Harp Plane™ & How To Improve Your Harmonica!
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- Опубликовано: 27 июн 2019
- How to customize a Marine Band by: rounding corners, replacing nails with screws, sealing the comb and especially flat sanding the comb and draw plate to make the sandwich more air tight.
The Harp Plane™ is an innovative tool used to simplify and improve the flat sanding process.
A Marine Band is used for example, other harmonicas are supported. For more information visit www.dBombMute.com 
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This is without question the best how-to video on harmonica customising I have ever seen. You're informative, terse, and logical. I've been thinking about customising my harps for a while, maybe even getting into selling them, and this video has not only educated me, it has inspired me.
Great stuff.
Would you be interested in making more videos on customising? I'd love to see videos customising Hohners, Seydels, Suzukis, and more as you talk about the techniques and materials you use. I'd also like opinions on harps you prefer and are easier/harder to customise.
Thank you for such a positive comment. I love creating helpful videos. I have worked on all of my harmonicas to some degree, except for a few collectibles. If I had to pick a favorite "to customize" it would be the classic Marine Band. I feel I can do the most to take advantage of its potential. I like working with the wood comb and brass parts. Considering everything that can be done to the Marine Band it can become the most involved harmonica to customize. The Hohner Crossover is "easier" to customize because it is not nailed together... The last one I bought was in dire need of flat sanding. It leaked real bad. I took it apart and found some pretty bad tool marks. :( It was easy for me to fix but still a bummer because Crossovers are not cheap.
The Suzuki Manji it is a great harp to customize. It comes with nice fasteners, cover plates, and a comb that has awesome potential. After using the Harp Plane I like to wet sand the front of the comb to make it super slick. The covers all already like butter. I also like to customize the ends of the Manji. I like the way the Manji plays so I generally don't do much reed work. The metal reed/plates are a bit more difficult to work on, but the tradeoff is they hold up great for me.
I like the shape of the Golden Melody but I'm not a fan of the comb. I like replacing it with a solid comb which generally requires flat sanding the reed plate. The reeds and plates of the GM are just like working on a MB. I like being able to re-tune the Golden Melody from it's original intonation to something closer to the Marine Band intonation.
The Special 20 is easy to upgrade with a solid comb and flat sanding, plus it's stock tuning is good and it's just like working on the GM and MB.
Seydel makes a great line of harps and I really like being able to order custom tuning from the factory. I have a pretty good collection of Seydels, many of which I have customized with reed work and solid combs... It's hard to pin down reasons but they are not my favorite blues harmonica, I use them for jazz... Same goes for my Suzuki Pro, Olive and Hammond models. I like the Seydel Big 6 for blues and used to customize them until I started making my own Big 7 version.
I'd be happy to help you with your pursuit of customizing harmonicas. I can set you up with a special comment discount. Look at the Harp Plane page at www.dbombmute.com and if there is something you are interested in ordering let me know and I'll send you a personal code. My email address is posted there.
Regards, Dave
@@dchurch911 Thanks for the response, Dave.
My fav harps to customise are 1847s and Marine Bands, but the 1896 is definitely the best because it's so involved. I really feel like I improve the whole instrument, whereas Deluxes and Crossovers and 1847s are already virtually perfect, just a little sanding of the comb and bottom reedplate is all they need, maybe a little gapping, embossing, and tuning.
I'm glad my comment raised your spirits. I think it's fair that you know how great your video is. I subscribed to your channel, and I'm looking forward to any new videos.
Also, thank you very much for offering a discount. That's incredibly kind of you. I am interested in your Harp Planes. They look very useful. The only problem is that I live in UK, meaning I'd have to pay $10 postage and 20% VAT (value added tax on the item and the postage), all of which raises the price quiet a bit. That being said, when I've saved up some pennies, I'll definitely give your Harp Plane some thought. I'm sick of squashing the reeds each time I flatsand them.
Cheers.
