Ask Harp Tech Expert Kinya Pollard

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

I was thinking about using some micro pore tape to make my special 20's even more airtight. I was just wondering if using this tape makes the harps harder to clean?
Thanks much!
-Ryan

Hello Everyone,
Sizing--also known as embossing, is the "secret sauce" that must be understood if you endeavor to make the ultimate harmonica. Check out the most recent issue of Mel Bay's Harmonica Sessions | Harmonica Workbench: http://harmonicasessions.com/?p=179
~Kinya

When setting your reed(s) profile (gapping), be mindful to shape the reed properly, so that the full length of the reed enters the slot evenly--like a hinged door. Keep checking (testing) each time you shape the reed, by viewing the reed from its side view as it enters the reed plate slot. You can use your your plinking tool, or fingernail to accomplish this. This will simulate the action of the reed as if you playing the harmonica.
~Kinya