HarpNinja
401 posts
Apr 22, 2010
7:35 AM
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I am probably late in noticing that Carlos has vented the bottom coverplate of this harp.
Why not the top cover too? I am going to try this out, me thinks. I have a Dremel and think I can use one of the grinders to try this out. Kinya has some solid info on venting plates via his Harmonica Workbench series.
Note that the backs are also opened up. I can't tell if he bent the covers or grinded them off. I do know that my previous attempts at opening the covers as such have resulted in nothing but failure. Any help?
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Last Edited by on Apr 22, 2010 7:36 AM
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barbequebob
743 posts
Apr 22, 2010
9:43 AM
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The ugly way to do it is to get a slip joint pliers and crush it down, but it can distort the cover shape in a negative way if you're not careful.
A tip a customizer gave me when I was opening the back covers of a MB was to get a ball peen hammer and tap them down, using a light to medium pressure, but do it slowly, a little bit at a time so that the covers don't get distorted.
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nacoran
1743 posts
Apr 22, 2010
10:39 AM
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I've seen a video somewhere where they opened the back using a rubber mallet. It didn't mar up the finish like a regular hammer or pliers. I'm not sure, but if I was going to try to open side vents I might try cutting a very narrow slot shaped something like this-
>--<
and then folding the metal carefully back inside. It would give you nice rounded smooth edges where your hands touch the harp.
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Nate
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HarpNinja
402 posts
Apr 22, 2010
10:44 AM
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I've tried doing that with GM harps before, but it is way harder than with MB's. Marine Bands I can do without scuffing anything or misshaping the cover plates.
I tried gridning with a Dremel. That will work fine. Need some sand paper or something to smooth it out, but it works.
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CDon
5 posts
Apr 22, 2010
6:42 PM
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Did it do anything of consequence for the sound?
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J-Sin
11 posts
Apr 23, 2010
5:20 AM
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I got a lesson from Carlos once. I recall he had both plates vented in those custom harps. Don't know why this one has only the bottom vented. I think he had a full set of these wooden comb customs and another set of stock GMs with some plate modifications too.
BTW, has anyone noticed how brittle the plastic GM comb can be? Some of mine are cracking from the edges, and it really pisses me off.
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HarpNinja
403 posts
Apr 23, 2010
5:51 AM
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I hate GM combs. I haven't completed this harp yet. I had a brand new Eb GM I started working on to replace a tired Eb that works fine, but has really mellowed out. It is over four years old.
I worked on the covers of the old one, but will try on the new harp.
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Grillslinger
79 posts
Apr 23, 2010
5:54 AM
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I can't stand the plastic GM comb.
Dick Sjeberg vents the top and bottom. He also opens up the front. He uses a dremmel for both.
Before learning this from him, I had used a different method to open up the back(using the file and mallet method I saw on a video here on the forum). I showed him. He said it looked good, but that I had weakened the structure considerately.
Surely enough, after a few months the coverplate had been slowly crushed into a weird shape.
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Shredder
167 posts
Apr 23, 2010
6:23 AM
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I have opened up 3 of my G/M's and vented the sides on one of them.
I used an 8" bench grinder to ruff them out then took a dremel and finished them off. Trick is you have to be very carefull with the bench grinder. It's easy to remove to much material or get over onto the front where your lips ride and make a ruff edge.I really like how it made the harp noticably louder, my guitar player noticed right off the bat.
My take is the vents on the ends didn't help me any. I think it actually allows some of the sound and air pressure out the sides cutting the volume coming out of the back. I don't do the sides any more. I leave a small teat in the middle so as to support the cover from crushing on the back side.
I vented 3 harps A-C-F. I think the C&F made a great differance but the A harp I'm not so sure about, it's louder but it changed the tone some to my ears. I won't do another A like it. I may just do one cover like mentioned above, top or bottom? I will have to experiment to see what works better.
One more thing, I used the rubber polishing wheels on the dremmel to smooth out the ruff edges and the soft polishing wheels with the jewelers rouge to finish them off. I think it was worth the effort. I don't like the idea of hammering and bending, to much distortion of the covers in my opinion.
Mike
Last Edited by on Apr 23, 2010 6:25 AM
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