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From: "Valleau, Adam"
Date: Mon, 12 Apr 1999 14:31:25 -0400
Subject: RE: Hering harps

> Bill Lifford asked:
>
> >Madcat,
> >
> >Do you use the harps "stock" out of the box,
> >or do you have them worked on by a tech?
> >
> >Bill
>
>
Madcat responded:

> I work on my own harmonicas. With any new harmonica I adjust the gaps and
> fine tune the reeds before I play them. The Hering Blues, Black Blues,
> and Golden Blues don't need much adjustment. They play quite well right
> out of the box.
>
> My only complaint about them is that I find the the tuning of the the
> five-draw reeds and the nine-draw reeds to be tuned slightly too flat.
>
> This wouldn't be a problem if I played in first position all the time, but
> since so much of my playing is in second position, I tune those two reeds
> up a bit.
>
> Those two notes are the flat sevenths in the blues scale. If I don't tune
> them up a bit they sound too flat to my ears.
>
>
I say:

So, you've noticed that about the Herings, too, eh? I had to retune three
reeds on my Rhythm Blues this weekend.

Just for conversation, I also decided to valve the lowest four holes (both
blow and draw). The Rhythm Blues is quite leaky at the low end due to the
size of the slots. Valving them really tightened things up and increased
volume markedly! Also, since I'd have to have a mouth cavity twice the size
of my current one to bend these notes anyway, I don't mind losing the
bending capability due to the valving.

Regards,

Adam T. Valleau, CIH
(Yer Harpoon Man)
Baltimore, MD
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