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Ask Harp Tech Expert Kinya Pollard

Tips and techniques for Chromatic and Diatonic harmonica maintenance, setups, tuning and customization

Recommend a mini drill press for my home?

Posted Sat, 03/31/2018 - 09:27 by Thankyou
Thankyou's picture

It is always good to have a drill press at home . It might come in handy but  I also need to have one

to make holes on my marine band for screws also I might need to use it for suzuki harmonica reed replacement

 

however I am not sure what to buy , For the type of my work it does not make sense that I put a lot of money on it

 

How much is good enough for drill press ?

 

Any link or recommendation ?

 

Thanks in advance

  • 1 comment

To the Edge...... And Beyond....

Posted Fri, 03/23/2018 - 13:29 by tophand
tophand's picture

I just got done watching your "Tuning past the edge," MasterHarp video again and it got me to pondering something I'd read recently. To compensate for an assmbled harp and normal breath force the writer opined that tuning +8 cents on the 1 draw would end up with the reed being in tune. I'm sorry I don't remember where I read that. What is your opinion of the +8 theory?

 

thanks......Mike

  • 7 comments

Center punch

Posted Sun, 03/18/2018 - 12:47 by mainmark
mainmark's picture

Kinya, would the 6-piece mini drive pin and center punch set (85933) from Micro-Mark, be suitable for reed replacement

  • 9 comments

Which Wiha slotted driver for 0-80 reed replacement screws?

Posted Sat, 03/17/2018 - 20:46 by mainmark
mainmark's picture

Greetings Kinya;

 I was wondering which model#, or size, of Wiha slotted screwdriver, you use for the 0-80 screws for reed replacement?

I'm going to order a couple tools directly from the Willi Hahn Corporation, (Wiha USA), website, and I'd like to include that particular screwdriver in my order.

Thank you

  • 11 comments

How often ultrasonic bath.

Posted Sat, 03/17/2018 - 10:22 by mainmark
mainmark's picture

Hi Kinya;

  How often would you recommend cleaning harps in an ultrasonic bath with Euro Sonic?

  • 1 comment

Setup A-ref on tuner for C-harp?

Posted Sat, 03/17/2018 - 01:37 by goran.allerbo
goran.allerbo's picture

Hi, I'm about to tune a C-harp using a software tuner named 'Da Tuner'. 

You can set an A-ref on the tuner by listening to the A-note, as +4 on a A-harp. This works fine for me.

But how do I set the A-ref on a C-harp, or any other harp than a A?

 

Thanks Ga

 

  • 2 comments

What model Wiha Slotted gets the most use?

Posted Wed, 03/14/2018 - 18:56 by mainmark
mainmark's picture

In keeping with the Wihi brand, what model slotted, such as for use on Special 20 coverplate bolts, gets the most use on your bench. Even thought the Wiha site currently has a sale on some of their screwdriver sets as well as some other tools, I didn't really want to purchase an entire set if I was just going to be using one slotted and one phillips for the majority of my needs.

  • 8 comments

442hz for acoustic guitar/harp duo?

Posted Wed, 03/14/2018 - 12:51 by mainmark
mainmark's picture

Hi Kinya;

 When I become accomplished enough to play out, I aspire to play in an acoustic guitar/harp duo, ala Sonny & Brownie, possibly using a Shure SM-58 wiith a Peavey KB-2 keyboard amp that has a built in XLR jack, when a little more volume is needed. I have no desire to play traditional amplified harp in a typical band setting. Would I still calibrate my tuner to 442 hz?  I'm really just curious.

  • 5 comments

Thunderbird tunings

Posted Wed, 03/14/2018 - 05:24 by tophand
tophand's picture

I've looked around a bit and haven't been able to find any thunderbird tunings. I got a new one the other day and It was horribly out of tune. -26 to +23  and everything in between. It must have been the first harp tuned on Monday morning following Octoberfest. It sure does take a lot of strokes to move that 1 blow. That was the -26. I put this one to 19 JI and now it is at least in tune with itself. How are they supposed to be tuned 

 

thanks......Mike

  • 3 comments

Ain't Just wonderful

Posted Mon, 02/26/2018 - 10:09 by tophand
tophand's picture

I had a blast yesterday. I started out tuning an old 50s MB that was still in good shape and 7 limit just.  I was tuning to get rid of the beats and noticed my tuning app was still open and was picking up the ghost tones. That was kind of cool in itself but then I noticed as I tuned the regular notes the cents on the ghost note would change. This A harp A5 + C#6 = A3 -5 cents and C#6 + E6 = A3 +29 cents..... It sounds terrible but not as bad as the draw side. I also noticed that harp ninja will pick them up too. If you don't see it click on the keyboard and they will show up there. continue reading...

  • 1 comment
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