I have two new Special 20s that have an annoying 'buzz' down at the lower holes. I don't think it can be heard as much as felt, but as the harp is an instrument that you - between your hands and your mouth - are almost enveloping, a vibration like that, audible or not, really detracts from the enjoyment of playing with them.
I have a screwdriver that will open them, but beyond that, I don't know even what I would be looking for, or if it's likely to be fixable.
Any ideas before I take these things apart?
Apologies if this has been covered elsewhere.
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hard to be sure from this side of the Tasman, but 1st thought is a misaligned reed. wont be grossly out of line, may be hard to see with reed plates on comb. will need a posi-drive to take reed plates off, in addition to the flat blade to take covers off.
if you discover reed touches slot on way through, you'll need a reed wrench. not too hard to make if you have a suitable piece of metal and can make a right-sized slot in it. doesnt take much force to move a reed.
does it only happen on inhale or exhale? only on one hole?
maybe something else but thats just what springs to mind. strange its on two new ones though which makes me wonder...are they low keys?
Last Edited by SuperBee on Mar 26, 2015 1:31 AM
i dunno, it seems too weirdly coincidental to have 2 harps in a set with the same reeds out of whack. reckon it must be something else. wont be reeds smacking the covers either.
dunno...it is only these 2 harps right? so that rules out some technique quirk you'd think.
could be something about the gapping thats getting the draw reed rattling when you blow...
or it just could actually be a misaligned reed or a small burr onthe reed or the slot, unlikely as it may be...
SuperBee, that's my understanding. So, like Rubes said, test to see if it's reed rattle by blowing softly. It's possible (particularly on lower harps) that the lower reeds will hit the covers if you play too hard.
Other possibilities- reed alignment, you don't even need a reed wrench for that, (but it's useful). To check that you can take off the covers and take a toothpick and gently press on the reeds to see if they are catching as they go through the reed slot. (You can also take the reed plates off and hold them up to a light to spot if it's snagging, but if you haven't done it before make sure you are very careful which one goes where. Sp20s aren't too bad- because of that notch in the back it's hard to put them together the wrong way, but I've put the plates back together on a harp before and discovered I've accidentally done it backwards or upside down and my holes don't play the notes they should!
If the reeds are hitting are, you can actually just use a small piece of paper like a receipt and slide it under the reed, kind of like Adam does in this video, except just use it to GENTLY tug the reed back into alignment.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fkqmXP9IVyg
It might also be a burr. You can usually spot a burr by holding the reed plate up to the light. You can also check for it by gently pushing the reed through the slot with a toothpick, just like checking for alignment, but if it's a burr you'll see light past it farther up and down the reed slot. It's probably not a burr though, on two harps. My first guess would be reed rattle, second would be alignment. Reed rattle can either be fixed by playing gentler, or you can mess with the covers a bit. I've seen a couple solutions- Sometimes you can use a flathead screw driver and a hammer to dent/bend the cover just enough to make it so the reeds don't hit.
If you take the reed plates off, be careful not to over tighten the screws when you screw them back on- snug, but not too tight. You can warp or strip things.
I thought of another possibility while I was mending a client's harp this morning and noticed a buzz in the 4 draw. I couldn't see much wrong with alignment but the reed had a slight twist. This reed had a fatter section right at the tip (A Harp) and I think that the top corner was just touching the slot as it went in, thanks to the twist. It was hard to see from looking, I couldn't see it actually make contact but it was very close. Seemed like a good chance so I addressed the twist and the buzz went away. Your case, sounding more like reed alignment if it's a problem which has developed...
I really doubt a 2 or 3 blow reed in a C harp would be hitting the covers.
Last Edited by SuperBee on Mar 27, 2015 8:56 PM
Hi Danny, just thought I'd throw a suggestion into the mix...
Try placing a small piece of 'Blu Tack' (or local equivalent) over the rivets of the offending reeds. This will show/rule out if the root of the problem is loose reeds.
Then, if necessary, experiment with the size of the blob, covering the base of the reeds themselves. This will show/rule out if the problem is torsional vibration.
I think those would be sensible steps to try before moving on to manual reed alignment.
