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More work on my harps
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SuperBee
4182 posts
Oct 15, 2016
9:03 PM
I had another thread about working on harps. It became clogged with photos. Because I do most posting from a phone, I left it too long and forgot about it.
Today is a rainy Saturday and I thought time for some more work on the harps.

I realised I only have 1 good F harp. That was no problem until the band added Messin with the Kid to the show. Now I really need to carry a backup.
I have a sp20 I bought secondhand. So I went over it today and got it sorted. It really didn't need that much work but the blow plate 2,3 and 4 reeds all got a tickle.
The 2 and 3 needed the fixed end lowering and then the reeds needed some reshaping to shut the slot nicely. The 3 is not really well-centred in the slot but it turned out OK.
The number 4 reed was off centre and just a bad reed I decided. I popped it out and remounted it but it was still dead-sounding. I replaced it with a new reed (I have new spares on hand for 4 and 5 draw in almost every key...this is the same as 4 draw in an Eb harp)
If you use screw fasteners to attach reeds, you can fuss about getting them centred 'just right'. I prefer to use rivets and that is more of a judgement call and commitment before you strike the punch and set the rivet.
The reed was clearly off centre when I set it on the new rivet, but by filing the top of the rivet to leave it high on the side to which I needed the reed to move, I was able to move the reed across when I struck the rivet with the punch. The new reed sounded much more resonant than the one I removed.
The harp just need a tune up after that. The higher the harp, the less brass needs to be removed to Change pitch. This one didn't need much tuning, even after all my interference.
I gave it a run through Sloppy Drunk and Messin with the Kid, and the intro to Peach Tree (sbw2). Good harp, I can gig with it. Overblows 4 and 6 too, not that I really care about that. Octave splits are good.

Next I think I'll build a marine band 'custom' on a Zajac comb. I've got quite a few of various keys waiting for me to drill them. Maybe another F I think
SuperBee
4183 posts
Oct 16, 2016
1:21 AM
First step is to remove the nails which will be replaced with screws.
Maybe that's the second step. 1st remove the covers. This is a stock 1896 marine band I bought from member Sweyzey some time ago. It's fairly new

Marine Band F

Then I use a razor blade to wedge the reed plates from the comb just enough to enable me to get an edge under the nail heads and pop them out. These 3 along the back are the ones which need to come out. On both plates:
(That's a link below, I don't know why the text here has all turned blue)

Draw plate with nails removed

Last Edited by
SuperBee on Oct 16, 2016 1:28 AM
SuperBee
4184 posts
Oct 16, 2016
1:40 AM
Next I use the nail holes on the draw reed plate as pilot holes for the drill. I use a 1/64 drill.
The holes on the draw side are more evenly spaced than the holes on the blow plate.

You can drill all the way through, or just go far enough to mark the blow plate.

I will tap a thread into the holes in the draw plate (2mm tap). I will drill 2.5mm clearance holes on the blow plate

drill press
SuperBee
4185 posts
Oct 16, 2016
2:08 AM
Here's a test fit of the threads I cut into the draw plate, along with the comb I decided to use (a Zajac 'short-slot' in wine red) and my 2mm tap

test fit
SuperBee
4186 posts
Oct 16, 2016
2:16 AM
2.5mm clearance holes in the covers, and through the blow plate. Could get away with 2mm but not much wriggle room that way. I cut the burr off the back of the hole with a bigger drill, twirled between my fingers.

You can see that this clearance just fits the blow plate. Sometimes I do go a little smaller here

clearance holes in covers

blow plate clearance plates
SuperBee
4187 posts
Oct 16, 2016
2:25 AM
Because there are no divots on the new comb to give clearance for the back of the reed rivets, it's necessary to sand the mating surface of the draw plate. Had I used a 'long-slot' comb, I wouldn't need to do this, but I need to use my short slot combs.

I have a piece of fine paper taped to a piece of glass and sand in a figure 8 pattern, then spin the plate 180 degrees and do it again. You can feel it get smoother as the rivet bumps sand off.

