Valved diatonic harps
Hi Winslow,
What do you think of valved diatonic harps? What note advantages do they offer? I've only been able to find one model, a "Promaster" made by Suzuki. Are there other companies making them?
Advance thanks for your thoughts,
Jim Reynolds
Winslow thank you for all your information and insights on these harps and some of the players. I'm going to check out how they sound as you suggested and go from there.
Jim Reynoldsn
Hi Winslow,
Per your response to me on these harps....where does one get direction/instruction on fitting valves to a regular diatonic harp? I thought possibly I could try that option before seriously considering purchasing one already manufactured.
Thanks for any information you have,
Jim Reynolds
First you have to get the valves. Hohner and Seydel both sell them, and so do various third parties such as Danny G of newharmonica.com and Betty Romel, widow of harmonica customizer Bill Romel. Romel's valves are self-sticking while Seydel's and Danny G's are textured to help avoid sticking between the valve and the reedplate.
Th base of the valve goes over the area where the reedpad (base of the reed) and rivet are located on the opposite side of the reedplate. Some valves have a dimple that helps clear any protruding rivet end that may be poking through the reedplate.
If the valves come in different lengths, select one that will cover the entire length of the reedpad and slot with a tiny amount of overhang. Some valves come in a single length and leave you to trim each one to length with a razor blade once it's glued in place.
The glue used by most customizers is Duco cement in the green tube. Superglue is generally avoided. You want a glue that works with the materials involved (brass or chrome and plastic), doesn't dry too quickly as you need to position the valve, won't extend into spiderweb strands when stretched, and isn't extremely poisonous. Duco seems to fit all those criteria.
Apply glue to the bottom of the valve, not to the reedplate. Use only a tiny amount - you don't want glue getting in the slot and interfering with the reed's swing. I put a dab of glue on a piece of paper. Holding the valve by the middle with a pair of tweezers, I brush the bottom of the valve at the base into the glue.
Once glue is applied to the valve, I then position the valve over the reed slot, drop it into place, then press down on the glue-bearing end with a fingertip, while also moving it around if needed to align it so that the valve covers the edges and tip of the slot. I hold the finger in place and apply pressure for a few seconds, then remove the finger and let the glue dry for a minute to let it set and allow fumes to evaporate before trying out the reed.
When you install a valve on a blow reed, you have to take care to positions it some that it won't scrape against the edges of the neighboring comb wall. Some valves are wide enough so that you have placement options even when you are fully covering the slot edges, so take care to get the valve positioned as straight as possible and centered over the slot.
Thanks so much Winslow for all the great information and hands-on details regarding valving a diatonic. I really have appreciated all your expert advice on this subject.
Jim -
Seydel now has a series of half-valved 1847 diatonics, with stainless steel reeds. These were designed to the specification of PT Gazell, who uses half-valved diatonics exclusively for his jazz and standards based playing.
if you buy or make some valves, you can valve any diatonic you choose.
The rationale for half-valving diatonics is that this offers:
-- Normal bends on the bendable notes
-- Chromatic-style bends on the notes that usually don't bend
-- Better air conservation (i.e., louder sound with less breath) on the first 6 blow notes and last 4 draw notes, because the valves are preventing air from leaking out through the reed you're not playing (this is what valves were designed for in the first place).
However, you also can't play overblows on a half-valved harp. (overblows are different from blow bends).
PT Gazell and Brendan Power are the two most prominent users and advocates for half-valved diatonics. Both get great results, which you can hear on YouTube and at their websites. That said, neither is a dedicated blues player, and if you're looking to play blues, half-valving will take you away from the traditional sound. Whether that's a good thing or a bad thing is up to you to decide, of course.
Winslow