I’ve been rebuilding refurbishing harmonicas for over 5 years, which includes cleaning, read work, changing reeds, turning and embossing.
The question is, can reed fatigue be the culprit for low intensity projection and sound level of some reeds?
This is the biggest complaint from my harmonica friends and customers.
Any suggestions would be appreciated!
Thanks Mickey
Hi Mickey, sorry to have taken so long to reply, your post didn’t appear on my display.
A reed which is fatigued can usually be identified by plucking the tip with a blade or reed lifting tool. If the sound rings out clearly with some degree of sustain then the reed is generally speaking good. If it makes a dull “plunk” then it may well be tired. However, sometimes reeds may sound weak when played because the rivet has not been aligned exactly perpendicular to the reed plate when being affixed. This means one side of the reed sits ever so slightly higher than the other, so there is air loss which negatively affects sound projection. Some customizers will remedy this by tapping the rivet into better alignment, or even re-riveting the reed.
Hope that helps
Steve