RE: XB40 problems.

["Rick Epping" <REpping@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

> -----Original Message-----
> Date: Tue, 21 Oct 2003 21:01:35 -0600
> From: "M. Erickson" <erickm@xxxxxxxxx>
> Subject: XB40 problems.
> 
> I hate sending this. I've been an enthusiastic fan of the XB40 (and I
still
> am), but I have a problem. I've apparently blown a reed on my "C"
XB40. Blow
> 5 went out. I "broke-in" the harp, per the instructions and played it
softly
> for more than a week. I'd been practicing the bends on it since then.
> Nothing too dramatic, just working the bends up and down the harp -- I
was
> doing a riff with a half step bend, and then a full step bend on the
> adjacent hole and working the same riff up the harp hitting every
hole. BAM!
> I wasn't even working blow 5 and it just stopped responding. The hole
was
> blocked. You could barely move air through it. I removed the covers
and
> carefully tested the reed -- it was stuck and I gently loosened it. It
will
> now respond but sounds like a kazoo. It's odd though, because you can
still
> do full, rich blow bends off of hole 5. Hit it unbent and it's a party
toy.

Sorry about the problem.  It sounds as if a windsaver might have come
loose.  If so, the top reedplate will need to be removed in order to
re-glue the windsaver into place.  The windsavers adjacent to the blow
reeds are on the outside of the comb so the comb/mouthpiece assembly
should not need to be dismantled.

If you wish, you can send it in to Hohner and we'll check it out for you
or you can contact me if you have any further questions about it.

Best regards,

Rick Epping
Hohner, Inc.