went high tech.

I've put a needle valve inline to restrict the airflow. Still I was getting wildly fluctuating readings on my stroboscope as compared to the Zajac French Tuner.

SO - I took out a brand new set of Lee Oskar "A" plates fresh from the package. I put them on the tuning table and got the airflow about as steady as possible with the needle valve. Not tight but not totally open either. I sounded the new 4 blow reed and calibrated the tuner to read steady at 442.3 for my A. Then I removed the new plate went on to tune an old set of LO "A" plates. They seemed to come out ok and a previously totally out of tune harmonica is back in action. I had given the old plates a bath in an ultrasonic cleaner and some harpococcis scraping previous to my tuning attempt and they changed dramatically in pitch!.

I'm finding that my initial sounding of the reed, and we're talking one or two seconds here, is off. Then the airflow settles in and I get what I'm using as the "True Reading" for about 4-5 seconds. Then the airflow decreases and the reading fluctuates again. I'm still checking my work against the trusty little French Tuner too.

TMI? Maybe so - but you did ask. Please share any ideas, comments, and critiques! I'm really spending the vast majority of my harmonica time on practice and lessons but I still get to the bench every now and then. Mostly to gap and size a new addition, not much renovation of the old collection these days. 

I hope you are keeping safe and staying well in these days of the plague. Maybe someday we'll get to get back on stage!