billy_shines
395 posts
May 13, 2012
7:13 PM
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@Billy after you remove the coverplates you'll notice the vales are on half of the reed slots. That's because the other half are inside the harp. On the 7 hole (on both reedplates) remove the valve on the outside. On the 8 hole remove the one on the inside and on the 9 hole also remove the one on the outside. Some Chroms won't even have valves on the small reeds. If yours has valves on the 10 hole remove the outside one there also.
ok took the ones off hole #7
on the #8 which inside ones come out the blow or draw? top or bottom?
on the #9 hole which one on the outside comes off the top or bottom?
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chromaticblues
1242 posts
May 17, 2012
9:20 AM
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Sorry Billy it took so long to get back Billy.
On the 8 hole if you look inside the hole with a flashlight you'll see there's only one on the top plate and one on the bottom plate. Remove them both.
Now on 7, 9, 10 ... remove the valves on the outside of the top and bottom plate. Again there will only be one slot on each plate that has a valve. Remove them!
So when you get done the 8 hole will have a valve on the outside on each plate and holes 7, 9 and up will not.
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billy_shines
405 posts
May 17, 2012
2:46 PM
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ok done not an easy task the inside. got some crud out and filed out the holes too. almost lost those plastic tube things. i think those are missing on my big fat shiny koch. where can i get them? a plastic stemmed Q-tip? a click pen? oh well im off to art school to be a sexist pig. i hope the lesbians show up.
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Zadozica
193 posts
May 17, 2012
3:28 PM
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Billy, show them your big shiny koch and let them play with the button. Maybe some of that crud will get ejected.
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opendoor_harps
41 posts
May 17, 2012
3:42 PM
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@billy
I read a recommendation a while back in Douglas Tate's book on Harmonica Repair that you could take the plastic from something like the ink tube inside a bic pen and snip off a couple pieces to use as the bumpers for the slide.
Probably best is you do it to one without ink in it :>
You could also order some from Hohner if you want the real deal.
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billy_shines
406 posts
May 17, 2012
7:55 PM
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yeah click pen thats what i was thinkin. yeah bic pens are amazing string capos, chromatic stops, bic products in general the lighters make great lap steel slides. you can stomp on the razors take the blade out its got two holes and easily hafted to a pencil with string or wire. and get this, you can carry them on planes but not harmonicas because theyre sharp.
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chromaticblues
1243 posts
May 18, 2012
5:32 AM
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Yeah those little plastic things can be a pain!
Billy I used a paper clip that I bent the end up at a 90 degree angle. You have to bend it really close to the end or it won't fit in the whole. Then I sharpened it with a file. Once it's sharp it will grab the windsaver and when you try to pull it out it won't come out, but you'll bend it. Try it again. After a couple tries you'll be able to grab it with small needle nose pliers.
When you get done doing this just keep in mind now you have a 7 draw bend similiar to a 4 draw on a high G diatoninc and a 8 blow bend similiar to a 9 blow on an F diatonic.
There kind of high pitched not something you want to play a whole song based on, but I like it!
The chrom has a mellower tone so it's not to bad.
What do you think? Do you like it?
Last Edited by on May 18, 2012 3:07 PM
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billy_shines
408 posts
May 18, 2012
12:27 PM
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yeah i took the mouthpeice off jabbed a toothpick in to bend the plastic up then pulled it out with my trusty revlon tweezers/harpwrench/roachclip. i love it i can get closer to those stevie wonder bends now. i think i will try a more country toungue flutter ala sonny terry so the stevie influence isnt so ovious. and im saving the info in a special book im keeping on chromatic secrets and eastern string tunings. thank you so much :D
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chromaticblues
1244 posts
May 18, 2012
3:10 PM
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I'll keep a look out for the book and your welcome.
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billy_shines
409 posts
May 18, 2012
7:13 PM
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wow it worked! i fixed my broken koch with the bic pen tubing. it leaks less and i can play bing crosby temptation up to the part where it goes "it would be thrilling" i will keep woodshedding, the sound difference now is like night and day. :D
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opendoor_harps
45 posts
May 19, 2012
12:16 AM
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Great Billy. Glad that pen tubing worked. I frequently go back to Douglas Tate's book for inspiration on chromatic repair and maintenance.
http://www.amazon.com/Make-Your-Harmonica-Work-Better/dp/1574240625
Its almost like the sum of all these patient little tweaks to seal this here, clean the crud off the slide and mouthpiece, get things flat, make that more airtight there, all add up to a more responsive harp once you add them all up.
I assume @chromaticblues is describing how to "half valve" your chromatic? Correct me if I'm wrong as I didn't see the previous thread where this came from.
On the other side of it, I had a very leaky G 270 that I ended up valving all the way, even adding them to the high, high notes.
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chromaticblues
1245 posts
May 19, 2012
12:48 PM
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Yea opendoor harp. From the 7 hole up.
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billy_shines
410 posts
May 20, 2012
6:19 PM
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ive heard of siliconing the mouthpeice to the wood comb of a koch to make it less leaky, im not sure how its done. has anyone valved their koch? like maybe the 1st 3 holes?
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