lost hole on chromatic
I have a Hohner Super Chromonica C that I have lost the #3 hole with the button in. I assume it is "junk" in the reed plate somewhere, but I have not cleaned a chromatic before and don't want to damage it. I lost the hole while playing. any suggestions welcomed.
Kinya, unfortunately the flossing did not make a difference. I am open to any other approach, including "file 13" if you think it has seen all of the life it will ever see. Don't know if these models are worth sending for an overhaul.
Is it the blow or the draw note in Hole 3?
The 270 Super Chromonica nowadays sells new for between $106 and about $160 per a quick Google check. So I'd say it's worth fixing what is probably a minor problem.
There are three possible causes for a healthy reed to fail to vibrate:
1) obstruction in the slot (lodged debris, or burrs in the metal of the reed or slot edge)
2) valve glued shut
3) misaligned reed hitting the slot edge.
On the 270 Super Chromonica, the button-in notes are all on the bottom reedplate.
Valves on the outside of the reedplate shut off the blow notes (they're mounted on the outside of the blow slot, with the reed on the inside).
Valves on the inside shut off the draw notes.
The easiest things to check are the things on the outside, which are the blow valves and the edges of the draw reeds.
If the draw reed isn't sounding, first lift the tip of the reed a few millimeters and let it go. It should vibrate audible for bout a second. If it makes a dull thud, either it's about to fail (rare) or it's hitting something (slot edge or the valve.
First thing: Make a reed poker. Unbend a paper clip and sand the sharp edges of the end to smooth them a little - you don't want to scratch the reed.
Now, lift the reed enough to insert the poker in the slot and press down ned the tip. This can free a glued-down valve. Now try playing the reed.
if that doesn't work, try using the poker to gently press the reed tip into the slot. Does it spring back? If not, you may have an obstruction. If it seems to grind, then you have a misalignment, and you need to rotate the reed at the rivet end a tiny amount. Richard Sleigh and some other techs include a reed wrench in their tool kits.
If the reed doesn't grind, then try pressing the reed tip gently through the slot. if you can get your poker in through the front of the hole, try to get it between the reed tip and the plate. Then remove the poker to let the reed spring back. If it vibrates freely, it may sound when you play it. If not, you may have to remove debris by sliding foil along the edge of the reed, moving from rivet to tip.
There's more to say, but this is getting long. Try some of these procedures and see what you get.
Hello Sensei Winslow,
Thank you for adding your sage advise to this thread.
~Kinya
Winslow the hole that won't respond is the 3 blow with slide in. The valves seem to be free - I presume we are now going to get amore complicated.
OK. Did you try freeing the outside valve and trying to gently push the blow reed through the slot from the inside?
If the valve is free and the reed clears the slot easily, then I suspect that the reed may simply be gapped too low to respond to normal breath pressure.
Changing the gap of an inside reed from the outside is not the ideal way to do things but prying up a nailed-on reedplate - and re-attaching it in an airtight way - is no picnic either. Simply poking it downward though the slot can push it too far. I know I've seen advice on doing this before but I don't remember where.
Winslow, add this one to your list. I was about to give up when I tried one more time with one of Richard's tools to get at the reed. Perhaps I need to get rid of the moustache, because there it was, a tiny little hair. When I got it out of the way - bingo! Thanks for you help - otherwise I would have just trashed a perfectly good chromatic.
Bob -
Great! I'm glad you were able to locate the gremlin. Now make some sweet music with that thang.
Hi Bob,
Good to hear from you. It appears you your 5+ valve glued (dried Harmonicoccus) itself shut to the reed plate, preventing the reed from lift off. The first step is to remove the cover plates from your Chro, and examine the valve (white plastic mylar strip) that hovers over the 5+ reed.
If it is stuck, gently pry up with a safety razor, then slide a clean strip of paper under the valve. Apply gentle pressure on top of the valve, then slide the piece of paper in/out to clean off surface Harmonicoccus. I call this process "flossing"--yeah, like your teeth ;o)
Let me know how this process worked out for you.
Your Harpsmith,
Kinya