Re: Subject: [Harp-L] who's repairing chromatics these days?

["Vern Smith" <jevern@xxxxxxx>]

Elizabeth's suggestions are good ones.

The sad fact is that chromatics are complex and need a lot 
of maintenance.  You can handle that two ways:

1. Pay to have it done.
This will require lots of money, a relationship with a 
technician and three harps of each type.   One harp is to 
play, one on the shelf in reserve and one in transit or at 
the technician's for work.  It is a little like cooking and 
washing dishes, you can pay for the service but it's 
expensive and inconvenient.

2. Do it yourself.  Fortunately, the most frequently 
required operations are pretty easy.

I think of harp maintenance in terms of four levels of 
skill.

Level 1. Basic.  Every player should learn to:
- Dis/re-assemble the harp.
- Clean the slide assembly.
- Adjust the mouthpiece screws.
- Clear obstructions from the reeds.
- Replace valves.
- Diagnose harp problems.

Level 2. Intermediate, If you are at all handy with hand 
tools, you can learn to:
- Tune and gap.
- Adjust angular reed alignment.
- Adjust slide spring tension.

Level 3. Expert  If you can do these you can repair almost 
any harp.
- Own a drill press.
- Install threaded metal inserts in combs.
- Replace reeds.
- Repair broken wooden combs.

Level 4. Customizer
- Use a milling machine, maybe CNC.
- Make chromatic harp parts from "scratch".

Vern








----- Original Message ----- 
From: <EGS1217@xxxxxxx>
To: <mzaklan@xxxxxxxxx>
Cc: <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Sunday, November 15, 2009 10:14 AM
Subject: Subject: [Harp-L] who's repairing chromatics these 
days?


> Mick, the suggestion of Mike Easton is a good one..but 
> honestly, you HAVE
> to get onboard to knowing how to open up (and put back 
> together) your own
> chroms.
>
> You just might be able to do so by tuning into 
> Slidemeister (most of  us
> chromatic players are members there (including Mike). Even 
> the newest of
> newbies isn't afraid to ask for step-by-step directions on 
> how to do this....and
> many have gotten tons of information from so many expert 
> chromatic players
> there. IF a comb is cracked makes all the difference in 
> whether or not one
> should remove both cover plates (at the same time, for 
> instance).
>
> The reality is the curve in the mouthpiece IS 
> built-in...and has to be
> finessed.  The main secret (as I see it) is in not 
> over-tightening the
> mouthpiece screws, but it does sound as though yours 
> might need a tiny bit of
> straightening....carefully. The leak in your #12  hole 
> also might have nothing
> to do with the actual mouthpiece itself...or,  there'll be 
> at least
> half-a-dozen other suggestions given to you in detail  to 
> explain what you might do
> to solve it - plus tons of other information on the 
> topic. It's 95%
> chromatic talk there..all the time. This is an ongoing 
> subject,  although diatonics
> are now allocated their own 'room'..
>
> Slidemeister's not a list the way it used to be. It's now 
> a website where
> you can read  info on a particular topic ....even old 
> ones, and still bring
> them up-to-date with a current post.  I'm content to 
> belong to both  lists
> as a chromatic player, since there I can get the specific 
> information I
> need when necessary.
>
> I doubt Hohner would look askance at your lucite comb - 
> but it would
> probably cost a bit more than a standard to work on. You 
> 'might' be better off
> with someone who's already done so, and specializes in 
> customs.  Try  posting
> first (the site is very big now) - or contacting Mike 
> directly, but for
> the next time - and your own peace of mind, you should 
> know what's going on
> 'under the covers' of your chroms as easily as you do with 
> your diatonics.
>
> Frankly, this IS a bit of a 'rush' job...so you just might 
> need  another
> chromatic to fall back on. Depends on where you 
> are....someone could  always
> send you a loaner. I have a rarely used almost new F CX-12 
> I could get  out
> to you...although it certainly doesn't come close to one 
> that's been
> Romelized.
>
> For what its worth, and IMHO,
>
> Regards,
>
> Elizabeth
>
> "Message: 4
> Date: Sat, 14 Nov 2009 10:44:05 -0600
> From: Mick Zaklan  <mzaklan@xxxxxxxxx>
> Subject: [Harp-L] who's repairing chromatics these  days?
> To:  harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx
> Message-ID:
>
> Can  anybody recommend a chromatic repair person who turns 
> over stuff in a
> timely  manner?  I'm trying to account for why my low F 
> Super 12 hole
> appears
> to  be leaking wind like a sieve, especially with the 
> slide in.  Looking
> down
> the barrel of it like a gun, the entire mouthpiece seems 
> to be angled  off
> the comb at less than 12 o'clock.  If that makes any 
> sense.   Don't know if
> that's normal or not.  The last time I attempted to take a 
> chromatic
> mouthpiece apart, I never was able to reassemble it.  Had 
> to  send it in to
> Bill Romel.  Two years ago Sissy Jones was kind enough to 
> give me new slide
> for my broken 16 holer, free.  It's still sitting in  the 
> box in my closet.
> I could no more install that slide than I could build a 
> space shuttle
> to Mars.
> Can't really send the low F chro in to  Hohner because it 
> was radically
> customized by the late Bill Romel.  New  screws, lucite 
> comb, etc.  I'm not
> sure they'd want to work on it, or  get it back to me by 
> Thanksgiving, which
> is when I need it for a gig.   Anybody got any 
> suggestions?
>
> Mick  Zaklan"
>
>
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