Here's my latest gizmo--a new machine to help with the tuning process on harps. I think the video pretty much says what it is--let me know what you think. . .
Dick Sjoeberg has actually been working on bringing something just like this to market (ie. a small, lung powered tuning table). I haven't actually seen any pictures of his design yet, but from what what he's described, it seems like you two have come up with pretty similar concepts. Great minds think alike : )
Last Edited by on Sep 18, 2011 11:13 PM
Reminds me of the tuning tables I saw for the 2016 at Hicksville NY. They used a foot bellows. They used a master set of plates to tune against instead of a tuner. ---------- Emile "Diggs" D'Amico a Legend In His Own Mind How you doin'
Very impressive! My hat's off to you for your creativity, skill and, especially, your persistence! Thanks for sharing your demo! Jay ---------- Music speaks where words fail.
I've seen Dick's Harp Tuner in action via Skype. It is very, very impressive. Similar to Oldwailer's, I suppose in a couple of ways.
What I really liked on the HT, which also works via a breathing tube, are the push/pull pins. You can check any combination of of reeds at any time...so you can check the octaves and 3rd, 5ths, whatever.
@oldwailer Very nice! Does it work with combs like the Seydel 1847 and other models where the holes are spaced further apart than a Hohner Marine Band or Special 20 ?
@SonnyD4885--I don't want to do a big marketing or pricing thing here--just email me or go to my site to get prices.
@HarpNinja--yes, Dick Sjoeberg's Tuner seems like it might be a lot like mine--although I have only read a couple of descriptions and I don't really know what his looks like. My Hookah is also capable of checking chords, octaves, thirds, fifths--any combination of reeds you like.
@AirMojo--I only know the Hookah works with the harps I have in my stash--which are mostly MB, Delta Frost, Big River, SP20, and LO--if you contact me off list we can discuss this--I can make them to accommodate any harp plate--I don't have any Seydels yet, so I really can't say if the present incarnation will work with them. If you wanted to send me a plate from any harp I could make a Hookah to fit it. ----------
nice! seems like you would want to blow to keep brass dust out of your lungs, but then the tuning work would require you to remove the plate to work and put it back each time
@walterharp--yes, would be nice to blow--I haven't figured that out yet though. It would be even nicer to have a little vacuum on it that was electric, but that means making noises that interfere with tuning and tuners.
There is a filter in the tube though--and the internal parts are lubricated with food grade silicone lubricant--the same stuff they use to lube meat grinders and blenders.
One of my early versions was powered by a little vacuum cleaner that was attached to about 50 feet of garden hose with a remote switch on it. I had the vacuum out in another building from my shop to minimize the noise where I was tuning.
The problem was that I couldn't (economically) find a fine enough control on the amount of vacuum to the reeds. You wouldn't believe how loud a single harmonica reed can squeal!
Any ideas I have been able to come up with for a more automated machine put the cost out where I can't even afford to build one--with today's cost of materials, this thing is already more expensive than I would like to make them for. . . ----------
yeah a filter should do it, hepa grade filter would be best, and always use mineral oil very very lightly should really cut down on any dust. does mineral oil change tuning? guess it needs to be spread evenly.
the foot bellows might not work because you could not control air pressure, but it does spring back open... most air pumps are really loud (can you say aquarium air pump?) so I see why that limits options but aquarium pump may be ok at intermediate distance, kind of white noise..
one of the things i wonder, off topic, if you use a reference plate and match the plink of the reed, do you get it in tune? no air required then.
@oldwailer - perhaps to accommodate the various spacings, you could make the attachment point for the reedplate removable. That way, if a person has several different brand/model harmonicas, they could just buy the base machine and the additional attachment points for the reedplates. Then one tuner would cover all harps.
@walterharp--aquarium pumps blow--foot bellows blow and suck--I just have yet to find one that I would want to try out.
I really doubt that anybody is good enough to tune with a plink--I don't even think there is an electronic device that could tune with a signal that brief--and, even if you could, you would have to have a set of master plates for every key--that could get pricey.
@KingBiscuit--It is possible to make replaceable plates for the Hookah that would accommodate various brands--within certain limits--the plate does have to match up to the internal airways of the machine below. I'll have to get a Seydel and check it out--I think it will be close enough to work on the machine as it is--but I'll have to verify that assumption. ----------
Well, there were several nice comments about the Harp Hookah when I introduced it last week, but no orders came in.
So, just in case somebody out there is sitting on the fence and is tempted to buy a Hookah, I'm prepared to make them for a reduced price.
For MBH people only, I will make a Hookah for you for a $75.00 USD price reduction. So the price for your very own hookah would be $190. With the price of materials, and the need to make some money for my time, I just can't offer them any cheaper.
This price is only good for a short time--I am having some money problems and I will have to sell my mill if I can't start making at least a bit of money with it. Once I sell the mill, the Harp Hookah and the Bosser will no longer be available.
If you have any questions, just send me an email by clicking on my user name to get my address. . .
