RE: [Harp-L] Blowing out a harp (was Sound of Hohner)



Mike Fugazzi wrote:

>How long does the average harp last some of you guys?
>I've read that the longevity of harps is a concern a
>lot of players take into consideration when purchasing
>a harp.

Run screaming Mike. It's going to get really geeky here. [huge analysis followed.....not reproduced to save bandwidth.....]

Mike Holcomb

That is a pretty impressive analysis, Mike. I guess a lot depends on the amount of use a harp gets. My low F LO gets used about 5 minutes a week, has been going for six years without so much as a single reed retune, and I expect it to outlive me. My G LO was six months old when I used it to record my CD exactly a year ago. I carefully fine-tuned it for that event, but I haven't touched it since then and it gets a lot of regular heavy use. I've found SP20s to be pretty reliable OOTB, never having had a dud, though I retune them to 12tET and Paddy Richter, and may occasionally have to increase one or two gaps from the outset. I've found that after a few sessions they need the occasional fine-tune of a reed or two, but they only show up badly in terms of longevity if compared to Lee Oskars. A couple of decades ago I had a Toyota, and nothing ever changed with that car from one service to the next. Totally reliable. Lee Oskars are a bit like that. But I still buy SP20s because I need something to love.


Steve



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