Does anyone know of a source for Manji cover plates ? I had mine in a front pocket and my 4 year old was jumping around on my lap.....it's pretty squished....
I need an F# to complete all 12 keys -- what will theoretically be used more, a low F# or a regular high F# ?
Speaking of Manjis, the better player I become, the more I like playing the Manji -- which harp techs do custom Manjis?
My only amp (which I haven't used for harp so far, have been playing straight to the PA with either a Shure 57 or Shure 58) is a Kustom Contender 18W Hybrid guitar amp. Is this amp workable for playing amplified harp ? If so, can I just use the SM 58 that I own, or do I need to buy a different mic ?
I bought a few odd ball MB keys (Ab, Db, B and E) on Amazon for about $17 apiece -- new sealed comb version. Some of them play great, a couple need a little gapping to get the OBs on 4, 5 and 6 without squealing. Would it be a bad thing to gently pry the covers off, do some crude gapping (with the comb and reed plates intact) and then put the covers back on with the same nails ?
Like the topic title says, just a bunch of random questions.......
1. no, sorry 2. i have never used either. if i had them both i'd probably play the low one more just because it would be easier to listen to and wouldn't upset the animals so much 3. no, sorry 4. dont know much about the amp but i expect it would be ok. you'll probably need an impedance matching transformer for the mic though because its a LoZ mic, and you'll probably find its fairly quiet plugged straight in to guitar amp 5. no, it would be a really good thing, except for the crude gapping. do good accurate gapping and make them play well. Adam G has a video which covers the topic pretty well (you tube 16) :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fkqmXP9IVyg
i wouldnt use a pocket knife to prise the covers off though. i use a stubby screwdriver with a wide blade, or a coin and put it in the back and twist to lift the covers off. take it easy, apply the force where the cover can take it, use your nous, you'll be right.
If you get some Special 20 coverplates, you can substitute those on a Manji. There is even a second hole in the Manji comb that is almost at the right spot for SP20 coverplates. You do need to tinker a wee bit - either make the holes in the coverplates a bit bigger to accommodate the Manji reedplate screws or get smaller screws and nuts from your hardware store. I use 10mm M2 stainless.
But where can I get new, cheap SP20 coverplates? Turboharp. Email them. They don't bite.
As for High or low F# - They are completely different. Getting one for the sake of getting all 12 keys is silly. You may as well count them as distinct and include them both. Just like a low F and a high G are used for different things. Maybe a full set for you would be 14 harps? 15?
If you really only want to get one, well what do you play? If you play acoustically, then maybe the Low-F would be really cool. In an amped setting, the lower Keys don't cut through very well and you might prefer an octave higher.
Just about every harp tech will work on a Manji. Working on a Manji is very straightforward.
Dunno about the amp.
As for the MB coverplates, yes, pry them off. The worst thing that can happen is that the nails become loose. Shove in a broken bit of toothpick and they will be tight again. Worst comes to worse, buy some nuts and bolts and drill the wood comb through the reedplate holes and put the coverplates back on with screws. You don't need a drill press for that, just go halfway through each side with a regular drill and you will be okay.
To drill a MB to replace the reedplate nails for screws, I would recommend a drill press, though. But unless you are going to flat sand the comb, don't worry about that.
@ arzajac: I remember seeing a video you posted for working on MBs. I can't find it. Could you tell me where to find it please? Does it include drilling the reedplates for screws? Haven't you done quite a bit of work on harps that haven't been played for a long time? Thanks for any help you can give me.
Those questions didn't seem at all random. There was a tight thread running through the whole discussion. :)
All I can add is that I agree about high and low harps really being different beasts. It's really about your personal taste. Play your G harp a bit, then play your F harp for a bit. If you prefer the G, go with a LF#. If you prefer the F, go with a regular F#.
There was a guy on ebay recently that was selling new Sp20 covers for $6.95 a set. I believe he said he has a large quanity. Type in Special20 and start scrolling. :o)
any suzuki cover plates will fit manji'. i have harpmaster covers on a couple of mine also manji's fit in turbo lids, as for customizers i know of only one that does manjis and that is zhin wong from maylasia, a really good customizer and great player. but i suppose greg jones from 16:23 harps or any other good harpsmith would customize them also.
Last Edited by on Sep 12, 2012 7:09 AM
