arron
12 posts
Nov 16, 2015
4:26 PM
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can someone tell me if i'd be destroying my special 20 if i completely filed off the left near corner of this harp: my plan is to round off not only the comb but to go through the reedplate and maybe even the cover. in an effort to make it more comfortable. i've seen pictures of it done on a wood combed sandwich style harp. i'm not sure if having the plastic comb and recessed plates make a difference in terms of whether it would still be air tight. (btw, i posted this question as a followup to a thread i started months ago but i think it got buried so i haven't received feedback on this particular issue). thanks much.
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Meaux Jeaux
105 posts
Nov 16, 2015
5:10 PM
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Arron,
In a word, no. You hit on the reason when you mentioned recessed plates. Take one apart, you'll soon see why it would no longer be airtight. However, you can make it more hand friendly by rounding the corners off (like a Rocket comb). Use fine grit paper.
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Barley Nectar
949 posts
Nov 16, 2015
5:54 PM
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can someone tell me if i'd be destroying my special 20 if i completely filed off the left near corner of this harp:
In a word, no.
@ Meaux Jeaux , I'm confused, and the OP may be also???
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jawbone
605 posts
Nov 16, 2015
5:59 PM
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Hey arron - I'm not sure what you are trying to accomplish - but - years ago, when I found that the 20's sharp edge was tearing up my top lip - after getting confirmation from JB Weld that it was non-toxic - I mixed up a batch, don't need much, and made little "ramps" on the top left hand corner of each harp. This gave the lip something to slide up on instead of scraping across that sharp little edge. Not sure if this help you or not.
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If it ain't got harp - it ain't really blues!!!!
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SuperBee
2966 posts
Nov 16, 2015
6:33 PM
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you don't need to remove much material.
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dougharps
1047 posts
Nov 16, 2015
7:25 PM
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Just sand it enough to smooth the corners. Don't try to round it as though it were a customized flat comb sandwich harp. I am pretty certain that the recessed reed plate needs the edge to seal the comb/reedplate assembly.
I just smooth the sharp corners on my SP20s, and they are comfortable to play.
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Doug S.
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arron
13 posts
Nov 16, 2015
8:15 PM
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Thanks guys. You saved my harp. I already started to lightly sand and was getting ready to hit the belt Sander to finish it off when I thought I should ask my fellow harpers first.
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nacoran
8784 posts
Nov 17, 2015
12:17 PM
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Take it apart and look at the insides on the comb and you'll have an idea of your tolerances. Now, you could round it more radically if you did something to infill the end a bit, but then you'd have to sand that perfectly flat. It's a much easier process with a solid comb. (And some harp covers don't come out as far as others- for instance old MS-Blues Harps covers give you a lot of room for coming in and the covers on Hohner 364/365s do too. Then you are only sanding the corners off the plates and the comb and don't have to worry about the cover.
Tom's (bluemoonharmonicas.com) Sp20 combs are already slightly rounded and I've seen Andrew Zajac do that on a tin sandwich style harp.
Now, if you have a solid body recessed comb (like some of Tom's) you might be able to bring the whole thing in even rounder, (or, again, a tin sandwich style like an MB) especially if you had a cover like a pre-MS Blues Harp cover.
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Nate
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chromaticblues
1729 posts
Nov 18, 2015
6:45 AM
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@Aaron To elaborate on Dougharps idea. Buy some 400 grid sand paper. Cut the sheets into four equal size pieces. Hold the sand paper in your hand like your holding a baseball. Then just sand the corners of your harp. Do a little at a time and look closely at it. Then I finish it with 1000 grit. That makes it nice and smooth and looks like it was made that way!
Don't go into the reedplates! It's not necessary.
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florida-trader
825 posts
Nov 18, 2015
7:40 AM
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Wouldn't it be a lot easier to just buy one of these?
Sorry - couldn't resist any longer.
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Tom Halchak
www.BlueMoonHarmonicas.com
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