I'm updating my case. I have always just put my harps in my case in their cases, but now I want to make a space for them so they are more easily accessible and can dry out better. I've decided on plexiglas tubes. I will hopefully be able to post the result of this endeavor in a few weeks.
For now though, my question is (ridiculously small, I know): how long is a Seydel (Solist pro/1847) harmonica? I'm with my parent for a few weeks right now, and only brought 2 harps (I really need to study hard, so I thought I'd limit myself). I want to cut the tube to a size that will fit all my harps, and my solist pro is the biggest one I've got.
Could someone please measure it for me? Thanks a bunch! I'll show the results :)
I'm on the road, I have an 1847 with me, but no ruler or other measuring tool. It's about 1/2" shorter than my iPhone 3Gs, if that helps.
I'm posting to comment about using plexiglass tubes. Maybe you've figured this out, but unless you have air movement through them they won't do a good job of promoting drying, especially if closed up in a case. I think you'd need to perforate them.
Whatever you do, please share a photo when you get done, it's always interesting to see new ideas.
Edited to correct "longer" with "shorter". Sheesh.
Last Edited by on Apr 18, 2012 5:55 AM
It wont matter because you will have to make the tubes smaller than a harmonica so that you can get them out. the end of the harp has to be sticking out of the tube. I would go for about 60mm to 80mm. ---------- Slim's-Custom-Harmonica-Cases-Website
I'm making them 105 mm. My case is rather high, so I want to able to put stuff over the harps when traveling. If it's too hard to get them out, I will make a small space for two finger on opposite sides of the tube.
If there was a way of just lowering and highering the plexiglass in the case as when needed that would be cool and still keep the look of the plexiglass neat and tidy. Like a twist thing in the middle that when turned raised and lowered it all.would be quite simple to make using a long threaded bolt and fixing a nut to the plexiglass. ---------- Slim's-Custom-Harmonica-Cases-Website
Great idea, although way beyond my league. You would need to make a plate in which the tubes can sink, and then find a way to fix the tubes to the thread and stuff, still keeping the part of the plate that supports the harmonica in place. I couldn't execute that. Thread would take too long to open as well I guess. Except when all the tubes are lowered in one go. to open/close the case. That would be way cool. But again: beyond my league. I'm really not handy at all.
I am going to cut bits from the tubes to make them fit more tightly though, so I can fit enough of them in the case. Making the second tube cut into the first so to say. Will be a lot of work. Don't expect photo's until next month!
I wish I was more handy. I did manage to build some shelves! I'm always having crazy ideas for projects that always end up being just a little beyond my technical skills (and I never have the money to get someone else to do it.)
I used to have a giant Darth Vader head that opened up to store Star Wars figures in. I wonder what ever happened to that. It might have made an interesting harp case.
Holy Mackerel! They want $129 for one on Amazon. I should have kept it in better shape. I wonder if it's still out in my shed. How tall are the old Star Wars figures compared to harmonicas? I know Smurfs are two apples high...
I've always wanted to build a wood case. My idea was a false bottom, about a half inch so air could circulate below - and of course holes to allow air to circulate into the harp chambers. Ive got little fans a little bigger than a quarter, you can probably get them at Cell Phone and Bulls... Shack, I mean Radio Shack. My thoughts were to use that fan to pull air down through the harps and keep them dry and aired out. Maybe have it kick on about 5 min every hour
On the subject of keeping harmonicas in optimal condition, I wonder if someone could come up with a very tiny UV wand, small enough to fit in the back of an open back harmonica or down (gently) the holes. UV is supposed to be a good way to kill germs. I think to develop it as a product you might have to find a wider market though.
Maybe a spring or high density foam in the bottom of the tube with maybe a washer on top would push the harp up enough to grab the harp when the case is opened and push down out of the way when closed.
A UV wand - check steripen.com. They make battery powered wands for sterilizing drinking water, for the military and camping equipment. I got mine at REI. I use it backpacking into the wilderness.
Those wands are bigger than a harmonica though, but could fit in the case with them.
Being OCD like Nate (I wish that was a joke...), I'd like there to be a big UV lamp to sterilize the whole world, including drunken people in bars that want to shake your hand and or touch your harps after using a bloody toilet.
Oh wait. That would be something like...eh.. the sun.. And that doesn't help either.
