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Dirty-South Blues Harp forum: wail on! >
Tunings question 2
Tunings question 2
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snowman
615 posts
Sep 18, 2020
10:03 AM
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Hi,
I was smart enough not to quit my day job, even when I was close to full time in music, in a few periods. Thank goodness
I still do construction at 68, Im tired when I get home.
I don't want to write each manufacture, to find which tunings they use on their harps. IE; current Sp 20, Manjies etc.
1] has anyone made a chronological CHART of most of the manufacturers? Ie; Spc20 1910-1950 7 limit--- !950-1980 19 limit---1980 to present compromise etc etc ??
why? I have older and newer harps-- don't have time to figure the tuning on them. Some sound better in blues etc
2] Present day tuning for;
Manjies
Suzuki 550
Firebreath [olive]
Sp 20
Gm--think ET?
Crossover
Lee Oscar richter
Eastop "blues"
Please include At 440 441 442 443 etc
So IE: crossover = compromise at 443
I'd pay u, but Im a workin stiff.
Thanks if u can, thanks anyway
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dougharps
2178 posts
Sep 18, 2020
10:42 AM
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I am not a tech, just a guy who learned basic fixes over the years before harmonica information became available via internet and books.
Since it was posted, this chart is what I use for adjusting tuning on any of my harps that seem off:
Tunings
I check the pitch of the blow 1 and 4 holes and adjust my tuner to read this at zero. Usually this is 442, occasionally 443. This is my reference pitch for that specific harp and then I adjust reed pitches according to the chart for the harp.
Adjusting cents exactly is a little harder than the Zajak approach of adjustments by changing reference pitches on a tuner. I found an Android app that is easier than using my old chromatic guitar tuner.
However, I also found that for my ear, one cent either way is not critical except if it detunes ocataves. I just get them close to a scheme on the chart and then tune the octaves.
As you can see from the chart, many different schemes are used at the factory with different specific harps. Despite this, they all generally sound OK.
Sweeten chords with a just tuning or tune for melody with equal intonation, it is your choice. I recall Gnarly saying he retunes Manjis to a sweeter tuning. Maybe he will chime in here...
I only tune reeds to fix things sounding wrong to me. I just want them sounding OK for my music, not optimized to the precise standard. I prefer a compromise tuning for my playing, a little sweeter on chords than equal intonation.
I hope this chart helps. It has made things easier for me!
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Doug S.
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Gnarly
2893 posts
Sep 18, 2020
7:22 PM
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Hi kids--
As you can see in the chart Doug references, Manjis are ET except for the thirds, so when I tune, I go with 7 limit just, but not if a customer likes ET.
Most of the other Suzukis are ET, Olive is not IIRC.
Fabulous comes in Just and ET.
It's worth pointing out that really good harmonica players sound in tune by virtue of their superior "bending" skills, and I doubt if it's conscious . . . it's like violin players in string quartets.
Todd Parrott uses ET and he sounds pretty sweet!
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