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Dirty-South Blues Harp forum: wail on! >
New here and new to playing the harmonica!!
New here and new to playing the harmonica!!
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Oso
1 post
Feb 13, 2009
7:30 PM
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Hello everyone, I have been trying to learn how to play the harmonica for only a few weeks now. I have purchased 2 harmonicas and have a 3rd one on the way!
But I am in need of some help, you see I found a harmonica out in the attic in a beat up box. I pull out the harmonica and it has been purdy well crushed. I show my wife and she said yes that was my dads, he loved to play the harp!! I am thinking hmmm a project!
I am purdy handy with my hands and thought shoot I could possibly make this harp back to almost original looking. Upon further inspection the comb has been broken between the 9 hole and the 8 hole, the reed plates do not look like they can be brought back to life either.
Well I start tinkering around and get everything cleaned up purdy well and then I start on the comb. I have some aluminum and start cutting, I do not have all the right tools but I got it done. It still needs to be polished but none the less it came out purdy good.
So here is my problem, I have a harp that is approx. 55 years old with a hand made aluminum comb and the reed plates are out of tune and I would like them to be tuned back? As I understand I should not try this unless I have had practice tuning harmonicas as its very easy to screw the up. Does anyone know where I might get this done or possibly who could do it and at what price?
Thanks
Oso
Last Edited by on Feb 13, 2009 7:32 PM
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snakes
92 posts
Feb 13, 2009
9:37 PM
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Gosh, you are hearing this from a fumble-fingered person who does not modify my own harps... I'd keep the harp you have as a memento of a loved one and save myself the trouble. You can get a brand new harp for much less money and expenditure of time. Again unless there is a sentimental reason for making this harp function I'd spend my time practicing on a new one. It does sound cool. 55 yrs. old! What kind is it?
Welcome to the forum.
Last Edited by on Feb 13, 2009 9:38 PM
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Tryharp
85 posts
Feb 14, 2009
5:10 AM
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Oso,
Welcome.
If I were you I would sit it down for a while, and play your new harps. If you enjoy tinkering, within the next couple of years you will know your harps inside out, and be able to fix and tune a harp. Then you will be able to bring your dads harp back to its former glory.
Exactly the same as you....I early on found one of my Grandpas harps. It was rusty and held together with wire! I worked on it, cleaned up the plates, sealed the comb, screwed it together, and made it playable,( not great ) but now a couple of years down the track, I'm thinking of rebuilding it again, and tuning it, now I've experienced it with a few other harps, and know I can get it going properly.
I think tuning is one of the harder elemets to working on a harp.
Have fun!
Tryharp
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Oso
3 posts
Feb 14, 2009
7:54 PM
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snakes, thanks for the welcome!! It does have sentimental value... to my wife, as it was her fathers. It is fixed and does play, however it is not in tune in the higher keys for sure and may be out of tune on the lower keys as well, but not as much.
I have learned from guys like Jason Ricci that the older reed plates are of beeter stock and should be treated as such as the sound (when tune) is much nicer.
Tryharp, I thought about just waiting until I figure out what and how to tune a harmonica but i am not one to wait or leave a job un-finished, I either figure it out or just get it done.
I am still in need of someone that could help guide me in the right direction.
Thanks
Oso
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oldwailer
506 posts
Feb 15, 2009
9:05 AM
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You might check with Buddha--a member of this forum--he might take in that kind of work--his email is groovygypsy@gmail.com
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