Looking at the sanding marks on this plate, I think it's bowed back-to-front. Sanding won't fix that. A job for another day.

sanding the draw plate

sanding marks
SuperBee
4188 posts
Oct 16, 2016
2:30 AM
So here it is. I used 10mm long screws in the reedplates and 12mm long, with nuts for the covers. Except in the cover hole on the front side of the low end, where I used a 10mm long bolt as a 12 will catch my lip.

converted marine band

converted marine band rear view
SuperBee
4189 posts
Oct 16, 2016
2:35 AM
I used to open the back of the covers but I'm not doing that now as I think it weakens the covers and make it more prone to be squashed.

This harp is showing some promise. I'll do some more aesthetic work on it, smoothing edges, and also some more practical work shaping and gapping reeds and tuning of course. But it feels like quite a manageable harp, no serious problem. It's a full on F harp no doubt. All the bends are there, including blow bends...not that anyone wants those from an F harp. Do they?
SuperBee
4190 posts
Oct 16, 2016
4:44 AM
I bought 5 marine bands from Spain, cost me about $90 including postage. Just a broken reed in each. That will cost me virtually nothing to repair.
2xA, 2xD and a C.
I have about 10 harps in each of these keys already.
I have some more Zajac combs so I think I will build these as 'refurbished' harps and offer them for sale. I think with the new comb and a proper set up it would not be unreasonable to ask $60 (Australian) for these. I'd throw in a free reed replacement in the first 12 months.
They will essentially be marine band deluxes, with smooth edges and a good setup. Maybe I need to get some nicer hardware for the covers though. I'll give it a go. I dunno if there's a market for well set up standard harps or if they have to be 'overblow' harps to get any interest.
MindTheGap
1828 posts
Oct 16, 2016
5:32 AM
That's some good detail there, with the photos.

On the subject of sanding the plates - could you not instead add dimples to the comb instead? To accommodate the reed head rivets I mean. I've not read about people doing that, so there must be some reason.

I did try sanding plates once, and eagerly reassembled the harp to experience the miracle improvement. But there wasn't any. But that was with a recessed comb, and I hadn't appreciated the main purpose was to handle the rivets in a sandwich-type.

Last Edited by MindTheGap on Oct 16, 2016 5:33 AM
SuperBee
4191 posts
Oct 17, 2016
5:12 AM
Yes, definitely could recess the combs. Easier to sand the reed plate I think, especially for a full complement.

I sanded the edges of the plates tonight and reshaped a couple of reeds, though most were quite good. I reset the gaps of the blow plate especially. This was a marine band and while the previous owner was quite good at setting up harps, it's not so easy to get to the blow reeds.
Now I think it's very good. I've been playing all the old time tunes I can think of, waltzing Mathilda, pack up your troubles, Dixie, yellow rose of Texas, turkey in the straw, shaving cream, Botany Bay, the road to Gundagai, oh Suzannah. The deathbed of cuchailann. Remembering how I learned to tongue block by playing oh susannah in waltz time, and then slapping all the notes in Dixie to get better articulations and glissando.
Made a change from all blues and fun playing the high end of a high harp. Nice test for the harp and my playing. I'm quite happy with it.
The bends are of course a challenge to play in tune. But that's not the harp's fault.
Good to have a home made F that plays well.
SuperBee
4194 posts
Oct 17, 2016
4:07 PM
This morning I compared the new harp to my 'gig' F harp.
The one I use for gigs etc is one of those great ootb harps. It's an older marine band, as in it has an unsealed comb, one of the last made like that. 2011 I think. It was so good out of the box I couldn't bring myself to work on it.
Comparing this 'new' one, I find its at least as good. I couldn't really say I have a marked preference for one over the other. That's good I think. It means the one I just put together is the equal of the best F harp I've ever played.
In materials it's cost me $18 USD for the harp + $20 AUD for the comb. Maybe 2$ hardware. And then some labour. So $40 for something about crossover standard
Of course, what's sauce for my gander may be food for your lettuce, but that's my hobby and it does for me.


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