HawkeyeKane
1226 posts
Sep 27, 2012
12:21 PM
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I got to thinking about this today. Admittedly, cheaper harps tend to be leaky. But here's what I wonder...
How much of that leakiness resides in the gapping between the teeth and reedplates, and how much of it is due to gapping between the lips of the coverplates and the reedplates?
Take for instance a Huang Star Performer. At MP's suggestion, I disassembled mine, and traced the top and bottom contact edges of the comb with chapstick to form a better seal. For good measure, I also traced the face-side grooves in the reedplates where the coverplates rest. After doing this, it feels a LOT less leaky. Don't misunderstand me here...it still leaks. But the hiss of the leaking air is far less audible than it was before I added the chapstick sealant.
I kinda wish I'd tested it before I put the coverplates back on so I could make a more accurate assessment as to where the leakage originated, but I'm not really in any mood to take it apart again. Those things are a pain to put back together as I found out today.
Anyone have any thoughts on this?
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Hawkeye Kane
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tookatooka
3092 posts
Sep 27, 2012
1:02 PM
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The cheapies I've had in the past seemed to have a fairly good seal between reedplates and plastic combs. I always put the breathiness down to lower tolerances between the reed and slot spacing. A Planetone was the worst I've encountered.
Last Edited by on Sep 27, 2012 1:02 PM
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arzajac
856 posts
Sep 27, 2012
2:23 PM
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If you take off the coverplates and cover the top and bottom slots of one hole with your fingers, you can "cheek-puff" the hole and assess how leaky it is.
This can give you an objective idea of how leaky the harp is. Since you are occluding the slot, you are not taking into account variables like gapping and slot tolerances.
As for making them less leaky, I think it's pretty much hopeless.
I spent (wasted) hours trying to get cheap harps to be less leaky. I don't want to offend anyone by saying this, but if a harp is made in China, it is not worth my time to work on it. Nothing I can do can make a big enough difference to make it a decent harp.
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didjcripey
389 posts
Sep 27, 2012
2:51 PM
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Life's too short to play cheap harps
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Lucky Lester
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eharp
1994 posts
Sep 27, 2012
4:11 PM
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dont tell me it's your birthday and the family got you a huang star performer!
lucky dog, you!
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rogonzab
118 posts
Sep 27, 2012
4:18 PM
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I have a few cheap harps ($8 or so) and they are really leaky harps, but once that I work on them they are way better than before (I can OB and an occasionally OD). Still leaky, but I can play them just fine.
The thing is that not all of us are willing to spend that time working on their harps: "Life's too short to play cheap harps"
So, they worth the effort? depends on how much you're are willing to spend on your harp and how much you need a fine instrument. I have this harps because I am not a very good player, not even a good player, so the shortness of those harps do not cut me back on my playing (or learning curve) yet, and the "decent" harps are kind of expensive (a MB is $40).
I have to say that I enjoy working on the harps as much as I enjoy playing it.
The folkmaster is a good Chinese harp, not as loud as a decent harp, but good enough.
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