John Woolcock
9 posts
Apr 29, 2013
6:29 PM
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Greetings harpists,
I recently purchased a Koch Chromatic harmonica in the key of G. I am getting a nice sound out of the instrument and disassembled it for cleaning when I noticed things were sticking. I looked at the comb pretty carefully and it appears that the comb on this instrument has no finish. What do you think about lacquering the comb? Will there be any appreciable difference in the sound? Do you think I will get more consistency in the sound? Would this procedure effectively ruin the instrument? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks a tone!
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Johnny B Badd
Hittin' the note
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Thievin' Heathen
199 posts
Apr 29, 2013
7:20 PM
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I suspect you are venturing into the same territory as sealing any wood comb. There are lot's of potions folks are using to seal combs with lacquers being somewhere close to the bottom because of the fear enhaling the residual fumes.
I soak my wood combs in medical grade meneral oil for a day or 2 then hang them out on the clothesline to dry for a few days.
Stand by - more methods will be along shortly.
I was too late for my Koch chromatic. If anyone knows of a source for an acrylic comb, I think it's going to be the same as a 10 hole Hohner (260?), please let me know. I'd like to get that harp back on line again.
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GMaj7
192 posts
Apr 29, 2013
8:40 PM
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I doubt you would see any noticeable difference in the sound by sealing the comb, although it probably wouldn't hurt or help that much. I've looked at a few older ones and they don't seem to be prone to swelling like an unsealed MB.
However, if you want to make a small improvement, flat sand the front of the comb with the plates on and the spring out. This will get you a nice tight fit on the front and that helps chroms play better. Also, some Koch harps are not valved. It is really hard to get an un-valved chrom to play that well. At a minimum, you should half-valve it.
Love to read any follow-up experience with your Koch.
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Greg Jones
16:23 Custom Harmonicas
greg@1623customharmonicas.com
1623customharmonicas.com
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fred_gomez
48 posts
Apr 29, 2013
11:35 PM
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the koch comb and the 260 chromonica comb are the same. i dont know what you mean by sticking maybe the screws are too tight. was this a new harp or a vintage one? no kochs arent valved at all. and they are not chromatics, they are slide diatonics. theyre supposed to be leaky but tricks include replacing the slide stops (i prefer ball point pen tubing)and clear siliconing the wood to the plate. one thing i always do is smooth over the holes in the slider. i lay it over a piece of wood and go over it with steel wool. i remove any bits with a magnet. i dunno if you half valved a koch then you couldnt bend notes. i got good wind i just play it. if you cant get used to a real chrome a koch can make you look cool. my G koch is the only Ab diatonic i own right now. i usually play it in D 2nd pop the button in and play in D 7th, Am in 3rd pop the button Am in 8th. button in play in Eb 2nd let it out play Eb in 9th. F minor is also possible as well as G and Ab in 1st with fancy button embellishments. its a fun harp i dont care what people say.
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Todd Parrott
1115 posts
Apr 30, 2013
12:33 AM
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Chris Reynolds offers 260 combs - acrylics are $40.00.
Reynolds 260 & 270 combs
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GMaj7
194 posts
Apr 30, 2013
3:40 AM
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Fred's advice is right on. Those are great tips and a pretty interesting way to play the Koch.
I would add, though, that half-valving it would still make bends easier and in fact, would not only make it less leaky but also allow you to do single reed blow bends on holes 1-6 and single reed draw bends on holes 7-10.
Chris Reynold's chrom combs rock. They allow for independent assembly of the components which really helps when working on chroms (or slide diatonics).
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Greg Jones
16:23 Custom Harmonicas
greg@1623customharmonicas.com
1623customharmonicas.com
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WinslowYerxa
288 posts
Apr 30, 2013
9:48 AM
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The Koch comb and the 260 comb differ in one respect that's important to know about if you plan to half-valve.
The 260 comb is similar to the 270 comb; both instruments are fully valved. Each chamber for side-by-side blow and draw reeds is a single chamber with no additional dividers that could interfere with the movement of valves.
