jnorem
127 posts
Mar 27, 2014
7:39 PM
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Tonight I've been playing the different harmonicas I have in my case, playing along to my Pandora blues station. While doing that it suddenly became crystal clear in my mind how I want a harp to be, and at the same time coming to the realization that of all the harps I have, only a few are really like I want a harp to be. I have some Special 20s and a couple of Promasters that play like a dream, my dream of how I want a harp to be.
It's hard to explain. I want to pick it up and be able to blow and draw air through it with no effort, nothing in my way at all, like the reeds are suspended in air and I can precisely play each one because they're right there, clean and clear.
When you get older you start to notice things, I guess.
If I were to send the amount of harmonicas I have that don't play the way I want them to, if I were to send them all to a harp tech to be set up just for me, it would cost a small fortune, maybe.
I want a loud and loose harmonica, you know, just ready to play when I pick it up. What's the remedy for stuffy harps with slow-to-respond-hard-to-play reeds? I'm going to search Youtube, and I know I'll find something relevant.
But do you know what I mean? When something clicked and you knew how you want a harmonica to be set up for your way of playing. It's quite a revaluation, but at the same it's a little disconcerting.
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Call me J
Last Edited by jnorem on Mar 27, 2014 8:48 PM
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DukeBerryman
300 posts
Mar 27, 2014
8:08 PM
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My harmonica teacher gave me some advice and said to pick one type of harmonica and stick with it. It was hard because I wanted to try all different kinds, but I'm over that now and it's nice to have no choice. In other words, I'd rather just work with the tone I have, and not look for it others places. For me it's LO's and and a few Promasters.
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jbone
1570 posts
Mar 27, 2014
9:21 PM
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I'd guess basic gapping skills would come into play jnorem. I'm no expert, not even close. I am a confirmed ootb player. If it doesn't impress me very quickly I don't buy any more of that model.
The only other thought I have on the matter is if you have the dough to have your harps customized and tweaked to just how you want them. I'm Mr. blue collar so what I get has to work.
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Last Edited by jbone on Mar 28, 2014 3:17 AM
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jnorem
128 posts
Mar 27, 2014
9:51 PM
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Nope, I don't have the dough to have a tech customize my harps. Don't now, never have.
I've had a couple of harps made with my tuning, but one of them is just a struggle to play, it's mushy and unresponsive, and it's supposed to be the best-made harmonica in the world. Anyway, that took what was left of my harmonica money.
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Call me J
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hooktool
120 posts
Mar 27, 2014
10:11 PM
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MP in HI can fix tune up your SP20's for a very attractive price-poor boy tuning. They play just as you describe.
John
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Slimharp
274 posts
Mar 27, 2014
10:46 PM
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Some may think this is old school but it works for me. Any harp I get I pull it apart and seal the comb ( sometimes flat sand ) with Carmex. I use a Q tip and put a light coat, not slobbered, on the comb. On 20's I add the 2 missing screws on the reed plate.I have found a lot of the harps that claim to be sealed are not or just a dab of seal up near the mouthpiece of the comb. I may tweak the gaps a little. After this 95% of the time I wind up with a nice playing harp. Breaking them in helps. Recently I find most of the Hohners are gapped pretty well OOTB.
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Kingley
3548 posts
Mar 27, 2014
11:18 PM
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jnorem - If you want a harp to play the way you want it to play then the answer is simple and doesn't cost a lot, except your own time. Learn to tune up and gap your own harps. Learn to seal and sand your own combs. Learn how to do light embossing. Once you have done that every harp you own will be able to be worked on to play how you want it too, without any real outlay of cash. When reeds break or become unable to be retuned, then learn to replace your own reeds. The hardest thing to learn of the above in my opinion is replacing reeds. Everything else can be learnt in a couple of days on a couple of old harps and then refined over time as you do it more often.
Last Edited by Kingley on Mar 27, 2014 11:19 PM
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JInx
762 posts
Mar 28, 2014
1:43 AM
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jnorem, send them to me with 50 bucks each, i'll fix em up for you
cash only / i'm an expert check out my lesson videos
i give it all away for free, but you pay me too if you want
i have t shirts and stuff too
paypall me your money and it'll be interest free for 6 months
act soon and receive a free gift package worth over more can imagine
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Sun, sun, sun
Burn, burn, burn
Soon, soon, soon
Moon, moon, moon
Last Edited by JInx on Mar 28, 2014 1:52 AM
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20REEDS
5 posts
Mar 28, 2014
1:51 AM
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Jay, all you need is a screwdriver, a toothpick or paperclip and a gentle touch, easy cheesy man!
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jiceblues
320 posts
Mar 28, 2014
2:45 AM
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Jnorem ,i understand what you say because i'm 57 and i think that when you grow old ( but not too old) , you focuse on things you think important .
I agree with Duke , i tried a lot of brands , but the way to go is "stick with one type that suits you well" .
For me , it's the SP 20 .I break them in a few hours , then i gap a little some reeds if needed .They are comfortable and play like butter .When you are used to one type of harp ( responsiveness , mouthpiece , shape , etc...) , it's easier . My 2 cents .
