Uncooperative Reeds
Hi, Kinya.
I've really enjoyed tuning and retuning my harmonicas in the last few weeks. It's made me realize that I play too loudly, as draw 3-7 are flat on almost all the harmonicas I've had for more than a year, while the other reeds stay in tune.
My question has to do with what I can uncooperative reeds. On some harmonicas there will be one reed that does not seem to want to get tuned. No matter how much material I take off the top, it will stay right where it is on the tuner. Sometimes after a lot of work, I can get it to cooperate. Other times even as I'm attempting to make it sharper it seems to get even flatter after a while. It doesn't seem to matter which reed it is. It's happened to me on 3 draws, 7 blows, etc.
Is there something I'm doing wrong without noticing it?
Great info Kinya. Thank you. However, I have to correct a common misconception on tip #2... The condensation is mostly water, not saliva. You breath in oxygen to help break down glucose for energy (cellular respiration). The output of that is carbon dioxide and water which you breath out in the vapor form and settles on the reeds. That's probably one of the reasons blow reeds are more finicky than draw reeds. You're breathing OUT nearly pure water vapor from your lungs onto the reeds. Sure, some will escape onto draw reeds when you breath in. Just much less so.
A saxophone teacher reminded me of this when I got grossed out from all the water I could dump out of my horn while playing. I was thinking it was spit. It's mostly just nearly pure water from your lungs that is condensing into the horn. That escaping carbon dioxide and water you breath out is reponsible for the 2 lbs of weight you lose every night in your sleep.
Now slobbering all over a harmonica is a different story....
I haven't tried it, but one could try flipping the blow reed plate upside down and draw through it when they're tuning. Less blowing out would probably mean a little less condensation. I don't know if that would work...
-Taylor
A hair dryer works great. It should be obvious, but I sport a flat top and Richard Sleigh had to tell me:)
The 3 and 7 draw are supposed to be flattened on the harps most of us blues players use, maybe the OP hasn't caught that yet?
Hi, Harpwrench.
I was referring to the reeds 3 through 7. The 4 draw on my A Lee Oskar harmonica was a semi-tone flat! That was the most extreme case, but most of those reeds were quite flat on my older harmonicas.
Hi SF
Reeds, especially the blow reeds can behave like spoiled brats! They don't appreciate being fussed about for too long. Remember, harmonica reeds are essentially spring metal (e.g. brass, bronze phosphor, stainless steel, etc.), and require a "settling" period--especially when worked on too much.
When I toured the Hohner and Suzuki factories, their entire tuning processes for a diatonic harmonica was about 30 seconds! Joe Filisko mentioned to me that he allows his custom harmonicas to "settle" on the shelf for approximately six weeks--then rechecks (adjust if necessary), before shipping out to his customers.
If you're not using the Sjoberg HarpTuner (John Ingam), then your using your breath for the tuning process. Our breath is warm--usually hotter than the reeds we are working on. This variance of temperatures will weight (detune) the reeds with condensation (aspiration).
TIPS:
Your Harpsmith, Kinya