Did you hear about the dude who threw his guitar away over a broken string?
Apparently he was not aware that by replacing the string, he would have been able to restore his guitar to its original playing condition.
Sound preposterous? Maybe … but how many of you harmonica players throw away a perfectly good instrument over one blown reed?
"Play the notes people want to hear" (c) 2008
Kinya Pollard
The Harpsmith
What, are you kidding me?
TELL! TELL!!!!
Just tell me the time and the place and I'll be there!
OF COURSE I AM !!! ........I live in the other side of the world where finding harps, gear in general is a bitch. I have a nice "collection" of blown out harps with the hope of one day "I will learn how to fix 'em....... so?...
Hello Reeders,
Let’s begin our reed replacement adventure (Part 1) by locating a suitable donor. I recommend rooting through your box of “blown” harmonicas and find a similar harmonica of make, model and key to that of the host harmonica you are attempting to bring back to life. This is why you never throw away your old harmonicas ;o)
Using a Hohner Special 20 in the key of Bb as our sample, we need to replace a blown <4> draw reed (pitch of C). If it turns out your donor SP20/Bb also has a blown <4> don’t despair, because as long as you can find the same pitch of the same size in another key, blow or draw, you will be able to continue with the operation. Luckily, I found a SP20/C with a healthy blow reed 4+ (pitch of C).
Contact Richard Sleigh at rharp@uplink.net to purchase his list of Hohner Reed replacement cross over charts. This will save you a boat load of time.
Next lay out the required tools and materials (keep in mind that once you make the investment, you will save tons of money over time).
TOOLS
• De-riveting tool from Seydel Harmonicas #900100 prox. $39.95 http://www.seydel1847.de/epages/Seydel.sf/secjz0Xid8h9M2/?ObjectPath=/Sh...
• Deluxe Pin Vise (micro-mark #82110) www.micromark.com
• Clearance Drill Bit (micro-mark #14145CD)
• Tap Drill Bit (micro-mark #14145TD)
• 0-80 Tap (micro-mark #14145T)
• Ratchet Drive Tap Holder (micro-mark #15126)
• “Screw Starter” Quick Wedge Screwdriver (micro-mark #83512)
• Mercedes quality: Wiha Screwdriver set (micro-mark #80775) or alternate Ford quality: Six Piece Jeweler’s
Screwdriver Set (micro-mark #28106)
• Flush Cut Rail Nipper (micro-mark #60315)
MATERIALS
• Miniature 0-80 Brass Bolts (micro-mark #70157)
• Miniature 0-80 Brass Washers (micro-mark #70206)
I'll give you Reeders a chance to locate your donor harmonica and get your tools and materials together. I be back in Part 2 for the "how to" portion.
"Play the notes people want to hear" (c) 2008
Kinya Pollard
the Harpsmith
Hello Everyone,
Are your benches (or kitchen table) lined up with the new tools? Then let's begin:
PART 2
First, remove the cover plates and reed plates from your “host” harmonica and identify and mark the problem reed (you don’t want to accidently remove a good reed ;o). The best method to determine a faulty reed is to plink it. For those of you who have invested in a harmonica tool kit, i.e. Richard Sleigh, Hohner, Seydel, Lee Oskar, Herring – the plinking tool will be either the feeler gauge or the narrow butter knife looking tool with a hook on the end.
Plinking is done by sliding the flat end of the tool under the free side of the reed, lifting and arching upward approximately 3/16” then releasing the reed. Repeat this process a few times. If the reed resonates with a pure tone, then you probably have a reed that simply requires tuning. Confirm this with your Chromatic Tuner. If the reed is flat by over one semi-tone (½ step), the reed will soon fracture, so go ahead and replace that reed. If the reed responds with a thud, and/or actually breaks off at the rivet end of the reed, you will definitely have to replace the reed.
PROCESSES:
1. With your de-rivet tool, punch out the rivet. The reed will come along for the ride. Immediately, throw this faulty reed into the trash (you don’t want to accidently install this reed back into your harmonica).
