Q: How to join two harps with magnets?

[IaNerd]

QUESTIONS:

1. Have you joined two harps, in an over-under fashion, using magnets such as neodynium?

2. What size/shape/strength of magnet works well?

3. How do you get the angle and distance between the two harps "just right"?

4. Any issues with the magnets scratching the cover plates? Are the magnets in direct contact with the cover plates?

5. Are some metal cover plates not attracted by such magnets?

6. Can Seydel's steel reeds be affected by such a setup?

[IaNerd]

Someone suggested this: http://www.patmissin.com/reviews/kwikchange.html

[Alan]

I did this with an acrylic wedge and 1/8 magnets I bought on amazon. No scratches, no problems with seydel steel reeds being affected and plenty strong to hold them together. The edge of the acrylic wedge does hit the corner of your mouth when you play the edges so I wouldn't play a long time with these but pretty useful for an interchangeable "chord" harmonica.

[IaNerd]

Thanks, Alan. Could you please also share the dimensions? Would your next one be the same?

[triona]

Seems to be a very good idea. Thanks for sharing.

I would prefer to mount the wedges the other way round, so that the distance between the two harps is narrower at the mouthpiece than at the outlet. I think this would meet my ergonomy better. Anyway, for playing electrically (with microphone cupped), your setting is better. But I play usually full acoustic or by a vocal microphone on a stand.

Maybe it is possible to solve the problem with touching the wedges with the mouth when playing the lowest and the highest notes by making the wedgers a little bit shorter (in blowing direction). This might depend on the sticking power of the magnets, because it would decrease the surface where the harps and the wedges touch each other.

If the connection is sticking good enough to allow rough handling, it might even be possible to couple 3 harps like this.


dear greetings
triona