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jiceblues
321 posts
Mar 28, 2014
2:51 AM
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Oh , and i forgot :
i open them in back for projection and add 2 screws , round the corners of the comb , and put a key label sticker on the riht end , because my eyes are not so good...lol .Some of them have powder coated MB covers from BLUEMOON , it's even more comfortable and powerful .
I am not handy , but doing all this is a pleasure and you feel that the harp is more "yours"...and comfortable .
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Baker
373 posts
Mar 28, 2014
6:56 AM
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I agree with all the comments here. What type of haps do you play? The quickest and easiest thing you can do is learn to gap the reeds. Try it out on a couple of harps you don't mind losing as it is highly likely that you'll ruin a coupe in the learning process.
Other than that, if you're playing wooden combed harps flat sanding and sealing will also make a big difference.
This is mostly all I really do to my harps these days (actually I buy custom combs but has the same affect). I did get into embossing, tip scooping etc. but realised I didn't like the tone once I'd done it. – Actually I also flat sand the draw reed plate and open up the cover plates too.
For me these first two techniques really enhance the responsiveness of my haps and doesn't involve too much work.
This is the first video in a series on how to gap reeds.
Flat sanding combs:
Last Edited by Baker on Mar 28, 2014 7:01 AM
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Littoral
1055 posts
Mar 28, 2014
7:23 AM
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jnorem, I sure do recognize the whole story. I was there about two years ago. I've made a lot of progress and brought quite a few harps back from the graveyard. I really do emphasize gapping and airtightness. It's not hard and I really agree with jiceblues: "...but doing all this is a pleasure and you feel that the harp is more "yours"...and comfortable."
I've actually set aside 3-4 hours tomorrow to work on some harps :)
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chromaticblues
1553 posts
Mar 28, 2014
9:36 AM
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@jnorem
I only charge $25 a harp if it is a Special 20.
I could do one for you and then go from there?
Click on my user name for contact info.
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jnorem
129 posts
Mar 28, 2014
12:54 PM
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Hi all. Thanks for the responses. This is a great forum.
(MP - who's the Joker?)
I have a little set of tools I've put together over time, but I don't use them much and I'm definitely no expert. But like I said, there's a lot of videos out there that show how to do just about everything to a harmonica.
Special 20s and Promasters should have pretty flat combs already, no? Anyway, I don't see how you could do much to them.
Yes, I think gapping is the thing to try. I have a couple of little tools I can use for that.
I've never thought about it before, I've just played what I have and didn't notice anything much. But last night was the eye-opener.
I was hoping to hear how and when other players came to conclude how they want a harmonica to be set up, how they want their harps to be.
Edit: Ah, I see who the joker is. All he did was set it up with my tuning. It's the harp itself that I'm not crazy about, a Seydel Session Steel. It's a bit mushy, feels like the reeds are further away somehow.
Special 20s are my harps. Get a good one of those and you can sing, baby!
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Call me J
Last Edited by jnorem on Mar 28, 2014 2:24 PM
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jiceblues
322 posts
Mar 28, 2014
1:21 PM
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SP20 combs are OK .I'm not sure about Promaster combs .
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hooktool
122 posts
Mar 28, 2014
2:13 PM
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"Yes J, Get the joker to do your harp over again."
They don't need doing over, but I need to send some more. I have a bunch of Manjis that need set-up, I find them hard to play but like the feel and sound. I don't like to have to play hard/ You don't do Manjis, though do you?
John
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jnorem
130 posts
Mar 28, 2014
2:16 PM
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I haven't played a Manji, but I've heard good things about them.
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Call me J
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Gnarly
970 posts
Mar 28, 2014
3:16 PM
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I do Manjis.
And while I am not the joker (OK, I can be), I did do the other one, a SP20 B that I converted to D in J's special tuning.
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MP
3131 posts
Mar 28, 2014
3:37 PM
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From one of your posts I thought a customizer sent you a bad harp. Nevermind.
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Affordable Reed Replacement
Marks Harmonica Tune-up
Click user name MP for contact info
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jnorem
132 posts
Mar 28, 2014
5:33 PM
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"I do Manjis.
And while I am not the joker (OK, I can be), I did do the other one, a SP20 B that I converted to D in J's special tunin
That's right, and it's great. Playing it for the first time just blew me away. You do great work, gnarly.
The Seydel is the one that plays weird. It takes some work. The SP20, I can just glide with that.
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Call me J
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arzajac
1323 posts
Mar 28, 2014
5:44 PM
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I charge affordable rates for harp service ($15 or $25)
I'm avoiding a backlog by keeping a waiting list at the moment. I hope to get it down - it's a several-month wait at the moment...
"It's hard to explain. I want to pick it up and be able to blow and draw air through it with no effort, nothing in my way at all, like the reeds are suspended in air and I can precisely play each one because they're right there, clean and clear. "
Exactly - some will say that you should suck it up and only play stock harps - or limit your adjustments to only doing gapping. Nonesense! But a well-playing harp is a joy to play.
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Custom overblow harps. Harmonica service and repair.
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