Ask Harp Tech Expert Kinya Pollard

Hello Harp-Techs
If you have ever been interested in double reed plates, you have to check out this edition of Mel Bay's Harmonica Sessions.

I was surprised how much I liked the PLUNZ kit -- making it onto the bandstand and delivering the goods. That will teach me to have preconceived notions ;o)

Let's get a conversation going ...

Your HARPSMITH,
Kinya

Hello Marine Band Aficionados,
From a historical perspective, if you want to learn about the "gold standard" of diatonic harmonicas--the Hohner Marine Band--then ask Richard Sleigh for his free downloadable white paper, "The Marine Band Field Spotters Guide".

Also included (my personal favorite), the Hohner reed replacement chart, which works for Marine Band, Special 20, and Golden Melody.

All you need to do is hop onto Richard's email list at:
~Kinya

Iv been playing low keys recently and every once in awhile the reeds on the low end hit the cover plates. is their anyway to adjust the reeds so that wont happen ? I have this same problem with my Bb harp whats going on? am i over bending the low end reeds or something?

I purchased one of the Manji harps and like the way it responds. I have not been able to find a source for reed plates, reeds, or repair kit? if they are not available does that make it a disposable instrument in comparison to harps that can be self-repaired?

FYI, I really enjoyed your video series on repair and maintenance Kinya, great job!
Keith

Hey Kinya, I have recently started tuning my own harps with the Lee Oskar tool kit and have had mixed results. The small chisel seems to just slide over the surface of the reeds without removing any material unless I really bear down. This seems to me to be too heavy handed, to the point that I feel I'm gouging the reeds. What is the best way to use the chisel and also to sharpen it, so I can use a lighter touch? Thanks Tom Bader

I have been getting a lot smoother with retuning all my old harps and looking to jump in to custom tuning but have no idea the the note layouts look or what techniques to use its all so confusing to me, if somebody could throw me some tips that would be awesome.
Some advice on setting my harps up for overdraws and overblows would be really helpful as well
Thanks

Today I order the coolest Special 20 comb I've ever seen. The company that makes it is an Italian company called BluexLab. You can Google the name and they come up. On the sidebar of their site is the company that sells their products... Harplite. Check it out gang.

Hi Kinya, have you ever played with shrinking the comb on SP 20's to tighten up the sealing edges ?

I have two harmonica with a gap in the left corner of the coverplate.

Air is leaking out and i'm trying to find a way to block the hole.

Do you know a good way to "seal" the coverplate to the reedplate.

Thanks

Hi Kinya what do you think of the new Seydel session steel harmonica.
Thanks Ron