[Harp-L] reed longevity

[Jonathan Ross <jross38@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Dave Payne wrote:

" My claim has been they last longer, a fact that has most definitely  
has been substantiated. "


How is this in any way a "fact" and how has it been substantiated?   
Reading your later post it says that while steel reeds have been on  
the minds of Seydel people for years, this particular reed design  
only came about in the last four years.  And the 1847 has only been  
on the market for one year.  In the end, there simply hasn't been  
nearly enough time to learn much about reed longevity, either in  
controlled tests or real-world usage.

Moreover, the question should be longevity in relation to what?   
Brass reeds as a whole, or specific models.  I know someone who has  
been playing the same set (read 12 keys) of Lee Oskars since at least  
1984, and while he has replaced a few reeds (I believe the number was  
between four and six) and retouched the tuning a few times, that is  
all.  It would seem to me that we need to check back in about twenty  
odd years to see how the 1847s are doing in relation to that.

Theoretically stainless steel reeds might hold their tuning better  
and fail later than brass ones.  However, that has certainly not been  
proven at all well enough to be claimed as a fact.



 ()()    JR "Bulldogge" Ross
()  ()
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