I (usually) do a fairly good job of keeping my OCD out of my harp case. Sometimes that means deliberately not cleaning my harps when they look like they could use a good cleaning (a little exposure therapy) and just not letting other people touch my harps so I don't end up going all OCD. I have, on occasion, when someone has touched my harps gotten out Clorox wipes. I try to limit that to if they touch the playing area. If they pick it up by the end I can usually deal. I suspect a UV wand the right size might actually sell well.
Back to custom cases... I want to build a hybrid rocking chair/cajon drum (or amp)/dolly/harp case. The back end of the rockers would have a bar across so you could wheel it around. The wheels would pop down or lock so you do rock and roll (hmm, the Rock'N'Roller, maybe I just found a name for it!)
There is a new battery chemistry they are working on to replace Lithium Ion batteries. LiOn batteries have an energy density of .72. Lithium batteries have an energy density of 1.3. Lithium Air batteries however, have an energy density of 9. That might put us in the range where busking amps with built in batteries could be lugged around without much fuss. You could have a small amp built into a suitcase, along with harmonica storage and still be able to carry it around without your arm falling off.
Another cool idea for a harp case would be a protected spot on the inside lid to store a tablet PC. You could run effects through the processor. You can get foot pedals for PC's and you could set it up to scroll down lyrics or show you equalizers of all the instrument levels.
Nate if you could build all that and add a beer cooler a lot of people would rip your arm off to get one :^) ---------- "Come on Brackett let's get changed"
Beer cooler! For the record, I have a pretty spotty record on getting projects finished (although my shelf project is turning out okay). If anyone ever sees one of my crazy ideas and wants to run with it, it's there for the taking. Just let me know how it turns out. I am hoping to give the rocker thing a go if I can get some money together this summer while it's nice to work outside. A couple years ago my friend and I built some ugly but incredibly comfortable and sturdy stools. Mine even had a little extra thrown in for lower back support. The only thing we didn't do that we should have is seal them. They have been sitting outside for several years serving as lawn chairs and they are starting to show some signs of age, particularly where the wood in their legs touches the ground.
Dave talking about a ventilated harp case got me thinking too. If you had a case where the harps laid flat you could cut holes in the bottom of each harp cubby just a bit smaller than the harp. Put some gappers in underneath it and you could get airflow through the harps going. You could use a little bit of foam still to keep the harps from rattling.
I'm also a big fan of secret compartments. My mother has her old trumpet case. It's all done up nicely with padded cloth, but there is a compartment underneath for keeping clutter like sheet music and mouthpiece sanitizer out of view. When I see pics of harp cases it's always the messy cables that seem to take what could be an elegant display and make it look more like a junk drawer.
@OCD - generally speaking, airborne pathogens will die within the first 14 inches of the mouth of someone who coughs in your direction. Few organisms can survive outside the host person. The only one with significant longevity that I know is Hepatitis C, which can (destroy your liver) survive for a few days in dried blood on some surface like the steering wheel of an ambulance (I work on an ambulance). I don't let any blood get there.
Your harps are pretty dang safe to blow and draw upon.
So, I just finished the case, and I'm extremely happy with it! It fits 19 diatonics or 18 diatonics and a Chromatic all in standing positions, with small room to spare for screwdrivers and the like. The tubes are plexiglass (most are 40mm diameter and 3 mm thick, some 38mm/3mm), and are all vented with 4 holes of 8mm. They look okay. Not perfect, as I couldn't get them all to be exactly the same size...would have taken ages to sand them down. Now all was done in like 3-4 hours (cutting/drilling/sanding/cleaning/fitting). Paid like 15 euro's for the plexiglass and got the case for zip!
I have pictures, but can't seem to upload them?? I could E-mail them to somebody who could. That is if anyone is interested :)
Thanks for all the input again lads!
Last Edited by on May 07, 2012 3:29 PM
I'd love to see what you made, but I don't want the responsibility of trying to upload your pics. Hopefully someone who knows their way around the photo thing here will chime in. ---------- Matthew
you need to have them on a photo sahring site like photobucket or facebook etc then use the info on the forum faqs page about posting photos to get the photos to show and insert the link to where the photos are into the the text where it says http://.......
Thanks. I don't have something like facebook/photobucket etc., and I try to keep it that way. Thing is: I promised photo's :) And I'd like to share them, as I'm proud of the case.
I could e-mail them as said, but I'm reluctant to go the other route.
@FreeWilly How can I contact you? There's no email address in your profile. Or, if you prefer, I'd like to see your pics, and you can email them to me. My email address is in my profile. ---------- Matthew
