1 Draw on Low EastTop Powerbenders

A space for players interested in my specialist harmonicas, alternate tunings, instructional material, recordings etc to ask questions and share information, experiences, videos etc.
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HarpBloke
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1 Draw on Low EastTop Powerbenders

Post by HarpBloke » Thu Sep 17, 2020 4:04 pm

I love the new green Easttop Powerbenders and have pretty much switched to powerbender (or powerdraw) exclusively. Their responsiveness is excellent, and, for me, vastly superior to Brendan's earlier Kongsheng models.
One thing though: I don't think I am a hard blower/drawer but on my G and low F (and maybe the Ab) when I draw 1, I get that rattle which I think is indicating that the draw reed is pinging on the harp cover. Is there any way to cure this?
Could the design be changed slightly to have wider covers on the low ones at the low end?

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Brendan
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Re: 1 Draw on Low EastTop Powerbenders

Post by Brendan » Thu Sep 17, 2020 10:45 pm

Thanks for the message. I'll talk to Easttop about it to see of we can get some deeper bottom covers. It could take a while, however! In the meantime, here are some quick solutions:

1. If you're the handy type and are willing to be proactive, it is possible to induce a higher clearance at the bass end of the lower coverplate by judicious manual bending/re-shaping. I and several other customisers have done this for years. Basically you hold the lower cover firmly at the rear and push down on the front, concentrating your force at the bass end, whilst sliding it back and forth on a hard flat surface. Shortly a 'conical' shape will develop due to the bass end being pushed back 1mm or so. You then need to adjust the screw tab a bit with pliers. I hope that gives you enough info to have a go if you're so inclined - start with a couple of old covers to get the knack.

2. If you have a Hohner Thunderbird harp, you could use the lower cover from it. The covers alone can be purchased here also:
http://www.hohner-cshop.de/en/Harmonica ... OHNER.html

However this requires drilling a central screw holes in the tab, or drilling holes in the harp to fit the coverplate....

3. The Lucky 13 PowerBender has a deep conical lower cover which is designed to avoid draw reeds hitting it:
https://www.brendan-power.com/lucky13.p ... y13Tunings

However that means buying a completely new harp...

Option 1 is the best, in my opinion.

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Brendan
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Re: 1 Draw on Low EastTop Powerbenders

Post by Brendan » Tue Sep 22, 2020 9:03 am

Here's an easy way to reshape coverplates, at front and rear:
silverline-sheet-metal-clamps-40962-p.jpg
silverline-sheet-metal-clamps-40962-p.jpg (25.5 KiB) Viewed 7603 times
I have one whose jaws happen to be almost exactly the length of the front of a typical harmonica tabbed coverplate.

Simply grip the front lip of the lower cover and apply bending pressure, so it bends inwards and down. You can make an even bend along the length, or apply more at the bass end to crate a mild conical shape.

You can also use the jaws to flatten the rear of coverplates such as the Marine Band 1896 to open them up.

These handy sheet metal clamps cost very little and are easy for anyone to use.

HarpBloke
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Re: 1 Draw on Low EastTop Powerbenders

Post by HarpBloke » Thu Sep 24, 2020 8:27 pm

Brendan, thank you so much for the response and excellent tips.
I'll see if I can attempt option 1...

Thanks for all you do/have done for the harmonica community. You are the best!

Incidentally, I re-tuned a couple of Powerbenders to raise the blow 3 by a whole step, like the Paddy Richters/Melody Makers are. Not sure whether to christen the result a PaddyPower, PowerPaddy, or Melody Bender! In any case, it's nice for tunes in 2nd position with a lot of held 2nd notes (though you lose the b2).

EdvinW
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Re: 1 Draw on Low EastTop Powerbenders

Post by EdvinW » Fri Sep 25, 2020 11:26 am

HarpBloke wrote:
Thu Sep 24, 2020 8:27 pm
Incidentally, I re-tuned a couple of Powerbenders to raise the blow 3 by a whole step, like the Paddy Richters/Melody Makers are. Not sure whether to christen the result a PaddyPower, PowerPaddy, or Melody Bender! In any case, it's nice for tunes in 2nd position with a lot of held 2nd notes (though you lose the b2).
I usually call it a Paddy Powerbender, and I'm pretty sure that way of naming various paddified tunings has been used by others here on the forum as well. I also have a few of them, and it's a really nice tuning! I started exploring it a little over a year ago, and nowadays I think it's the tuning I practice with the most. Good to hear more people like it :)

Brendan mentions it in the tab about tunings in his "Geek Zone" page(https://brendan-power.com/harpgeeks.php), where he calls it "a good variation" of the Powerbender tuning. I don't know how much he's been using it though, or if he ever recorded anything with it. (Did you, Brendan?)
Edvin Wedin

HarpBloke
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Re: 1 Draw on Low EastTop Powerbenders

Post by HarpBloke » Fri Oct 30, 2020 6:16 pm

Hi Edvin,

Thanks for the info!
Another useful variation, I find, is making a Powerbender minor, by lowering the 2 blow, 3 draw, and 7 draw by a semitone. I dare say I'm not original in that either, but I call it a MinorBender, or MindBender for short! Good for tunes like Take Five, Summertime, and Goodbye Porkpie Hat, I've found. Less work, at any rate.

HarpBloke.

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