Embossing
Kinya: For a change I worked on a harp of my own that I wanted to play... a Suzuki Manji key of A. I did a quick profiling of the reeds (adjusted the reed tips to enter the slot last) and reset some of the gaps. The harp played pretty good right out of the box but the 6 draw bend had an annoying squeal so I beeswaxed the reeds in the gap near the rivet end ( a trick Richard taught me). I'm really surprised at how well the harp plays now... not a custom but a really solid harmonica, actually a lot like the Promaster C I had you play years ago. My question is do you think I would gain a lot from a light embossing (it's certainly a question I could answer myself but I'd like to hear your opinion)?
Hey Jon,
The tolerances are so tight on the Manji, I would not recommend it. I became convinced of this when Andy Just would frequently experience clicking and sticking reeds due to harmonicoccus (coagulated saliva). This was easy to remedy by soaking the entire harmonica (no need to dismantle) in the Ultrasonic bath for a few minutes, then lightly blow dry with my air brush compressor.
I do plan, however, in experimenting with dropping the gap on the rivet end of the reed. Stay tuned ...
~ Kinya