MP
100 posts
Mar 23, 2010
4:47 PM
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received mouse ear MB as a gift. cool gift!! the dude sealed the comb, drilled and tapped for screws but didn't touch the tuning. the #4 blow zeros out at 443 and the #5 and #9 draws are roughly -29 at 443. are these harps 0=443 or 0=442 or even lower? if i calibrate lower than 443 everything is real sharp. iv'e got my breath control pretty accurate and am well aware just how much incorrect breath can mess you up. my tuner is a KORG OT-120 set for a fast bounce. i'm competent at tuning compromise tunings. i'd just realy like to have a harp in 7 limit JI with the correct amount of hertz. thanks guys, your humble MP.
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htownfess
45 posts
Mar 23, 2010
7:02 PM
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443 for 4 blow is right for those if the tuning's held up, as is the -29 @ 443 for the 5/9D. If you switch to A=440, 4D should be +12 cents, and 5/9D about -17.
The A440 stamp on MBs has always meant 440 under normal strong playing pressure, requiring a sharp overall tuning. Human beings and the contexts they play in haven't changed much: playing acoustic only, they had to be loud a century ago. Thus the 443-under-minimum-pressure tuning reference point has been used for a very long time.
I find it much easier to think in relation to 440, counting in cents above and below that. I don't even like to think of 443 for 4B; thinking of it as +12 cents is clearer for me.
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MP
101 posts
Mar 23, 2010
9:15 PM
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HEY HTOWNFESS!! howzitgoin'? when i adjusted the calibration to 440 HZ ,4 blow was indeed about +12. i don't know why some of the tuning held up. the 7 and 10 blow are radically sharp. thanks again bro!!
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MP
102 posts
Mar 24, 2010
12:45 PM
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htownfess.
by your number of posts i'm guessing you are new to this forum, or only comment when something interests you and you have something of value to say. i really appreciate your help and find it very obvious that you know what you are talking about.
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htownfess
46 posts
Mar 25, 2010
6:29 PM
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You're welcome, MP--yeah, I am pretty new here and not posting much. One thing about a mouse-ear MB or similar ancient diatonic is that the original owner likely played it in a rather different style, first position on the middle and upper octaves, due to playing standards, so the 7 blow gets a lot of work by our standards and maybe even the 10 blow does too. You can sometimes see the pattern of heavy use when you take an ancient harp apart, and it'll tend to be on holes 4-9, maybe, whereas today's typical MB would probably show 1-6 getting the emphasis.
My *impression* is that a harp that gets played a lot and then sits a long time may well go sharper while it's sitting around. My *guess* is continuing heavier oxidizing on the reeds that got played more stiffens up their skin layer and those reeds go sharper while inactive. With a prewar, often the 7-limit JI is discernible but the whole thing is raised up several Hz, I would guess due to oxidation. Does not always happen but I had sharp-ing occur in Oskars that sat idle for several years.
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MP
106 posts
Mar 25, 2010
10:28 PM
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htownfess. yeah, iv'e found some harps actually have go sharp too. my latest problem is overtone whisteling on #2 and #3 draw bend after i over embossed. it's possible they whistled before i got my grubby hands on 'em and now they are just worse. i'm pretty sure it's burrs or or alingment issues. see yah.
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htownfess
47 posts
Mar 26, 2010
1:36 AM
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That overtone ring/whistle is probably interference near the reed base. The reed'll plink but it won't plink a wholly clean note that rings out, and near the base there's not enough leverage/force for the swinging reed to shave the interference off at all quickly. You may be able to realign to fix it. Some people shave it down with the edge of a thin steel feeler gauge if they can get it in there at all, have to swing the reed out of the way etc. A cool thing to use in that situation is the sanding tape dentists use between teeth. Think it's called interproximal tape or something. Lightly trap a short strip of that with the abrasive on the slot side and draw it through, and it will fit the boss to the reed's edge.
A random tip: after swinging the reed alignment around & all that other stuff, it's a good idea to take the small hammer and give the reed rivet a little tap to make sure the rivet's firmly seating the reed before you tune it or play or whatever comes next. Or a squeeze with the pliers if that's your method. Good thing to remember to do during the work process, help ensure proper reed action and max volume.
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bluemoose
147 posts
Mar 26, 2010
10:12 AM
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[The perfect example of why this forum is so great. An intelligent respectful conversation with scads of useful info, even if you aren't into tuning your harps, yet!]
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JTThirty
63 posts
Mar 26, 2010
11:03 AM
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Can't go wrong with advice from "htownfess". He's always steered me in the right direction with all things harmonica for a few years now.
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MP
108 posts
Mar 26, 2010
11:14 AM
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blue moose,
htownfess is the man.
htownfess,
i did the nailset tack hammer, but may try my trusty old needlenose fix. i also shaved with a thin feeler gage(blow and draw). as the problem is not as bad as it was, i may be on the right track. going down to drug store and see if i can find some of that dental tape stuff. it may be something you have to get at a medical supply place.
BTW, a dude called harpwrench says this happens a lot on hohners and seems to occur predominantly on #2 and #3.
thank you,
your invisible friend, MP
Last Edited by on Mar 26, 2010 11:19 AM
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htownfess
48 posts
Mar 26, 2010
3:24 PM
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Re-seating the rivet was something I didn't realize for the longest time, forget who pointed it out, but if we've been realigning the reed and otherwise mauling it, it'll be loudest and swing straightest if we make sure it's firmly affixed when we're done. Reed should plink with a loud clean ping!, longer reeds anyway.
Make a note of everything harpwrench says: he knows from. My embossing mantra is "Don't get greedy" and I think temptation is worse on 2 & 3. I had to open an account with a dental supply store to get the Epitex brand tape, which was humorous because those places have a certain security requirement due to being cocaine suppliers. It was nice of them to buzz me in the door to sell me a single roll, but I'll try to get the next one through my dentist. It's fiddly stuff to use but it's a gentler approach to that interference near the root. Oskars seem a bit prone to it too, not due to riveting accuracy but to tuning marks distorting the reed there.
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Ev630
197 posts
Mar 26, 2010
7:34 PM
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htownfess is THE GUY if you have any queries about tube amps, too.
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htownfess
50 posts
Mar 27, 2010
1:41 AM
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Am not. That would be 5F6H. For respectable amps like Fenders, anyway. If it's something odd like a tube PA, that is more my field of perverse expertise.
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MP
110 posts
Mar 27, 2010
12:02 PM
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htownfess, i get greedy. anyway....i cut a strip of 600 sandpaper to mimic dental tape. this took care of problems on 2 harps. even though this worked i wouldn't recomend sandpaper. too messy and inconsistent. will look for Epitex from cocaine suppliers or similar. thanks again. MP
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