I'm a little new to playing the harmonica but I have a G marine band that I got 6 months ago. The number 8 blow reed kind of sticks and is slow when I try to play it. What should I do about this? I've opened up my old standby but with the marine band being nailed together, I'm afraid that I won't be able to put it back together. I know I can take it apart to clean off any food but don't know about sealing it back up.
A lot of people take the opportunity to switch over to screws. Most people seem to open up the backs of their Marine Bands. You have a little more room to work with without taking it apart that way and the harp is a little louder.
If it's closed and you want to keep it that way, or you have nimble fingers, you can try a toothpick or craft stick (a heavy duty toothpick you can get at craft stores) or you can spring for some better tools. There are a few possible causes for a reed that sticks. There could be a bur or the reed might not be in the slot straight, or the gapping could be a little off. Or something could be stuck in there.
I think some of the guys put something in the nail holes to keep them tight when they put them back in. I'm not sure what they use.
If you decide to replace the screws here is a video.
Wait a little bit before you try though. Other people with more experience in taking harps apart will stop by with ideas. Basically, if it's something jammed in there, the toothpick may do it. If the reed isn't centered you can push it VERY GENTLY towards the center of the slot. A bur will sometimes have a metallic buzz to it. If it's gapping you can gently raise the gap to make it more responsive.
You can adjust the gaps without removing the reedplates from the comb. You will have to pry off the coverplates, but they can be put back easily. If the nails are loose, as Nacoran says, just put a little piece of toothpick in the hole and shove the nail back.
If the 8 blow is stiff, the gap may be just a little too tight. ----------
I've used the toothpick trick for stripped out threads in wooden gun stocks before, should work on a harp too. IIRC I think it was Buddha that posted a great YouTube vid of how to gap and adjust the reeds on your harp. It showed using a .002" feeler gauge blade on each side of the reed to center it in the slot. I'd go along with Nate and say this would be the perfect time to get some small screws to replace the nails. That way it'll be that much easier to take apart in the future for cleaning and repair. Good luck, hope you get things working.
