Ask Harp Tech Expert Kinya Pollard

I just got a new Special 20 in D.  While I was playing around with it, I noticed that when I do a 3 draw bend it squeals when I get lower in the bend.  If I slowly work the bend down, it starts sounding fine but as I work it down it hits a point where I get a very high pitched squeal.  I have never come across this and am not sure what to do about it.  It almost sounds like one of the higher reeds is starting to hit a resonance or something like that but to be honest, I have no idea.   continue reading...

Hello Harp Techs,

This installment is in response to an earlier post regarding improving the mouthpiece comfort of the classic Marine Band 1896 pearwood comb. Many Harp Tech players enjoy the history surrounding this beloved harmonica, but understandably, don’t appreciate the bloody tongue and lips after a hard night of gigging.

This occurs because the wooden tines swell (from playing, read: saliva), and the sharp edges rise past the edge of the reed plates--effectively transforming the mouthpiece into a rasp file! continue reading...

Hi Kinya, hello friendly Gang,

if I understood your lesson Reed Slot Sizing well, you advice us to emboss the first 2/3 of the reed slot TOWARDS the riveted root of the reed

and let the free tongue of the root float free w/o embossing because of that Bernoulli principle (read something about reed slot scooping this way). All this does make sense, but before I read something wrong and grow nuts, I must ask: continue reading...

Hi Kinya!

I've looked back through a lot of your older posts (extremely helpful stuff), but didn't find what I was looking for: A very good friend recently gifted my with his dad's old 12-hole Marine Band (from late '60's to early '70's era). All the notes sound great, but I know it's got to be dirty and want to clean it up good. This leads me to a couple of questions; continue reading...

I wonder, what does the Harpsmith say about breaking in a Harmonica?

I bought a new set of Marine Band Deluxe the other day and i wonder if i schould brake them in, and how?

Best rgards

Thomas

Hey Kinya you post images the whole time. can you share with me how that is done. Tried but failed so far. No I must find out

Hello Harp Techs,

My second “harmonica” microphone, after the Astatic JT30-c that I bought from Quement Electronics in 1973 was (still is,‘cause I still have them both;o), a Shure PE54 with switch. Essentially the same as the Shure 545, except my PE54 was set up for Hi-Z. Over the years I migrated to the Shure 57, then to Greg’s Ultra57. continue reading...

Hello Harp Techs,

For me, my first Marine Band 1896 harmonica, will always remind me of my first kiss. No, the Marine Band was not my first love, but the similarities were unforgettable. I could not believe how much slobber was coming out of my mouth. continue reading...

I got a Kongsheng Solist and I absolutely love it, but I'm having a problem I don't know how to fix.  The 2 draw reed keeps getting stuck.  It's not food or sugary anything.  It's the harp. It keeps happening.

https://imgur.com/taurHWA

  continue reading...

Hi Kinya,

I have five Hohner Rockets and all of them have only five inner screws (the ones holding the reed plates, not the cover plates), although there are 7 holes in the reed plates. Do you know, which holes should the screws be in?

Thank you very much,

Marek