Shredder
238 posts
Feb 28, 2011
6:30 PM
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I'm giving "MP" Mark Prados, from our message board a plug for doing such a fine and timley job on my dead harps.
I had 14 harps Iv'e killed over the years saved up in a box for spare parts or to maybe try and replace the reeds on. I saw Mark's offer to replace and tune reeds for $10 a harp. I emailed him and got a quick response on the repair cost. I was reluctant to mail a total strainger in Honolulu a check for $185, but hey I'm a trusting guy.
I also sent 2 sets of reed plates that didn't fit any thing I owned, I got them hoping to fix an old MeisterKlasse "pre MS series" I have had for years but they won't work.
Any way I got all my harps back in 2weeks with a few extras.
Mark took the spair reed plates and made me a hybred harmonica. Big river comb, pro harp cover plates Sydel screws and crome plated MS series reed plates at no extra charge,Cool! He also opened up the backs of the S/P 20's I had sent him to just replace the reeds on. I'm totaly satisfied with Marks services and prices. I had 4 S/P 20's and 9 GM's, 1 MeisterKlasse along with the extra reed plate sets I sent him. I got 15 harps back at a cost of $215 including shipping. That's better than 1/2 the price of new harp's.
So if your looking for a harp repair man you can trust shoot Mark an Email, you won't be sorry.
Michael Rector " Shredder"
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MP
1460 posts
Feb 28, 2011
9:25 PM
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hey mike,
so You are Shredder. i just checked my e-mail wondering if you got your harps. great!
thanks for the plug! those pre-MS Meisterklasses were the absolute top of the line Hohner when they came out. they look like you'd find them in the mens dept. next to tie clips, money clips, and cuff links. Todd Parrott really likes 'em.
you know, almost all of your harps are really great stock harps. a pleasure to work on.
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MP
doctor of semiotics and reed replacement.
"making the world a better place, one harmonica at a time"
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jim
744 posts
Mar 01, 2011
3:07 AM
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MP, I've sent you a private message on the forum.
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Free Harp Learning Center
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MP
1461 posts
Mar 01, 2011
10:30 AM
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hi jim! couldn't remember my password. i got a new password from you but it wouldn't work. so i gave up. i'm a luddite at technology.
i keep no secrets re-harp stuff so it's fine to tell me here.
or, if it's your privacy, i understand, i'm at markprados at aol dot com.
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MP
doctor of semiotics and reed replacement.
"making the world a better place, one harmonica at a time"
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jim
746 posts
Mar 01, 2011
10:58 AM
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sent you an email
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Free Harp Learning Center
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Chickenthief
179 posts
Nov 16, 2011
5:22 PM
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I can second Shredder's endorsement.
Mark has repaired about a half dozen of my harps. Everything that I have sent his way tends to come back in better all around condition than when I sent it out. Basically you are paying ten bucks to have a reed replaced and the covers opened (and that alone is worth the price paid) but there were a few times where he did some extra stuff that I hadn't expected like adjusting a 10 reed on a Db and replacing some crooked cover plates gratis. I can't say that he will do that for you too but like I said the basic deal would still be a pretty good value anyway.
For me this turned out to be one of the best harp deals on the internet. I would much rather send my favorite harps to MP for repair than take a chance on a new out of the box harp because I'm pretty sure that whatever he sends back to me is going to be much more playable than the average good harp that I could buy new, AND I don't have to worry about getting one of the dogs like those that I have been stuck with in the past.
If you have any questions Mark is good about shooting an e mail back at you and can let you know what's going on so it's not like you have to worry about throwing your harps and a check down a black hole. He'll keep you advised.
I would say definitely give him a try if you have any amount of busted harps laying around. Click on his user name (MP) above for details.
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groyster1
1568 posts
Nov 16, 2011
10:44 PM
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marks done some harp work for me and I will also vouch for his skill
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Chickenthief
180 posts
Nov 17, 2011
1:37 PM
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I also should have mentioned that his turn around times have been surprisingly quick. Got all my harps back much sooner than I had expected them.
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orphan
112 posts
Nov 17, 2011
5:00 PM
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Yeah, I was really surprised at the quick turn around.
The harps all came back repaired and with the "MP Touch". You have to find out for yourself guys & gals what that is. All I can say is you will be impressed.
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chromaticblues
1060 posts
Nov 18, 2011
9:50 AM
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Heay that is a great deal. $10 to replace a broken reed and tune and set the reeds up for better response.
All you people that buy Ebay harps and find out its a dud when you get it home! $10 to get it fixed right.
Man between throwing a harp away and $10 to get it fixed. Thats a no brainer!
MP maybe you can chime in and tell the good people what they get behind door number #1 for $10.
