Udderkuz03
26 posts
Sep 26, 2013
6:10 AM
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I thought two things about this, either ask hohner(by phone) or ask you guys here. I generally like the keys a flat, a, b flat, b and c in harp. So what are the replacement reeds gonna be as far as most frequently blown out go?(in those previously mentioned keys)
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arzajac
1149 posts
Sep 26, 2013
6:30 AM
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I believe the standard Richter tuning scheme is a much bigger factor in which reeds get blown out more often rather than the key of the harp.
The reason why so many players blow out the 4 draw and 5 draw is because the 4 draw is an important wail note in second position and 5 draw is a soulful note that doesn't have a (real) draw bend - players can "shade" the note by bending it down about a quarter tone but this bends the hole to the floor and is very hard on those reeds. Not to mention just plain hitting those notes hard. Again, because of their notes in the second position blues scale.
I see a lot of blown reeds on D harps - especially 4 draw. Is that because the 4 draw on a D is weaker than on other harps? I doubt it - I think it's more about the Key of A being a very common key, the fact that the harp cuts through the band in that key may encourage some players to try to play louder. Whereas they would play less hard (play less lead, or play the lead differently) in lower keys may be a factor, but again, that probably doesn't translate into different reeds blowing out - the same culprits, 4 draw, 5 draw, 4 blow, 5 blow - are common across keys.
I hope this helps.
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Last Edited by arzajac on Sep 26, 2013 6:36 AM
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Udderkuz03
27 posts
Sep 26, 2013
9:58 AM
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Thanks.. if you pay shipping and handling for one Reed it isn't smart, so I'm just trying to find out which ones sour the most...the ones you mentioned are the ones I remember "ruining" when I was just starting the David Barrett course...I was going to ask on the phone to hohner "which reeds do musicians commonly order", like how many and which ones are interchangeable etc...
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MP
2931 posts
Sep 26, 2013
1:00 PM
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Udderkuz03,
i think you need a reed replacement chart. i'm not sure but i think if you join richard sleighs mailing list he sends you a reed compatability chart he came up with. It is a great resource.
Sleighs chart is what i use.
good luck replacing them. it is tedious and requires a lot of patience. it is very easy to mess up and put them in off center. even long time repair guys i've spoken with absolutely hate replacing reeds. some hate it worse than embossing. my pet peeves are embossing and drilling holes.
have a good day.
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MP
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you can reach me via Facebook. Mark Prados
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Udderkuz03
28 posts
Sep 26, 2013
2:59 PM
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Someone posted somewhere that the 5 hole draw can be bent and lwell I already knew it couldn't from David Barrett's DVDs. It can be dipped 1/4 tone but I felt left out and kept trying to get a 1/2 or whole step bend out of it on a newer big river a flat harp and it blew out the
Reed.. $27 is nothing to sneeze at..after years of ruining reeds and replacing the entire harp, I got tired of it and now need to inquire into Reed replacement(instead of the whole harp)...
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nacoran
7163 posts
Sep 26, 2013
8:13 PM
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I think Jim has a list of reed compatibilities on his 'Jim's True Chromatic' site somewhere. I know he was working on one. I even went out and got some calipers so I could try to measure some oddball harps I had around, but then, ooo, a squirrel...
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Nate
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SuperBee
1444 posts
Sep 26, 2013
10:36 PM
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I ordered 1 pack of 5 of each of these:
c harp, 4 and 5 draw
d harp, 4 and 5 draw
I used to play in a very loud band which played in G a lot.. And one song in A which really wailed.
My current band plays a lot of stuff in A.
A lady sent me a box of broken harps. About 12. One was an A. The rest were C and D. They all had either 4 or 5 draw blown.
I myself don't wreck too many 5 draws; mainly 4 draw. It's all down to a couple of songs I just lose my head on...
I have wrecked a couple 5 draw but a long time ago.
So...it's likely 4 and 5, draw, in the harps you work a lot. I work a particular A harp more than any other, but I don't punish it. Mellow. It's done 6 years. But I'm worried about 9 blow.
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HarpNinja
3493 posts
Sep 27, 2013
7:15 AM
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I try to re-rivet replacement reeds whenever possible. Takes about 10min a reed on average. It took a long time for me to get good and efficient at it.
Exceptions to using a screw are when the reed was way off centered or the new reed doesn't fit the rivet well before hammering a new head (can be too tight or too loose).
Typically, the new rivet is snug and when I put the reed on, it is snug enough that it stays put without aid. It took a long time to come up with a system to flatten the reed pad and reed plate without warping anything to do that.
The issue with screws, IMO, is also the benefit...you can have greater control of how the reed sits in the slot, but it is easy to get if off centered while tightening - even when using tape.
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jim
1469 posts
Sep 27, 2013
7:38 AM
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1) get a set of reeds, make a workplace
or
2) send it to someone who can fix it for you
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