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Dirty-South Blues Harp forum: wail on! >
Is getting into customization worth it?
Is getting into customization worth it?
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duganderson
28 posts
Dec 06, 2024
5:12 PM
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I'm a diatonic mostly blues player (Special 20s and Rockets).
I've thought about getting one of the Andrew Zajac tool sets and videos to customize my harps (gap, flatten reed plates and combs, shape the reed, emboss, tune, etc.) for better or easier playability?
Curious how much of a difference you feel like a custom harp makes? (easier to play, easier to bend, etc. etc)?
With a good tool set and instructions, how many harps do you feel like you'd have to customize before you started to make a significant impact on the playability, sound, etc. OR do you feel like I'd start noticing some difference on my first few harps?
Does the warmth/brightness chance significantly when you emboss or do other customization?
Any recommendations for tools or instructions?
Thank you! Doug
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Vaclavh
9 posts
Dec 08, 2024
12:35 PM
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I practiced extensive embossing on one bad harp before doing it for real on Special 20 to get good 4-5-6 overblows and it was a magical game changer. Now I can e.g. go from 5 blow to 4 overblow in a nearly soft glide, something I'd think impossible before. Andrew Zajac's videos helped me a lot - I made an embossing tool similar to his, got an ultra thin steel sheet etc. I guess getting his tools is a fair game. I made my own, including a special tool to center the reed at the rivet side, another tool to rotate the reed and the most special microscope which really helps me a lot:
https://www.printables.com/model/676603-microscope-holder-and-lamp-for-blues-harp-setup
Seeing very exactly what I do probably made my learning very fast, without the microscope one likely needs a lot more of trial and error. I did gaping and arcing/dearcing for years but embossing with A.Z.-like tool and my microscope took things to a totally new level. (The tone of my 4-5-6 likely changed but I do not see it as important, the harp has a different tone for different notes anyway.)
P.S. Having tried all this, I can say with confidence that the money customisers earn are very well deserved :) So, using services of one is a way, too.
Last Edited by Vaclavh on Dec 08, 2024 1:57 PM
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florida-trader
1589 posts
Dec 09, 2024
6:33 AM
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The short answer to your question is yes. The longer answer is that this is not a black or white issue. Just because you want to make your harps play better, does not mean that you have to go to the Nth degree to do it. There is a lot of gray area in there. Pareto’s Law states that 80% of the benefit comes from 20% of the activities. In the world of Harp Teching, there are three simple things that you can do and it will improve any quality harp like a Special 20 or a Rocket.
1. Flat sand the draw plate.
2. Adjust the gaps.
3. Tune.
I am keeping it simple because I started out writing a more detailed explanation and it took me down a rabbit hole that was way deeper than I intended. YouTube is full of videos that will show you how to do all three things. I don’t have to provide a written explanation here. The main point that I want to make is that like the old saying goes – You need to learn to walk before you can run. My advice is to master these three skills. They don’t require a lot of special tools. You can visit your local Harbor Freight or hardware store to pick up little probes and files and things that are great for working on harps. See what happens when you do these things to your harps. You will be amazed. Then you can decide if you want to go further. Customization is a whole other world. Lots of specialized skills and yes – specialized tools. But starting out, keep it simple. Just start with your worst harp and see if you can make it play better. 99% of the battle is having the courage to try. It seems like you are there. The rest is easy.
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Tom Halchak
Blue Moon Harmonicas
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duganderson
29 posts
Dec 11, 2024
5:50 AM
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Thank you for the helpful and detailed responses.
Vaclavh....curious what microscope you recommend for your printed holder?
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Vaclavh
10 posts
Dec 12, 2024
1:17 AM
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Hi Duganderson, whatever cheap microscope you can get would do I think. They suck mechanically but the chip is likely re-purposed from web cameras (mass produced and well tuned), just a different lense. I got this one for $28:
https://www.alza.cz/EN/w-star-digimicro-2m-800x-pro-soft-d7216198.htm
Maybe first trying the naked eye methods is worth it - people describe in videos the right lightning to use, might work for you better than it did for me.
Also, using an AZ-like tool which is used in right angle to the reed was an equally big improvement for me (however strange it looked to me first, I always dragged some tool along the reed before). And a tiny dot of oil on it. So these might also come before a microscope.
Last Edited by Vaclavh on Dec 12, 2024 1:30 AM
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