The Koch comb, however, has thin dividers that run parallel to the blow and draw reed in each hole, creating a separation between the reeds. The purpose of these dividers is to compensate for the lack of valves. If you plan to half-valve a Koch, the valves go on the inside of the chamber, and you have to shave out the internal dividers or the valves won't be able to move properly.
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Winslow
Last Edited by WinslowYerxa on Apr 30, 2013 9:49 AM
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groyster1
2222 posts
Apr 30, 2013
6:23 PM
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I bought a 10hole KOCH chromatic at an estate for $5....still dont know about the slide...it is in C...bending is very difficult....very stiff reeds
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fred_gomez
51 posts
Apr 30, 2013
9:15 PM
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wow i just checked your right the combs arent the same. i guess if it aint broke dont fix it. a big problem is the new kochs are made in china and really suck. the problem with vintage used ones is the comb is almost always cracked and needs repaired. they also werent nailed together so hot. the way the comb is cut on a bandsaw can hide a hairline crack very well, but it will leak enough to sound like somethings wrong with a reed when its not. the older kochs in G can have lower reed rattle like a low tuned harp i dont know of a way to fix this. i dont have a problem bending kochs maybe its the gap try gapping it. the honer slide harp is the same as a koch only its valved. if youre gonna buy new buy that.
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WinslowYerxa
290 posts
Apr 30, 2013
10:11 PM
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All the 10-hole chromatics were recently deleted from the Hohner catalog - the 10-hole Chromatic, the Koch, and the Slide Harp. However, old ones show up all the time on eBay. I've been quietly stocking up on the G Kochs, which I like for various projects.
I've sanded combs flat, sealed them, and converted them to screws, but the Acrylic ones from Chris Reynolds seem like a good idea. A student of mine has a few with acrylic combs (in Augmented tuning) and they seem really nice.
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Winslow
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fred_gomez
52 posts
May 01, 2013
7:14 PM
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i just cleaned up a koch, and another tip. the wood on the side of the spring is very thin. while working i stick a peice of click pen inside the hole so the spring doesnt bust through the wood. the pen casing i use is the same size as the hole. and the other tip yeah dont throw out a click pen thats out of ink you can use the inkless tube for slide stops. theyre much harder than IV tubing and keep everything in place without going boing everywhere.
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GMaj7
195 posts
May 02, 2013
2:33 AM
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The acrylic Chris Reynolds combs are the best out there. Unfortunately, they have to be special ordered from Chris and he told me to expect 6-8 week delivery. I could use a few right now if anyone out there has any.
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Greg Jones
16:23 Custom Harmonicas
greg@1623customharmonicas.com
1623customharmonicas.com
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GMaj7
196 posts
May 02, 2013
2:38 AM
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I know in times past, guys have re-tuned the Koch and removed the slide to make a nice tremolo harp that is tuned in the style of the typical Richter. I saw one Adam Hamil made and it is really nice.
I have a few of these old Koch's laying around and thought about maybe making a C/C# into a C/D by re-tuning bottom plate.
Fred, thanks for the great tips! Good advice. Pen tuning sounds like a great idea. I had been using coffee stir straws.
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Greg Jones
16:23 Custom Harmonicas
greg@1623customharmonicas.com
1623customharmonicas.com
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fred_gomez
53 posts
May 02, 2013
1:59 PM
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i guess youd need say two koch C reed plates to make one tremolo? oh i experimented last night after the C fix and was doing the usual G2nd-G7th and D3rd-D8th but i tried E in 5th but button in E in 10th sounded better without switching back. this was all in major not minor. i have two Cs and two Gs im thinking of flipping the sliders on two so the button out position is Ab and Db.
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GMaj7
197 posts
May 02, 2013
2:36 PM
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Fred .. Would you email me?
Thanks for all the good suggestions
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Greg Jones
16:23 Custom Harmonicas
greg@1623customharmonicas.com
1623customharmonicas.com
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