Bummer. So much for the roll out of the Low key Rockets. Low F isn't very low to be having this problem. I can only imagine lower keys would rattle even worse than a Low F (though they only go down to Low C).
One thing, low key harmonicas are different beasts. You can't use the same "attack" that you are used to.
Here's Joe Filisko on playing T-Birds.
Michelle
---------- SilverWing Leather - Custom leather creations for musicians and other eccentrics.
Perhaps Hohner thinks the Low F is not low enough to warrant the conical bottom plate.
Before you throw in the towel, try putting a small strip of surgical tape on the inside of the cover plate along the front above the 1 reed. That will stop the metal on metal rattle and may not have too great of an effect on the reed cycle freq. I use the tape as gaskets on Lee Oskars and SP20's when I go tin-sandwich with custom combs. I can't say it stops reed rattle, but I don't get reed rattle.
That kinda sounds like a social disease. "Don't kiss her, you'll catch reed rattle"
Edit - Michelle, your post was not up when I hit "Enter".
Last Edited by Thievin' Heathen on Sep 03, 2016 8:39 AM
If that's just the normal Low F, the other possibility is that the reed could possibly be misaligned or there may be some burrs on the reed itself, which if that's the case, you can remove them yourself with a small, knife shaped needle file. One thing to remember with any harp piutched lower than a G is that you do risk the reed rattling on the cover plates when played too hard.
BTW, When they were making MB's pitched from Low F and downward,, as well as the Big Rivers, this can also be a problem with them as well.
The Seydel 1847's originally didn't come with conical covers and theirs didn't have this problem at all (they had a sort of an "indentation" to prevent it before they went to concical covers for a couple of years, and now with the redesign of them with a thicker comb and taller cover plates, there is no problem with them, there won't be any problems with that happening at all. ---------- Sincerely, Barbeque Bob Maglinte Boston, MA http://www.barbequebob.com CD available at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/bbmaglinte
Low harps are very prone to misalignment of the heavy reeds. Also any twisting f the reed can mean the thick reed might touch the slot as it passes through. The op has disappeared so I'm just guessing
OK ! I took the reed plates out of the Rocket Low (F) that had a very loud buzz/rattle whenever I would do a ta-ta or ga/ga inhale on the # (1) draw reed plate. Or a good long regular inhale and installed them on a Special 20 comb and then put Turbo cover plates on it and TA-Ta :) It is now my favorite low (F) and I have several brands of them :)
It just needed more room on that bottom cover plate..cannot understand why Hohner did not use a conical bottom cover plate :) If you only play very softly you may not experience this :)
Last Edited by Steve Harvell on Sep 03, 2016 6:41 PM
For future reference - if the harp is pretty air tight and you dont have any burs on the reeds or slots, Slowly adjust the gap open on both draw and blow reed on the 1. A draw one reed hitting the cover plate makes a clicking sound. A buzz - if there are no obstructions the reed slapping by having too much air being drawn through it. Open the gaps. This happens also on G's and sometimes A's when the harp is real tight and responsive.
When Hohner first began making low pitched harps as far back as the mid 80's, they never changed the cover shapes at all, regardless if it was the Sp20's or the MB's and they didn't do it for the MS series stuff either until the MB Thunderbirds came out and that was a design from harp customizer Joe Filisko and if you got a custom low pitched harp, a number of good customizers would reshape the lower covers for that very reason. ---------- Sincerely, Barbeque Bob Maglinte Boston, MA http://www.barbequebob.com CD available at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/bbmaglinte
