Xpun3414
125 posts
Nov 19, 2010
10:46 PM
|
just wondering if any one has any ideas on how to stop my marine band cover plates from bending in. Ive come to realize that I tend to hold my harp a bit to tightly. I try not to but it just seems to be a bad habit I cant seem to break. Out side of holding it a bit more loosely,is there any thing else I can do. Ive fixed the covers like 3 times now. I try to stay conscious of it when I play,but once I get going.. well,before you know it after a few times,its bent in. Any ideas ?
Thanks guys,
Jimmy
----------
|
belfast_harper
189 posts
Nov 20, 2010
12:35 AM
|
If you are crushing covers when you are playing it means that you are too tense when you are playing.
Richard Sleigh recommends a few breathing exercises to help you loosen up relax before playing, that should improve your tone as well.
Last Edited by on Nov 20, 2010 2:24 AM
|
belfast_harper
190 posts
Nov 20, 2010
12:41 AM
|
If you are able to rebuild your marine bands you can use longer bolts for the reed plates and the extra length will support the covers.
Last Edited by on Nov 20, 2010 1:13 AM
|
GermanHarpist
1848 posts
Nov 20, 2010
2:19 AM
|
I think, I've heard that Jason Ricci has the same 'problem'...
Here's the rear of one of my MB experiments:
----------
The MBH thread-thread thread!
|
Stickman
544 posts
Nov 20, 2010
3:17 AM
|
@xpun if you do as Belfastharper and Germanharpist suggest, take and extra minute or two and bend back the lip on each cover with a hammer (like in the photo above) and you will have made your first steps into modifying your harmonicas.
----------
|
joeleebush
131 posts
Nov 20, 2010
5:26 AM
|
To GermanHarpist
That is a very clever modification you've come up with.
Too bad the dumbass factory would "never consider such a thing" (the design engineers would be jealous that someone thought of it other than themselves. The marketing people would be screaming about higher costs, as if they weren't to the moon already. And some whacko environmentalist would yell about the possibility of one of the nuts coming loose and strangling a child)
You've done nice work on this mod. Stay focused.
Regards,
Me
|
Stickman
545 posts
Nov 20, 2010
5:29 AM
|
Hey joe.....you a little upset with Hohner? Don't hold back or anything.
----------
|
zipperhead16
1 post
Nov 20, 2010
6:40 AM
|
Xpun:
Fold the covers back like Stickman said. There's a Youtube vid on it.
Don't do what I did. A grinder isn't always your best friend. Got a loud ass special 20 though.
|
belfast_harper
191 posts
Nov 20, 2010
8:44 AM
|
I use a vice to crush/fold the covers down, I put some tape the vice to stop it from scratching the cover plates.
Last Edited by on Nov 20, 2010 8:45 AM
|
Xpun3414
127 posts
Nov 20, 2010
9:30 AM
|
Thanks all for the input..looks like I may do the blot mod that belfast_harper & GermanHarpist said. That seems to be the way Im gonna have to go. Im gettin tired of havin' to stamp out the covers every week or two.
P.S. Im looking @ my harp (with the covers on still) & it looks as though the reeds come right to the end of the cover @ some parts..what can I do for that,remember Im very new to the harp and this will be my first mod.
----------
|
GermanHarpist
1850 posts
Nov 20, 2010
10:13 AM
|
joeleebush, I hear you...
HOhners... !?!&ยง%! It's same thing as with these damned operating systems...
There's Microsoft that everybody goes with, because that's the only one they heard off. It has sooo many problems and flaws, the design is totally outdated and always just minimally adapted so that the customers don't run away. But there's one thing the company excells in: doing business like the best and cunning opportunism.
Then there's Apple, they have the same background but a longer history than Microsoft (the unknown originals). ... but management changed for some time. Now they're back in quality and style... but they're soo expensive that you shouldn't really afford one. And the only thing better than their product is their marketing.
And then there's the third alternative, that most people haven't even heard off (although it would probably be the best choice, especially for beginners). Unbeatable in price, speed and stability (so what, that it comes from Japan... ehh South Africa :). Revolutionary approach to design and quality control: Ubuntu.
Xpun, I don't understand your problem..? if you want we can meet up over skype for a sec (in an hour or so) and I can talk you through the minor changes of 'repairing' the MB.
----------
The MBH thread-thread thread!
Last Edited by on Nov 20, 2010 10:20 AM
|
Xpun3414
130 posts
Nov 20, 2010
10:23 AM
|
That sounds fine GermanHarpist..I'll log on soon.
ok..lookin at the reed plates w/o the cover off it seems as though the reeds near the one end are very close to the ends of the reed plate. So Im a bit nervous about messin with them. C-ya on skype in a bit.
----------
,
(WOW,this is my 130th post.. already! In just about a month or so. Guess Im more active then I thought)
Last Edited by on Nov 20, 2010 10:28 AM
|
chromaticblues
315 posts
Nov 20, 2010
4:21 PM
|
It isn't that your holding it to tight. Your holding it wrong! Think about it. If you bend the covers ( or anyone else) Is it the covers or you? Hold the harp like your holding water in your two hands and put each end of the harp between your thumb and the inside of your forefinger nuckle. Do not hold it like all the photos of Sonny Boy Williamson shows him holding it. Remember he learned to play with out using an amp. If you hold it like I said you won't have to make your harp with titanium reinforcement.LOL Your not the first person to have this problem, but its really easy to fix.
|
Xpun3414
131 posts
Nov 20, 2010
5:38 PM
|
@ chromaticblues Thats the most comfortable way for me to hold the harp & I get the best sound out of it that way too. The way you say is just to awkward for me. I'll just mod my harp to suite.
----------
|
htownfess
214 posts
Nov 21, 2010
5:16 AM
|
@Xpun3414: Don't bother with the bolt mod. Do what Hohner does on the Marine Deluxe and Crossover: First use a padded vise to squeeze the flange back against the coverplate per belfast_harper's suggestion. Then bend the now-doubled lip of the coverplate more toward the vertical--easiest way to do that is simply leave the cover in the vise after squeezing, and carefully grasp it and bend it back against the vise. The more vertical the lip of the coverplate is when the cover is on the harp, the more resistant to crushing it will be, and it affects holding the harp much less than you think. Hohner used to do this on prewar MBs; I have done it for a habitual harp-crusher friend and it worked better than bolt/posts. Amazingly simple & effective. If you don't understand what I mean by vertical, the coverplate lips in GermanHarpist's photo are practically horizontal instead--imagine bending them out and away from the openings and comb.
|
Harpbaker
1 post
Nov 21, 2010
2:09 PM
|
If you're going to go to that much trouble to modify the standard MB covers, why not get an MB Deluxe or Crossover? Improving the stability of the covers was one of the major aims when developing those models.
|
Stickman
547 posts
Nov 21, 2010
6:34 PM
|
@ Harpbaker $
----------
|
