For a few months I have been dissatisfied with some of my harmonicas due to reeds choking or not bending as well as the could, (especially my low harps.)
Finally, over the past couple nights, I have been going through my harps and adjusting the gaps. It is amazing how much better your harps will respond with minor adjustments to the reeds.
Reed choking when you play to hard? Open the gap.
Reed taking to much air to achieve a bend? Tighten the gaps. It’s as simple as that.
I think on Low harps they sometimes have a tendency to do this? I did pretty much the same on my Lucky 13’s after I removed the awful valves ( I didn’t see the point of these, the harps bend fairly easily with out them and they don’t make a horrible noise without them) the gaps on these I thought were way too high so I closed them so there was just a tiny sliver of light all around and now they play perfectly. I on a whim opened the back on one, so it kind of now looks like a giant marine band deluxe and it sounds like a monster, I love playing Sonny Boy Williamson II stuff on it things like Keep it to yourself etc where the deeper end of the harp is tongue blocked for that cool rhythm he has. I’m thinking of getting a few low tuned harps myself