Brendan Power & Alternative Harmonicas Forum

Thanks for the helpful feedback Edvin and others. For riveted reed harps, it helps to sand the draw reed flat. However since that's beyond the skills of most players I've started to add rivet holes in the Gasket-valves, allowing the rivet stubs to poke through and ensure they lay flat on stock reedp...

Just came back to this thread after a week or so. I see it's moved along into the area of practicality, thanks to Edvin. Nice drawings and discussion :-) Not to take anything away from your enthusiasm for a promising concept Dodtsair & Edvin, but just as a factual note: I have already done some work...

It couldn't work with standard reedplates. Besides, the reeds won't "work in different directions". When you move the draw reedplate to the top of the comb, the reeds become blow reeds. That's because they are now under the reedplate instead of being on the outside, as they were when the drawplate w...

Good commentary Edvin, thanks! Yes, it's a good example of a tune modulating between three keys using easy draw bends as opposed to overblows etc. The keys are F Maj (A part), Gm (B part) and Bm (C part). I don't think it would be possible to play this tune convincingly with attractive feeling on a ...

Great you're coming to Harpmeet Triona, looking forward to seeing you there

Here's an original tune recorded with LA musicians Ross Garren and John Schroeder, the Sheriffs of Schroedingham: THE BLACK NOTES https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M92eXa5-s0M The melody is played on a Lucky 13 in PowerChromatic Tuning, key of G. Notes and TAB are available here: http://www.brendan-po...

Hi Edvin, retuning chromatics is not difficult or slow if you use the right tools. For upward retunes of a semitone or more I'd suggest a rubber buffing disc in a Dremel-type rotary tool. I use the Proxxon ones, #28 294: https://www.proxxon.com/en/micromot/tools-polishing-agents.php For detunes of a...

Thanks for posting Edvin. So you're fluent in Swedish Triona? Impressive

Looking forward to the Festival. I was invited by my friend Joel Andersson, always good to catch up with him. Hope to see you both there:)

Good news bad news on the Gasket-Valves, it seems!

Glad you like yours Edvin, but sorry to hear you're having issues Lizzy. What do you mean by the valves sounding?

Reeds only fail as a result of bending if you bend past the note you're after and go very flat, to the floor of the bend. Doing that over and over can strain the reed to breaking point.

If you bend in tune, the reeds will last indefinitely, as others have stated.