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MP
1883 posts
Nov 18, 2011
10:33 AM
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WOW! good morning!
the quick turn around is because very few people take me up on it. i guess sending your harp to some dude in hawaii to get fixed seems odd or something.
i don't do it for the money. i do it because i don't like broken harps and i don't think anybody else should have to suck wind because they 'sin! sin! sin!' broke a reed. reeds break. like guitar strings break. it's a fact of life.
chromatic.
all i do is change out the dead guy, adjust the action, and spot tune here and there. reeds go flat and sometimes really sharp so your harp will sound uneven unless it gets equalized. nothin' to it really.
sometimes i'll emboss a harp a bit if i'm bored.
opening covers takes like two minutes so i do that too.
happy thanksgiving! mark
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MP
doctor of semiotics and reed replacement.
"making the world a better place, one harmonica at a time"
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HawkeyeKane
430 posts
Nov 18, 2011
11:32 AM
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Mark, just sent you an email.
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Hawkeye Kane
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Tommy the Hat
501 posts
Dec 14, 2011
4:25 AM
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Another plug for Mark.
I had a few old harps laying around for 20 years unused, that didn't play anymore. One of them, a MB in C, still looked fairly good but just wouldn't play. I contacted Mark after seeing a post on the for sale thread for economical repairs and ended up sending the harp off to him. I liked the feel of this old MB compared to my new one, more lip friendly, and just wanted it to play again.
Well, I got the harp back and it is better than new. It is far better than the new MB I have and played much easier. The bends are unbelievably controlled. Also he went above and beyond what I payed for. I just wanted it to play and now it is a total restoration. It seems almost customized!
Thanks to Mark
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Tommy
My Videos
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andysheep8
13 posts
Dec 14, 2011
8:52 AM
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Wish someone would do this in the U.K. Any takers?
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MP
1911 posts
Dec 14, 2011
1:14 PM
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hey tommy,
i didn't like the original plates so i tossed em.
i'm fairly certain i got the replacement plates from chromaticblues (kevin baker). i sent him a couple of broken chros and he sent me a fookin huge box of diatonic stuff.
in other words, kevin did the lions share of the reed work. the measure of a good harp is in the reeds above all else. all i had to do was sand, seal, nail,open the backs, and drill for some cover plate screws.
take care, mark
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MP
doctor of semiotics and reed replacement.
"making the world a better place, one harmonica at a time"
Last Edited by on Dec 14, 2011 1:30 PM
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HenrySlim
4 posts
Dec 14, 2011
2:25 PM
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@ andysheep8
I might be able to help you out - shoot me an email (address in my profile).
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harp-er
1 post
Dec 15, 2011
12:31 PM
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Just another word of appreciation for Mark's work, but even more so, for his person. A great guy to deal with as well as a great guy to help you with your harps. Thanks,
Mark
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Matthew
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MP
1914 posts
Dec 15, 2011
12:45 PM
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appreciate it very much matt.
take care, mark
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MP
doctor of semiotics and reed replacement.
"making the world a better place, one harmonica at a time"
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Miles Dewar
1175 posts
Dec 16, 2011
7:54 AM
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$10 a harp sounds Great to me!
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MP
1920 posts
Dec 16, 2011
11:10 AM
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well, it's the shipping that gets you. a single harp is gonna cost you $3 each way so $16 is the reality.
even so, it is still cheaper than buying plates. especially if your harp is one of the marine band models like the MBD or Crossover. you can get plates for SPs from Rons. there is a rumour that GM plates will be available soon.
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MP
doctor of semiotics and reed replacement.
"making the world a better place, one harmonica at a time"
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harp-er
2 posts
Dec 18, 2011
7:11 AM
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So Mark,
to change the subject just a little (!), please tell me more about your semiotics services. i'm afraid that even with one of your beautifully doctored reeds on my Ab GM, i may still not be pointed in the right direction (i mean, if i play a Golden Melody, does that mean that i'll be more likely to achieve a truly golden melody?). Any illumination that you can shed is much appreciated.
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Matthew
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MP
1925 posts
Dec 18, 2011
1:06 PM
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harper- actually i wish my late wife were here to answer your question. she is the real doctor of semiotics. she was quite brilliant at finding connections where i thought none existed. ahh.
i think so. as long as the reeds don't wack the bottom coverplate.
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MP
doctor of semiotics and reed replacement.
"making the world a better place, one harmonica at a time"
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harp-er
3 posts
Dec 18, 2011
2:41 PM
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Got it. Thanks again.
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Matthew
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slobie
34 posts
Dec 19, 2011
5:17 AM
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could someone give me his adress i have a pile of harps to repair
Thanks Terry
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groyster1
1643 posts
Dec 19, 2011
6:38 AM
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@slobie
his email is in his profile ask mark hes a great guy
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