Reed Polishing

Jump on any harp related forum or discussion group and you will almost certainly find complaints from players about reed failure. Reed failure is simply the point where the reed either breaks or goes severely out of tune. This happens because of stress on the reeds. The road to reed failure starts as soon as the reed begins to vibrate. The reed stress is highest at the base of the reed near the rivet. This also happens to be a spot where there are micro scratches and cracks in the reed that are referred to as milling marks. Milling marks are the result of the manufacturing process. They are the starting point for reed fracture. The process of reed polishing removes these milling marks using a variety of rotary tools and light abrasives. Eliminating the mill marks does involve making the base of the reed slightly thinner but it also removes the most common starting point for reed failure. If you find you are consistently blowing out Seydel reeds, contact me about replacing the failed reed with a polished reed. Typically, I replace the reed with one that is 1/2 step above what was there previously and polish the base to the correct pitch. Customer feedback has been outstanding and the polished reeds significantly outlast the unpolished. Many customers report a more responsive reed, as well. At 16:23 Custom Harmonicas, we don’t want to see your playing limited by reed failure. Contact us regarding Seydel reed polishing options and lets keep your harp in your hands and not on the repair bench. greg@1623customharmonicas.com