Was just at Joe Spiers web site and he explains why reeds break and which are the most common. (4 draw in his experience, and I concur, along with 5 draw) check out his take on the subject.
The four draw on a C harp is a D reed and there is only one compatible D reed on other key Hohners- the # 2 draw on a high G, or (of course) another C four draw. i was out of those long ago. no matter- i'm always tuning up C#s etc. or simply cutting reeds to fit. cutting reeds isn't as hard as it looks. just a bit tedious when you aren't used to it. i like cutting to fit because i can cut the reed a bit long so it just clears the end of the slot. no burnishing needed.
i would say i don't kill reeds, and i don't on diatonics- BUT.. i just killed a 5 draw on my 64 Chromatic. never killed a Chro reed in 40 years. oh well, first time for everything.
i am confident that the most common problems that arise w/ any harp are reed related. everything else takes a back seat. everything.
reeds fracture near thier zero point, they go out of alignment, get burred, lose their gap and profile, get obsructed by lint n stuff, or just get old and lifeless.
unless you back over your harp with your car, your harp can be maintained to last indefinitely. i play at least three harps at gigs that are 50-90+ years old. they work great! my D mouse ear MB OBs like a champ.
so here is my reed replacement 101 video. the Hohner 64 chromatic in the theme music that i'm playing is the chro i killed the 5 draw on. i'm glad a friend loaned me his 16 hole Chromonika III as back-up that night.
hope this helps. one day i'll do a vid and divulge the secret to setting reeds ala Filisko but i'm sworn to secrecy.
---------- MP affordable reed replacement and repairs.
"making the world a better place, one harmonica at a time"
click user name [MP] for info- repair videos on YouTube. you can reach me via Facebook. Mark Prados
Last Edited by on Dec 28, 2012 12:33 PM
I killed a 5 draw on a suzuki folkmaster that I kept in my car to practice whilst sitting in traffic.....but I do love to hang on 45 draw religiously......5
hey orphan! george, don't all Suzukis have replacement reed plates? if i remember correctly, the Bushman Delta Frost uses Folkmaster reed plates. maybe not. the Suzuki guys around here would know. ---------- MP affordable reed replacement and repairs.
"making the world a better place, one harmonica at a time"
click user name [MP] for info- repair videos on YouTube. you can reach me via Facebook. Mark Prados
I'd be surprised if the Delta Frost and the Folkmaster use the same reed plates, since the DF claims to use phosphor bronze, while I just suspect the much cheaper Chinese made FM would not.
MP - Mark those are great videos on reed replacement and a really good reference source. Full of some very useful tips. I'm going to add them to my library alongside Joe Spiers gapping videos. Some tasty chromatic playing there as well.
Harper, it's no surprise because the Delta Frosts are actually manufactured by Suzuki and the easiest eay to tell is that while all other companies have reeds riveted to the reed plates, Suzuki harps have them spot welded. ---------- Sincerely, Barbeque Bob Maglinte Boston, MA http://www.barbequebob.com CD available at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/bbmaglinte
So Bob, does that mean I could buy a cheap Folkmaster and get basically the same harp as I'd be getting if I bought the Delta Frost (which I have several of already, and like pretty well)? If so, that would be nice. $15 versus $38? Of course the comb and cover plates would be different, but if the reed plates are the same, seems to me that would be a major consideration.
Or, I could buy a Folkmaster just for the replacement reed plates to put on my blown out Delta Frosts?
Last Edited by on Dec 29, 2012 9:40 AM
Kingley, yes, I'm familiar with that. I was wondering anew about the Folkmaster now, based on MP's and BBBob's question/information.
Gnarly, thanks for the clarification. So, definitively, the Folkmaster reed plates will not replace - are not the same as - the Delta Frost reed plates. As I originally suspected.
Last Edited by on Dec 29, 2012 10:08 AM
I have in front of me as I write this a delta Frost and Harpmaster. They are quite similar and it looks as if the parts would interchange, although I have not tried it. The covers hafe the same overall shape except for the shape of the back openings and the mount tabs. The cases they came in could be out of the same molds as it looks like the area where it says Bushman or Suzuki is an insert.
The Harp-L post referenced above states that Bushman is a rebrander and the manufacturer of the Delta Frost is Suzuki. I have wondered whether Bushman specified the Delta Frost to Suzuki or if Bushman asked Suzuki for a harp and Suzuki came up with the design. Either way the Delta Frost/Harpmaster looks like what a model railroader would call kit bashing, where you assemble pieces from different models to come up with something new. I like both harps.
i don't get out much....on the computer. i do take walks and gig though. Happy New Year! see yah, Mark ---------- MP affordable reed replacement and repairs.
"making the world a better place, one harmonica at a time"
click user name [MP] for info- repair videos on YouTube. you can reach me via Facebook. Mark Prados
