rocket problem?
i hate to be "that guy" but i really think something is wrong with the 2-draw on my brand new A Rocket ...
i can get the 2-draw clean and easy on every other harp i have (G Rocket, A crossover, C Special 20 and Rocket, etc) but it sounds airy and weak on my A rocket. what's the best way to know for sure? i don't know any other players in my area right now to ask ... i don't know of any repair shops or anything like that. maybe submit an audio file to one of the teachers on this sight? or maybe a quick video chat or soemthing? i'm in Glastonbury CT (near Hartford) if anyone knows a player or repairman that might be able to help in the area
Oh, sorry for using the wrong forum/area ... but - thanks for the tips! And your advise helped! The gap did seem a bit higher on the 2 draw compared to the well- working reeds. I adjusted it - at first too far down and it stopped working completely, then back up to a nice gap and it’s much more responsive now! I also loosened and relighted the screws
thanks!
This is not a gear question (gear is stuff like mics and amps), and your best bet is to ask it in the Ask Kinya forum, which is all about harp repair and adjustment.
But that aside, your Draw 2 reed may be set too high, and the reedplates may not be screwed tightly to the comb. Both conditions can cause air loss.
Can you use a screwdriver? Can you bend a paperclip into a slightly different shape? If so, you have the skills to deal with the two conditions above.
Use a screwdriver to remove the covers by unscrewing their bolts - and keep those bolts in a jar lid or something where they won't rolla way and be lost.
Now, look at the draw reeds, the ones on te outside. Note the gap between the tip of the reed and the reedplate. Is the gap for the 2nd longest reed (Draw 2) significantly higher than its neighbors? Is so, you can lower it. But to do this you'll need a tool.
That's where the paperclip comes in. A paperclip is just a length of stiff wire wound in a sort of squashed coil. Find the outside end of the wire, and peel it away from the coil so that you have a long"finger" that you can poke into the harmonica hole. If you have some sandpaper or a nail file, use it to smooth the end of the wire so that it doesn't gouge the reed.
Now, use your finger to press the tip of the reed through its slot into the harmonica hole. Use the paperclip to tug the tip down, tugging in little pulses. Then let it spring back. If you're successful, you will have lowered the gap slightly. To let the reed settle, pluck it up slightly with your fingernail and let it go so that it vibrates. Do this two or three times.
The other thing you can do is make sure the reedplate screws are snug. Loosen each screw maybe 1 turn. Not enough to unscrew it, just to loosen it.
Now, re-tighten each screw, starting in the middle of the harp and working toward the ends. Tighen just to the point where the head of the screw is touching the reedplate and resists finger pressure. (If you tighten too much, the reedplate will start to buckle and introduce new leaks).
If you're lucky one or both of these two simple fixes will solve the problem.
However, if the harp is within the three-month warranty period, you could get Hohner to replace it.