Does anyone do it? It is only necessary if you are setting up harps for overblowing?
I have tried it but seems to make it more "breathy". It seems to me that we spend time and effort closing down the tolerances in the reed slot only to open them up agin by scooping the tips.
Overblow.com was the first place I got to hear overblows and get some information on doing them... that was back in 2001 or so and it was a great resource at the time. I have tried a number of things that Tinus had on that website: ie removing the arc from reeds to get them flat, closing tolerances super tight, embossing only the free half of the reed slot only to find much of it to be half-true or just plain incorrect.
I'm no expert on this subject; I have never tip scooped. Harmonica set ups seem to be a very precise and gentle process. The videos put out by Overblow.com appear quite barbaric and harsh the way he works on his harps.
If you go to www.harmonicasessions.com and check the back issues for Kinya Pollard's Harmonica Workbench, there is some information with better documentation and better methodology. By no means is that the best reference, but I think it's presented a little nicer than Overblow.com and maybe you'll have more success.
.....I don't want to threadjack, but, ironically, I wanted guidance today on the fact that I noticed that in the third hole of a new G Marine Band Deluxe the draw reed seem shorter than others. Could this be the cause of difficulty playing/bending the notes and is there a fix? If I should start a new thread, please say so and I will. ----------
I would start a new topic and include a picture if you can.
From what I can glean, it sounds like a manufacturing defect, like the 3 draw reed is physically shorter than it normally would be resulting in extra space between the free end of the reed and the end of the slot. I'm only guessing since you are relatively vague in your description. Seems unlikely though.
I emboss the end of the slot as well as the sides ... expect it has a similar effect to tip scooping the corners ... "breathiness" related to gap in my experience, assuming the reed/slot tolerances have been suitably tightened by embossing ... embossing corrects for excessive gaps at the tip of the reed ...
>mercedesrules ...draw reed seem shorter ...
Again, embossing the tip of the slot will close reed tip/slot gaps such as you've described ... I find the problem you describe from time to time ...
Had to emboss the heck out of a couple of Lee Oskars I got in alternate tunings ... poor reed/reed slot tolerances at sides and tip ... wasn't impressed!
Suzuki manufacturing and tolerances very good ... Hohner variable ...
I get reed and slot as tight as possible using embossing, then adjust sensitivity with gapping ... keep reeds pretty straight with minimal arcing ...
Most high level athletes tweak certain parts of their equipment to various extents ... golfers, hockey players, etc ... depends on personal preference ...
Sales person at my harp outlet is sax player ... by education and training ... she's told me that many of her friends and classmates carve their own reeds ... from reed blanks ... so can get them just the way they like them ... so not a surprise that harp players should learn and benefit from working on their instruments ... very subtle changes really affect the way reeds respond ...
Last Edited by on Aug 25, 2010 11:07 AM
i think so. it's round trip on southwest airlines (includes peanuts, beer, and GLH party favors), a room with a pool, and everything, i mean everything has superpowered AC. ---------- MP hibachi cook for the yakuza doctor of semiotics superhero emeritus
if you're going to buy a custom harp, get one from the filisko guild, joe spiers or me. Seriously, don't bother with anybody else.
The absolute best harps I have ever played (not counting my own) have come from Joe F and Joe S. 2nd to that it was Brad Harrison and Richard Sleigh and lastly, Jimmy Gordon.
Sadly Jimmy is not working on harps right now and I understand it's the same for Richard Sleigh. Brad has the B-rad which is nice harp but not as good as his marine band work.
Now I haven't tried harps from every customizer but I have tried most and I have heard about the work of other from the customizers I trust.
@ridge - if you want to learn to build from me, you pay the airfare to my place, you'll have a room to stay in and knowledge for your return home. Of course there is a fee for the knowledge but I do not hold back secrets.
Joe Filisko hasn't taken on any new customers to the best of my knowledge for about a good 5 years and the last time he was, there was an 18 month turnaround time and much of his customer base are big name pros. ---------- Sincerely, Barbeque Bob Maglinte Boston, MA http://www.barbequebob.com CD available at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/bbmaglinte
Johnny Bishop has joined the Filisko guild-I had a new A harp within a month-I'm not sure of his current backlog,but you can check with him at bjohnnybb@comcast.net. His work is as good as Richard Sleighs,and that's saying a lot.
yep Johnny makes a good blues harp but I hear he's not taking orders at the moment either due to health issues. I heard this from people that would know when I was at SPAH so it's current info.
---------- "All is bliss"
Last Edited by on Aug 25, 2010 2:05 PM
Just got off the phone with Johnny-all is well,no health issues. He has one G,one C,one A and one D harp ready to sell. He has three A's and more D's on the bench. He is part of the Filisko guild,and builds a superb Marine Band. His phone is 603-298-0223. Tell him Tom Fiacco sent you.
