Georgia Blues
34 posts
Mar 13, 2013
9:19 AM
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Can it be done? I found a nice one but the comb is cracked and needs replacing.
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Alex
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barbequebob
2224 posts
Mar 13, 2013
10:35 AM
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Is it one that is straight tuned with a wood comb (like the way a 270 is, but with a round holed mouthpiece, and the holes are numbered 1-16) or with a plastic comb??
There are plenty of chromatic repair and customizers around, and in fact, they've been around decades longer than diatonic harp customizers, and a few that come to mind are Michael Easton, Steve Pruitt, and Dick Gardner.
There is a forum http://www.slidemeister.com that is devoted exclusively to the chromatic.
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Sincerely,
Barbeque Bob Maglinte
Boston, MA
http://www.barbequebob.com
CD available at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/bbmaglinte
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harpwrench
642 posts
Mar 13, 2013
3:17 PM
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Wish someone would mill some acrylic combs for the wood 64's, I have about a dozen of those "nice" eBay finds.
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Custom Harmonicas
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Ray
413 posts
Mar 13, 2013
4:09 PM
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Sometimes you can get a "parts" 64 for little money on ebay. I bought a parts 64 on ebay for the slide. I paid $5.00 plus shipping. The slide was perfect. Bought it after checking the price from Hohner on a new slide. I think the vintage slide from Hohner was about $60.00. I bought another parts 64 for $7.00. It was like brand new BUT had a crack in comb big enough to drive a VW through! Looked like it had never been played. If your patient you can get them cheap for parts.
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tmf714
1556 posts
Mar 13, 2013
4:11 PM
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Mike Easton is working on his own replacement combs-
due out mid 2013
http://www.harmonicarepair.com/Fathead_Musical_Instruments/Repairs.html
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barbequebob
2225 posts
Mar 14, 2013
10:00 AM
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@harpwrench -- I think you may want to get in touch with Steve Pruitt, because he bought all of John Infande's toolings that he used to make lucite combs for the wood 64's with them.
I still have a brand new, untouched wood comb (one of the last sold by Hohner USA that I'm still holding on to.
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Sincerely,
Barbeque Bob Maglinte
Boston, MA
http://www.barbequebob.com
CD available at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/bbmaglinte
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MP
2677 posts
Mar 14, 2013
12:53 PM
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working on one at present. NO THANKS! these are a serious pain.
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MP
affordable reed replacement and repairs.
"making the world a better place, one harmonica at a time"
click user name [MP] for info-
repair videos on YouTube.
you can reach me via Facebook. Mark Prados
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tmf714
1560 posts
Mar 14, 2013
1:28 PM
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I dealt exclusivley with Bill Romel before he passed-
Mike Easton is the only one I trust currently.
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fred_gomez
40 posts
Mar 14, 2013
4:34 PM
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All combs can be repaired let me see a pic of the comb. I can walk you through it.
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Gnarly
504 posts
Mar 14, 2013
11:40 PM
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I am working on one too, comb was cracked in two places, and I put new valves on the whole thing--it's still not done.
It wasn't as big a PITA as a CBH!
I believe it is a 60's unit--the reed rivets are all next to each other, straight tuned.
I glued the back plate to the comb to make it more air tight.
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MP
2678 posts
Mar 15, 2013
12:37 PM
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i have at least six blown reeds. both top and bottom reeds plates have blow and draw reeds. 32 per plate and 50+ valves total. confusing to the uninitiated.
it is easy to let a finger slip and ruin a valve simply handling a plate in a careful manner. i've fixed a few 64s before but it is never worth my effort or cost.
i'm a player. that's what i do.
i might farm out this bugger to mike easton or kevin baker.
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MP
affordable reed replacement and repairs.
"making the world a better place, one harmonica at a time"
click user name [MP] for info-
repair videos on YouTube.
you can reach me via Facebook. Mark Prados
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fred_gomez
41 posts
Mar 15, 2013
8:03 PM
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these tortoise shell finish 64s are almost always cracked.if if they look good in a pic or only have a hairline crack they can have a bigger crack inside. once you get it all apart square it to the back side youll see the cracks inside are big gaps and if you clamp it up together it will bow like a floozy. so i keep it flat on glass and square it to the back of the comb just using dabs of (not school glue but the goodstuff) white elmers, don't use yellow glue it isn't permanent. now i use a bar clamp but make sure its only tack gluing toward the back of the comb and only where the glue will hold while still keeping it square. you may need to use toothpicks as shims on the big cracks towards the front of the comb to keep the big crack ends from closing bowing it out of square. after its dry i take toothpicks or bamboo skewers and i beat them on flat wood with a hammer to get wooden fibers. you may need to split some of these with a razor blade. now take the dried comb and place it as flat as you can on the glass on the back side so the tines are up. you may have to take a scrape off the back to take off glue or a seem to make it sit flatter on the glass. then take your fine wood fibers dab on some glue and wedge them down into your cracks
do it and leave. come back and fill more. don't do the job all at once or it takes too long to dry. once you've completely filled the cracks take a razor blade (use eye protection) and break the blade with pliers so you make a tiny chisel. with this chisel shave the crack and give it a hair cut both sides. then its just a matter of scraping it smooth a bit with the same homemade chisel. next the sealing and straightening of the tines.
Last Edited by fred_gomez on Mar 17, 2013 4:07 AM
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fred_gomez
42 posts
Mar 16, 2013
7:40 PM
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ok duct tape sand paper to the glass and sand about 1/16 off several popscicle sticks until they will fit in the slots of the tines. cut little pieces and stick them in all the slots as shims. any crooked tine wood should now be straight. take some water based non toxic sealer and seal the front of the comb (the fragile wood) with a small brush. then seal any other places you can without painting your shim spacers. paint under the shims etc. when dry give another coat then dry again. remove a few shims off one end of the comb and if the tines dont move then shellac them. let dry replace the spacers and move down shellacking more making sure all is straight. the sealer can make even not crooked tines crooked so always have spacers when working on any kind of comb. now its just a matter of flat sanding the top and bottom with fine 320 grit and attach your reedplates. then flat sand the tines of the comb where you blow through so they are flat. suck out any dust with a dust buster. now reassemble the harmonica.
Last Edited by fred_gomez on Mar 17, 2013 3:59 AM
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