reed valves
Hi Kinya thanks for the information on reed waxing. I ended up taking the draw reed plate and put it in hot simmering water. I reed a article that Todd Parrot wrote. Were someone left there harmonicas in a hot car and the wax melted and then cooled down. And Todd Parrot suggest hot simmering water or heat gun. And the hot simmering water melted the wax off. And I was able to re-wax the reeds again. This time getting it right. But he also mention using chapstick as a way of waxing the reeds.
But something I was thinking about experimenting with is reed valves. I was wanting to know what are the benefits of using reed valves? I was thinking about putting them on one of the MS harmonicas. That I have embossed, tip scoped, reed waxed, and set up for OB.
Would the reed valves make the bending harder or easier?
Would it hinder my OB playing?
Do I put the valves on every reeds?
Do I but the valves on top of the reed plate were the reeds are or bottom of the reed plate? Because some pictures I seen seemed to show reed valves going on both ways.
Inspired by PT Gazell, I installed valves (Seydel windsavers) over the Draw reed plate slots: #1 through #6 on my C diatonic harmonica. This resulted in an instrument that would enable me to blow bend (1/2 step lower) the following notes:
Of course, playing the bent notes "in tune" will require practice, but the unexpected bonus of adding the windsavers was the ability to play expressive blow notes--that feel like draw notes!
How does this work?
When you blow into the desired hole, the windsaver will completely close off the air from seeping into the draw reed slot. All air is now directed to the blow reed. The ability to control the blow reeds every nuance is a wonderful experience.
Heads up: if you build your own valved harmonica, expect the voicing of the blow notes to be muted. Sort of like the voicing variances you can hear, between a Hohner Marine Band Crossover and the Hohner Special 20.
Your Harpsmith, Kinya