Re: custom diatonic harmonicas

[Pat Missin <pat@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

The main reason you don't hear so much about customised Lee Oskars, as
compared with custom Marine Bands, etc., is simply because they have
less work that needs to be done to them:


They have plastic combs, so you don't need to do anything to protect
the comb from moisture.

The design of the comb means you don't have to do anything to make
them more airtight.

The reedplates are recessed, which means that you don't have to worry
about taking the rough edges off them.

The reeds are tuned relatively non-destructively, so you don't have to
polish out file gashes.

Manufacturing tolerances are such that you don't need to draw in the
edges of the reed slots.

The covers are stainless steel, so you don't have to do anything to
guard against corrosion.

The lower key harps come with deeper bottom covers, so you don't have
to rework them to give more clearance to the lowest draw reeds.

Etc., etc.

Really, aside from radical retuning and the like, that just leaves
basic reed adjustment and tuning to the player's taste - and as more
and more players are tackling such matters themselves, that means
fewer LOs are going to be sent to professional techs.

 -- Pat.