Need guidance ordering replacement harmonica reeds
Hello Kinya,
Hree is my dilema:
I have blown out 2 reeds on different harps.
4 draw on a marine band crossover tuned in D major
1 draw on a special 20 tuned in G major
Let's say I have obatined the tools to perform the replacement but I need to order the spare reeds.
If I were using the US and Canada version of the hohner website I would have easily been able to order the replacement reeds from here https://www.hohnershop.com/single-reeds/
because there you can chose the harmonica type key, hole number and breathing direction.
However this selection is for some reason missing from the european hohner shop so I have to do it the hard way and find exactly the type of reed I need.
For this they have provided this guide
http://www.hohner-cshop.de/out/media/HOHNER%20DATASHEET%20for%2010-hole%...
So from there I have found I need an A3 reed for the G harp 1 draw and an E5 reed for the D harp 4 draw.
Unfortunately the fun does not stop there, because three turned out to be more than one available type of A3 reeds:
http://www.hohner-cshop.de/index.php?stoken=127E07F3&force_sid=9akibvh8b...
and more than one type of E5 reeds:
http://www.hohner-cshop.de/index.php?stoken=127E07F3&force_sid=9akibvh8b...
Can you please help me find out which ones I need exactly?
Aand perhaps help decypher that numbers and letters they use to describe the product so I can find what I need in the future without having to bugg the experts?
I really don't know whay they did not do it in an easier manner :(.
Thanks in advance!
Yes indeed I am a heavy breather :D. Trying to work on that but at thebeginning it's hard and I expect to break some more harps :D
I still have no shuebox harps :( for I am a relatively fresh player.
Can you please check from the links I have sent you which model of reeds I need to order exactly?
For example from the A3 I have those:
5 pc Harmonica Reed a / A3 / 1-911.914-4100/0 - Fach 3 Art.No.: TM109001
5 pc Harmonica Reed a / A3 / 1-912.782-4100/0 - Fach 3 Art.No.: TM109209
5 pc Harmonica Reed a / A3 / 1-913.698-4100/0 - Fach 44 Art.No.: TM110003
5 pc Harmonica Reed a / A3 / 1-913.697-4100/0 - Fach 29 Art.No.: TM110055
5 pc Harmonica Reed a / A3 / 1-911.915-4100/0 - Fach 123 Art.No.: TM110069
5 pc Harmonica Reed a / A3 / 1-911.916-4100/0 - Fach 125 Art.No.: TM110074
5 pc Harmonica Reed a / A3 / 1-912.783-4100/0 - Fach 144 Art.No.: TM110232
....
and a couple more of them.
The same for the E5 reeds.
I guess I need to use that "Fach" number but I really don't know what it means :(
Can you please help me decypher that?
Thanks in advance!
Hello Angel, I checked out your links and now I have a migraine! From Spain, are you not be able to access the USA/Canada Hohner Parts Store? https://www.hohnershop.com/harmonica-reed-marine-band-and-progressive-se...
Hohner harmonica reeds are built in many lengths and widths to accomodate the different note and octave layouts, for example, it would be common to locate the same reeds with the same dimensions and pitches within the two categories of diatonic harmonicas:
- CATEGORY ONE: Low D, Low Eb, Low E, Ab, A, Bb, B, C
- CATEGORY TWO: Db, D, Eb, E, F, F#, Hi G
If you are able to to buy off an internet auction site, previously played Hohner harmonicas; including, Marine Band, Crossover, Special 20, Rocket, Golden Melody-you can then start your "shoebox donor harmonica" inventory. All those models use the exact same reeds!
Your G Harmonica | you need an A reed that will fit into your slot #1 of the Draw reed plate. It turns out, this A reed is a unique reed that only exists in the #1 draw reed slot of a G diatonica harmonica-bummer. I have two workarounds that will work with my donor reed inventory:
- From a donor G harp (my draw A was already used on another operation), I would take the #1 Blow G reed, then file off weight from the free end to raise the pitch up to an A. Jedi trick, that's how I convert a C diatonic Richter tuned harmonica into a "Paddy" Tuned. The 3 Blow reed is G, so I remove weight from the free end of the G reed until I read A on my chromatic tuner!
- From a donor Bb harp, I would take #1 Draw Ab reed, then file off the weight from the free end to raise the pitch up to an A
Your D Harmonica | you need an E reed that will fit into your #4 draw reed plate slot. Your in luck, the dimensions of this reed matching the E pitch is available from the following donor harmonicas:
- G harp, 6 Draw
- A harp, 6 Blow
- D harp, 4 Draw
- E harp, 4 Blow
I know what "Fach" means in my shop--it's what I yell out when I drill the wrong pilot hole into the reed plate ;o)
Your Harpsmith, Kinya
Thanks, Kinya!
I will try to look for some shoebox harps.
And In the meantime I will order the reeds from the US site.
Hopefully it will not take forever :)
Good luck Angel
Your Harpsmith, Kinya
Hey Angel, sorry to hear you are experiencing so much turmoil with your harmonica reeds. You must be one heavy breather my Brother!
This is an easy fix, so let me compile the list of reeds you will need from other Hohner "donor" harps (also known as your shoebox harps). I will get back to you shortly.
Your Harpsmith, Kinya