misterjunior
11 posts
Oct 23, 2016
6:57 PM
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I've been repairing a number of Marine Bands after getting a bunch of reeds from Hohner and Andrew Zajac's toolkit.
I now want to tackle a Blues Harp MS I own with one blown reed. I know that the official way to handle MS series harps is to replace the reedplate, but that seems extreme when only a single reed is bad.
Da Google doesn't have a lot to offer, so I'll ask all of you - have you replaced single reeds in a MS reedplate with new replacement reeds (not donors) and are there any tricks or warnings?
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SuperBee
4206 posts
Oct 23, 2016
7:51 PM
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Can't obtain new reeds for them as singles. I have repaired them with 2nd hand reeds. I believe some of the Lee Oskar reeds are a pretty close match as well. the reed dimension charts from Pat Missin are probably your best source of information about that. There are 3 different templates for slot size on the MS harps, so that *may* make it more likely to find a good 2nd hand reed. Or more difficult, depending on the reed you need. I expect Hohner did that to enable them to have smaller overall number of different reeds. I've never worked through it. Just don't have much demand for repairs to MS, maybe because people but reedplates?
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Thievin' Heathen
856 posts
Oct 23, 2016
7:51 PM
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My experience(s) with MS reed plates has been you need to have the exact reed from an identical donor reed plate to get the correct size. Getting a reed of the same size within a 1/2 tone was not an option either. I finally wound up cutting a reed to size then tuning it to the pitch. I have wondered if I was completely wrong in my analysis of the situation, i.e. not enough old donor reed plates to choose from, and welcome all responses, but regardless, I don't invest my time in MS harps any more.
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florida-trader
1018 posts
Oct 24, 2016
12:04 PM
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I don't think there is any trick to replacing MS reeds. It seems that it is all about availability. I am a Hohner Dealer and I do not even have prices on replacement MS reeds. The Hohner C-Shop only shows them for the Progressive Series, which will not fit. Unless you are adamantly opposed to using a reed off a donar plate I would suggest you tell us which reed and key and perhaps some generous sole on this site can send you a donation. I don't have very many MS plates to pluck a reed off but if I can help I will gladly do so. ---------- Tom Halchak www.BlueMoonHarmonicas.com
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Chris L
139 posts
Oct 24, 2016
11:39 PM
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I'm almost embarrassed to admit it, and please take this as a story, rather than advice, but I replaced a 4 draw in a Big River with a reed from a Suzuki Folkmaster a couple of years ago. Had to nip half a mm from the tip with flush cut pliers, although in retrospect, lengthening the screw hole might have been a better strategy. I did some reed shaping and tuning. Definitely not up to custom standards, but in a Big River with basic gapping and reed shaping that draw 4 is indistinguishable from the other reeds. Because I think of it as a kind of Frankenharp experiment I use it a lot, bending and wailing away on that draw 4, and it plays just fine two years later!
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florida-trader
1019 posts
Oct 25, 2016
4:22 AM
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Chris L - I don't think that is embarrassing at all. I think it is very innovative. It takes a little patience to trim a reed and make it fit but it isn't Rocket Science. Clearly that is a perfectly acceptable option if the "right" reed is not available. ---------- Tom Halchak www.BlueMoonHarmonicas.com
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misterjunior
12 posts
Oct 25, 2016
3:21 PM
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I'd use a donor harp, but I don't have a lot of Blues Harps and this is the only one that needs repair. I bought this one to try, didn't like it, and only bought some other Blues Harps on a sale I couldn't pass up. I mainly play Marine Bands and Pro Harps.
I'll probably put this harp in the donor box and start playing the hell of the others until I need a spare reed.
Thanks for all your comments and help!
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