Diggsblues
1000 posts
Sep 17, 2011
5:41 AM
|
I've never been much of a tech but friend lent me
Rupert Oyslers's video.
I had heard about reed arcing been hadn't seen
that much. The first thing I noticed was his harmonica's
all had arcing. He shows you how to do it on the
video with now guess work.
I decided to try it on an old Huang.
I did the draw plate and wow I tell the
difference but I could hear a lot of air
now coming through blow reeds.
I did the blow reeds and wow it can even
do overblows with NO SQUEAl.
The increase in volume is noticeable and the
bending is so easy.
I think if you just want to make a better
harp reed arcing is good way to go if you
don't want to emboss. With better tolerances
this might be enough for a lot of folks.
----------
Emile "Diggs" D'Amico a Legend In His Own Mind
How you doin'
|
7LimitJI
534 posts
Sep 17, 2011
6:00 AM
|
I also have watched the videos.
He suggests lowering the reed below the height of the reedplate and then arcing the very tip of the reed upwards.
I found this setup to be a small improvement over a standard harp. ie. not worth the effort.
HOWEVER
I now straighten the reeds and have them above the height of the plate and this is far better IMHO. And easier to do.
Maybe if you overblow/draw then Ruperts ideas will work,but if not the Filisko method of straightening is better.
I tongue block and don't overblow.
----------
The Pentatonics Myspace
Youtube
"Why don't you leave some holes when you play, and maybe some music will fall out".
"It's music,not just complicated noise".
Last Edited by on Sep 17, 2011 6:04 AM
|
Steamrollin Stan
8 posts
Sep 17, 2011
8:11 AM
|
Your signature is something many of us need to focus on, some just play over the wall "gindick's statement", pausing and articulation at the right times, so when your solo comes around you stand out, if you get my drift. As far as modifying a harmonica, i'll leave it to the pro's, i'm just an ootb kinda guy!!
|
chromaticblues
1006 posts
Sep 17, 2011
8:12 AM
|
@ Diggs Thats not the best way of doing it and I'm not trying to cut anybody down, but I've down it both ways MANY times and what 7Limit JI said is the truth. You know how some people say there's more than one way to skin a cat.
Diggs now take a similiar harp and make all the reeds straight ( of course you don't take the bend out of the part of the reed close to the rivet because the reed would be parralel with the plate). This method has about 75% of the reed straight as an arrow with the reed bent near the rivet. Then just set your gap for your attack.
Please post again after trying this!
|
Oisin
868 posts
Sep 17, 2011
8:40 AM
|
Chromatic...when you say straight won't there be a slight arc near the end of the reed if you adjust the gap? I'm not trying to be a wise guy...I still don't know how to gap properly but you are the 3rd person who has said to get the reed straight and no matter what I do I always end up with a slight upwards bend at the end of the reed.
----------
Oisin
|
Diggsblues
1001 posts
Sep 17, 2011
9:27 AM
|
The first thing I noticed was how straight the huang was to begin with. I'm sure I could have made them any
straighter. You don't hear much about customizing Huangs because I think most people think they're
a low end harp even though Norton Buffalo loved them.
On my next experiment I'll try an old hohner that'll
have to change the reed on first.
I'm just happy my first attempt didn't screw up the
harmonica and it came out as good as it did.
I usually muscle harps with technique to get around
the bad stuff.
----------
Emile "Diggs" D'Amico a Legend In His Own Mind
How you doin'
|
HarveyHarp
306 posts
Sep 17, 2011
9:38 AM
|
If I am not mistaken, Joe Filisko built some Huangs for Madcat Ruth back in the 90s. He was calling them Madcat Harps, I think. They sounded great.
----------
HarveyHarp
|
chromaticblues
1007 posts
Sep 17, 2011
11:11 AM
|
@Oisin No thats a good Question. When the harp is apart its easy. I get the reed straight first. If the gap is to low. flip the reedplate over so the reeds are facing down. Useing a small screw driver (one that will fit thru the reed slot) hold the reed down about 25% of the way up the reed from the rivet. Then I put my thumb on the rivet end of the plate and my fingers on the other end and lift the plate with my finger alittle untill the reed bends slightly. It takes 2 or 3 try's. Don't lift the plate to much. You don't want to bend the reed to much. You can bend it back, but you don't want to keep bending it back in forth at that spot. Thats the section of reed that fails when a reed goes bad so be careful!
Hope that helps. If there is any part you don't understand ask and I'll try to explain it better.
|
Oisin
869 posts
Sep 17, 2011
11:21 AM
|
Thanks Chromatic, that's a great tip and I'll try that tonight. Does that mean that the reed and reedplate should run as parallel as possible lengthways? I'm sorry if that sounds like a dumb question but I've been trying for a long time to gap properly and it's been a bit hit and miss so far.
----------
Oisin
|
chromaticblues
1010 posts
Sep 17, 2011
11:38 AM
|
No! That is what most people think when I say straight the reed out. You straight about 75% of the reed starting from the free end. It has to be bent up near the rivet end and slop up away from the plate to the end. So when you look at the reed from the free end with a magnifying glass it is striaght all the way down to near the rivet.
So straight the reed first. Then adjust the reed gap by bending it at the rivet end so you don't screw up your straight reed work.
Really its not that hard to do. Try it on a harp you don't cherrish first. Once you get the hang of it it's easy. The only harp I had in my harp case last night that was inbossed is my Chromatic and I didn't use it last night. So I played a gig without using an embossed harp. Cand you imagine?
If you want people to comment on how well you sound. DON"T EMBOSS YOUR HARPS! But what do I know?
Last Edited by on Sep 17, 2011 3:49 PM
|
Oisin
871 posts
Sep 17, 2011
11:42 AM
|
That's perfect Chromatic....that's the best explanation I've heard so far. I trying it right now in my garage.
----------
Oisin
|
Todd Parrott
699 posts
Sep 17, 2011
12:21 PM
|
"If I am not mistaken, Joe Filisko built some Huangs for Madcat Ruth back in the 90s. He was calling them Madcat Harps, I think. They sounded great."
Harvey, you are correct, and this can be verified on Madcat's site.
However, I remember talking to Chamber Huang in the late 90's, when I was considering switching to Huangs (mainly due to cost), and he mentioned Norton Buffalo, Madcat, Stevie Wonder, etc., and said that yes, these guys play his harps, but the quality of what they were playing was much better than the standard Huangs, because they were his friends. Of course, Stevie Wonder has a custom built chromatic from Frank and Chamber, not the Huang 1248 model that they sell.
I also asked Madcat about his Huangs, and he said there was a certain twangy, bright quality that he liked about them, and he likened it to playing a Fender Telecaster to put in perspective. I don't think he uses them much these days, but I may be mistaken. I know he didn't have them with him at the last couple of festivals I attended, one being this past SPAH.
Too bad Huang didn't take harmonicas more seriously and produce a better product. They certainly have the know-how.
Last Edited by on Sep 17, 2011 12:22 PM
|
tmf714
793 posts
Sep 17, 2011
1:37 PM
|
Madact is using Hering harps,1923,Special 48,and Filiskos with Hohner or Huang reedplates.
Last Edited by on Sep 17, 2011 1:39 PM
|
