I posted a look at the inside of a Lucky 13 a few weeks ago.
I know some folks might be nervous about working on welded reeds (I was). I was stuck on riveted reed harps then finally dove into welded reeds because I was tired of missing out.
After swapping reeds on my fist Manji I was surprised by how easy the work was and how precise the results were. It was nice not having to use a hammer.
The resulting screw attachment makes it easy to later swap reed swaps, or do embossing…
I added a cheat sheet of the 10 basic steps for this method and a tools/materials list at the YouTube description section.
Thanks and recognition for this method goes to Brendan Power. Over the years I have changed very little of the process.
10 STEPS: 1. Wrench off the subject reed. 2. Smooth the reed plate and new reed pad. 3. Tape the new reed centered into the slot. 4. Drill through it and the plate using a 1.25mm bit. 5. Remove the reed with the tape intact and transfer it to a smooth drilling surface. 6. Drill through the reed pad with a 1.5mm bit for screw clearance. 7. Smooth the exit side of the pad hole. 8. Thread the plate hole using 1.4mm tap. 9. Tape the new reed into the slot right where you want it. 10. Fasten the reed using 1.4mm dia. x 1.6mm long screw.
Maybe this video will inspire other folks to work on welded reeds.
Dave ---------- It's about time I got around to this.
Of course, you have to have donor reeds. I just replaced 2 draw on a Lucky 13, used a reed from SCX-48 D plates and still had to tune it down a bunch. Does Easttop make replacement reeds available?
Gnarly, I understand your special tuning. I have not seen replacement reeds from Easttop, but that would be very helpful.
My favorite tuning lets me swap reeds from the same harp then do some pretty minor reed tuning.
But like you, I've had to harvested donor reeds where ever I can get them, and snip the ends off, file them down, add solder... whatever it takes to make them work. But that can be a pain, especially for a very low (weighted) reed.
I do believe the L13 alloy reeds are going to hold up well. So I'm not to worried about replacing broken reeds. That could be partly to blame for Easttop not offering replacement reeds.
But you know Easttop must have thousands of reeds. It might be good marketing to offer them for "customizing" (as well as repair). That would also give special tuning fans one more reason buy into the Lucky 13 :)
Do you have a preference for screw head style. I've been using pan head screws. I looks like you use countersunk screws. Maybe those grab and hold the reed in place better than what I've experienced?
OK, so here a question I would love to have answered. What reed would you use to replace draw 1 on a Lucky 13 in A? I have a customer who would like me to know the answer. FYI, that's the note B2.
Roverharp, Good question. I use "flat head" screws not countersink, but they do have a nice low profile head. I'm out of town for a while or I'd look up the ordering info.
I've used these screws and this method for a little over 2 years. Occationally I'll have a reed that twists out of alignment during tightening. Maybe that's what you are experiencing?
I seem to have solved that problem with: the final tape and pinch step, not over tightening, and by making sure the contact surfaces are flat and smooth. When it does happen I go to the reed wrench (or pull the reed, clean up the surfaces and try again).
Another factor is the diameter of the reed hole. A drill press with excessive run out (AKA play in the chuck... or even a slightly bent drill bit) can result in an oversize hole. That can cause problems at these tiny sizes. You might look at that or just try reducing the drill bit size for the reed hole. You can always enlarge it.
If you're not familiar with "drill press run out" you can Google that phrase for more details. I honestly appolgize if I am talking down or implying that you have a lame drill press. I may be completley off base.
Not to beat this to death, but I've tried a few different types of masking tape for this work. I perfer 3M blue #2080. It is a smoother, thinner, and less spongy tape that seems to prevent shifting and it's easy to pull.
I thought about adding some of these further details in the video but was afraid of over doing it.
Regards, Dave ---------- It's about time I got around to this.
Thanks for the great video, Dave. Step 9 (taping the reed to the plate before screwing) is a very good additional step to my method :-)
I will talk to Easttop about supplying replacement reeds. The trouble is having so many keys! To supply all of them would require well over 80 I'd say, haven't calculated it exactly.
Probably an easier way to get the replacement reeds for the Lucky 13 in the upper 10 holes would be to buy low cost Easttop harps with welded reeds, they should fit. Anyway I'll check and come back on that.
I love your tidy workshp BTW. Mine stays like that for about 30 minutes before gently collapsing into its customary state of stuff everywhere!
Thanks Brendan. The low reeds are really low--I got lucky (hehe) with the replacement of the draw 2, but am stumped as to how to get a reed that size down to the note on draw 1. But I already explained to the customer--he broke the reed trying to adjust the gap, moral is, "practice on your old harps."
I checked reed lengths for Easttop 10-hole harps vs the Lucky 13.
In the equivalent range they are identical. For example holes 1-10 of a normal Easttop C harp match holes 4-13 on a C Lucky 13 - good news!
That means Lucky 13 owners can easily replace reeds in the standard playing range by harvesting them from low-cost Easttop 10 holers with phosphor bronze welded reeds, like this one:
I'm among those who need a replacement reed on the bottom end of a Lucky 13. I was adjusting the gapping of 1 blow, pushed the base of the reed down into the slot with a flat tool, then tried to lift the tip from underneath. I've done this a lot with harps in the standard playing register. What I didn't take into account was that the bulk of this reed was the stiff weight and I was stressing a very short length of thin brass. The reed suddenly bent upward at an extreme angle, then snapped off when I attempted to bring it down to the slot.
I'm offering this as a cautionary tale for others who also may not be accustomed to working with low thick reeds, and also join with those requesting that Easttop offer replacement reeds for this harp.
Great video. Very professional. Your shop is way too clean for my taste. I prefer a bit of clutter. Makes it feel lived in. :) ---------- Tom Halchak www.BlueMoonHarmonicas.com
I should probably also mention that the Lucky 13 is a well constructed harp and a lot of fun to play! It has good comb and more than the expected number of screws to evenly secure the reed plates. The cover plate support thingy should help prevent crushing the long covers, yet the back remains open and unimpeded. The reedplates are marked with the key and the reeds are well centered in the slots. It came reasonably well in tune. The only adjustment I felt compelled to make was to narrow the reed gaps, which I do with most harps. My only negative experience with the Lucky 13 was the result of user error.
I am one more person who has a broken reed on hole 1 on a Lucky 13 A harp. It never played from the moment I opened the package. Any little bit of attempted gaping and the reed just breaks. Would be nice to find a replacement reed.
It's worth mentioning-- Low note on a 365 (or a 16 hole chromatic) is C3. That's the low note on the Lucky 13 in C--so if you have a key lower than that, the reeds are weighted down more than normal. So be careful! I have a Seydel Low Low F, that starts on F2--haven't found a use for it yet, and am proud to say I haven't converted it to some abstruse tuning--yet . . . I like the 365 for some tunings that require four or five holes per octave, the Lucky 13 would be a good candidate for those--I am doing another Solo tune conversion of a C for a customer, thanks for the reminder that I should be careful!