2. Next, we need to prepare the hole for the threading process by accurately sizing the hole for the tap. Insert and tighten the 0-80 “tap” drill bit (#14145TD) into the chuck of the pin vise (#82110). For you right hander’s grasp the reed plate in your left hand. With the pin vise in your right hand carefully (and straight) begin drilling clockwise into the reed plate hole that was vacated by the rivet. Before the drill bit goes all the way through the plate, flip the reed plate around and repeat the process on the other side until the drill bit clears through. This method will minimize the distortion of the entrance and exit points of the hole.
3. Now we are ready to “cut” 0-80 threads into the hole. Tighten the 0-80 tapping bit (#14145T) into the T-shaped tap tool (#15126). Carefully and straight, turn the tapping tool clockwise into the hole you had just drilled. After the tap had passed through, reverse direction to remove the tap (and clean out shavings).
In Part 3, we will work on the “donor” harmonica.
“Play the notes people want to hear © 2008
Kinya Pollard,
The Harpsmith
Thanks for the info Kinya! I love this stuff.
Hello fellow Harp-Techs,
I wanted to give everyone a full week to mangle up as many practice plates as possible ;o)
PART 3
After you had identified and verified with your chromatic tuner, that the reed on your donor harmonica is a healthy candidate, disassemble your harmonica.
Double check and mark the reed with a sharpie. With your de-riveting tool (Seydel #900100); carefully remove the reed from the reed plate. Discard the old rivet.
Install the “clearance hole” drill bit (M-M#14145CD) into the chuck of your pin vise (M-M #82110). With your left index finger and thumb, clamp the edges of the rivet pad of your reed and face the hole towards you. Carefully begin drilling (clockwise) your 0-80 clearance hole into the reed pad, but do not allow the drill bit to pass through. As soon as you begin seeing the brass shavings appear, retract the drill bit, flip over the reed, and repeat the process on the other side. This will prevent distortion of the reed pad.
Next grab your screw starter (m-m #83512) … yeah, I laugh every time I say “screw starter”. Attach a 0-80 brass bolt (m-m#70157) onto the screw starter, then slid the 0-80 brass washer (m-m#70206) over the threads.
With your left hand, pick up the host reed plate and hover it above the vertical positioned bolt (threads facing toward the ceiling). Carefully navigate the bolt into the threaded hole and begin turning clockwise. The clearance hole you had drilled into the reed pad will allow the reed to dangle downward on the shaft of the bolt. DO NOT USE THE SCREW STARTER FOR TIGHTENING – THIS WILL DAMAGE THE BLADES (isn’t that right Mark ;o) Use your Wiha (m-m#80775) or Jeweler’s screwdriver set (m-m#70206) instead. As you tighten, when the washer and head of the bolt touches the reed plate pad, use your left thumb to gently press the reed into the slot for proper alignment.
Next, hold your reed plate up to the light and site through the slot. Using your reed wrench (Hohner for Hohner, Seydel for Seydel, Lee Oskar for Lee Oskar, etc.) pivot the reed so that an equal amount of light can be seen around the sides and front of reed. Note: if the reed rotated too easily, there was not enough torque applied during the tightening process … try again.
Adjust the reed profile (gapping) and tune as necessary. Assemble the restored reed plate onto the comb, and attach the cover plates. AWESOME! You are on your way to saving a boat load of money over your harmonica playing career.
“Play the notes people want to hear” © 2008
Kinya Pollard
The Harpsmith
thanks so much for the guide kinya.
Hello Tristan,
The pleasure is all mine!
Keep your questions coming ...
Kinya
With the proper materials, tools and training, replacing bad reeds can be as simple as replacing a broken string on a guitar.
In fact with my 0-80 bolt and tap method it will be better than factory, because when that reed blows out again (oh ... and it will). You simply screw on another replacement reed.
Anybody interested in learning how?