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Whole tone tuning went wrong

6 replies [Last post]
Fri, 07/10/2015 - 12:06
crazymilk
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Hey Harpsmith,

This is a picture of my G harmonica, Draw Reed, with the 2nd hole draw scraped almost completely. what I tried to achieve is to reach the note C and on the 3rd draw the note E to get the "Easy 3rd! Do it!" tuning, but I only got to C#, even after scraping all that metal... did I do something wrong? (although the free end of the reed looks scraped perhaps, it is not, it is scraped until the thick part)

 

http://s9.postimg.org/rg0ztxm1r/20150710_215824.jpg

Thanks in advance,

Kobi

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Fri, 07/10/2015 - 20:05
#1
Harp Tech Kinya...
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Hi Kobi, Good to hear from

Hi Kobi, Good to hear from you.

Hmm ... if I understood you correctly:

  • You desire to convert your 2 draw, down a whole step from D to C, however, you only reached C#
  • Solution: block up the free end of reed #2 with your plinking tool, then from the rivet end, isolate and remove metal from the approximately the first 1/8" of of the reed. Check against your tuner ... taking it down another half step (C# > C) will happen quickly.
  • For your 3 draw, your goal is to convert the stock F#, a half step: F
  • Solution: block up the free end of reed #3 with your plinking tool, then from the rivet end, isolate and remove metal from the approximately the first 1/8" of of the reed. Check against your tuner ... taking it down another half step (F# > F) will happen quickly.

Remember:

  1. to "sharpen" the reed (speed up the vibration), remove metal from the first 1/8" of the free end
  2. to "flatten" the reed (slow the vibration), remove metal from the first 1/8" of the rivet end
  3. scrapping the entire length of the reed will simply negate your work, resulting only in thinning the reed (read: fracture and break)

Let us know the results.

Your Harpsmith, Kinya

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Sat, 07/11/2015 - 09:14
#2
crazymilk
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Thanks for the reply

Thanks for the reply harpsmith.

the thing is I scrapped the entire reed because it didnt go down in pitch when I scraped the part close to the rivet end, I am using the scrapper that Suzuki has in their kit. 

its like it is resistant to tuning :| Im gonna try now on the #3 reed and see maybe i'm missing something here... 

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Sat, 07/11/2015 - 09:29
#3
crazymilk
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I tried it now, tell me what

I tried it now, tell me what you think please;

I scrapped reed #3 this much ^ (which I wish to bring to the note E from F# by the way) and it only came down about 20-30 cents, is that the way it should be? cause it was the same way with reed #2 and I had to scrape more and more but it never reached the note I wished it would.

 

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Sun, 07/12/2015 - 13:10
#4
Harp Tech Kinya...
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You're very close to reaching

You're very close to reaching the desired pitch. Do more, but be mindful, that although removing metal from the rivet side will lower the pitch, thinning of the reed will make it prone to premature breakage.

Your Harpsmith, Kinya

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Thu, 07/23/2015 - 20:35
#5
mx
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spring stiffness

 

Hi Kinya, so if I understand this corectly you are incressing the stiffness of the free end so that it will take more force too bend the tip and this will cause the reed to to move faster.

Now when the rivet end is stiffend up, removeing metal, too take more force this will make the reed move slower.

 thank you  MX

 

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Tue, 07/28/2015 - 17:16
#6
Harp Tech Kinya...
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Hello MX, That's a negative.

Hello MX, That's a negative. Removing metal (scraping, filing, sanding, etc.) will always weaken the metal--not strengthen it.

Our goal is to control how fast/slow the reed enters/exits the reed slot. Faster = SHARP, and Slower = FLAT

It's all about the number of times the reed bouces up/down (in/out the reed slot). This "chopping" of the air (aka: vibration) is what we hear as the pitch.

Following that train of thought, if you were fishing and snagged a 40lb halibut, you would not be able to whip the tip of your rod as fast as, before the tip became weighted. In fact, listen to the pitch change of the fishing rod as the hook is being casted through the air.

I recommend you refer back to Harp Tech Study 7 "The Sjoberg Harp Tuner" then watch and listen to how the reed pitch changes as I remove metal from the reed.

Your Harpsmith, Kinya

 

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