@Kamdyn Augustus Obvious scam.
@@Voltanaut Lol
Thanks for taking the time to make this video, it's very helpful.
How long does it take for the Shellac to fully cure/harden?
Shellac is a solid resin dissolved in a solvent such as denatured alcohol. Once the solvent evaporates a film of solid resin is left behind. A typical thin coat of shellac will dry to touch in about 10 minutes and can be recoated in about an hour or sooner if you are careful or use a blowdryer. There will be near zero solvent remaining after 24 hours. The finish will be odorless and ready for full use.
The coating thickness, percent or ratio of resin/alcohol (AKA cut), type of solvent, humidity, and air temperature are factors of drying time.
@@dchurch9326 Thank you very much. I ordered your sanding plate. It's the first time i've used Zinsters Shellac to seal combs. I used a different product in the UK which is unavailable here in the USA. I may switch to Salad Bowl Finish. I enjoy working on my harps (Marine Band Classic), but it's been a while, so i'm reminding myself via great video's like yours, and i'm re-buying tools etc. Think i'll get a dehydrator to speed up drying time. Thanks again. TJ.
@@TJNorton I like using an old hair dryer to speed up the process. They normally have a few handy temperature settings. You can poke some stiff craft wire through the fastener holes to help hang or handle the comb during finishing.
Shellac does dry very fast on the brush so apply thin coats with long fluid brush strokes.
Hi, great video. I notice that the lacque can said "no sanding betwen coats". But you do sand betwen coats, why is that??
Sanding is not "required" between coats for good adhesion. But we want to sand lightly so that the finish is perfectly flat. If the surfaces are not perfectly flat air will leak between the comb and reedplates.
I understand all the mechanics that you show and demonstrate so well. BUT: Can you give me specific info for: drill sizes for cover plate holes and for reed plate holes. Also tap size for reed plate holes. Also sizes and purchase location source(s) for all the bolts, nuts, tap and screws used for the above mentioned. Thanks for the expert video and all your help!.
Thanks, Much of this is going to be dependant on the make, model, materials... But our other video includes links for fasteners and tools...ruclips.net/video/ZAiMsUXQpLc/видео.html
@@dchurch911 The info is requested for the 1896 that you are demonstrating on. I am not clear on whether the draw or blow plate gets tapped and which plate holds the heads of the screws. This is plainly obvious to you, but those you are trying to help and educate are not so well versed in the specifics this stuff! Thanks for your kind understanding and patience.
We have this hard black rubber at my work place. I always wanted to mill a comb out of it to see how air tight it would be. Would be firm enough to use as a comb yet soft enough to have a great seal. Might have a bit of a rubber taste but not to bad. Lol Do you think it would work?
I'm sure it could be used as comb material but I can't imagine the advantage. A nice rigid and smooth material is best. Rubber might be pretty difficult to machine smoothly. But no harm in trying!
@@dchurch911 I work as a machinist in a rail car factory so I have access to alot of materials that I would like to try just for shits and giggles. I made a couple of aluminum and one from copper. The copper did amazingly well! Thanks for the response 👍
Now I get it. I think that would be a fun endeavor. If you have some scrap titanium laying around I'd be happy to test a comb of that for you;)
@@dchurch911 if I come across some I will let you know for sure. That would be interesting..
Why does the one side of a marine band comb have those circles on each cut out?
The circular resess is clearence for reed rivet heads.
With respect why not just spend more
I treat myself to Crossover and I think they absolutely fantastic
Great question!
This video is about making any retail harmonica play better, not what harmonica plays best out of the box.
Unfortunately the Crossover is not the best example. I have a video of a brand new one that was not very tight. I took it apart and found some pretty bad saw marks on the comb face.
A better example for factory perfect combs are: Suzuki Olive, Pro, Hammond, or Seydel Favorite or Nobel.
But harmonica players have personal opinions about what works best for them. I custom gap all of my harmonicas and flat-sand all but the above combs because I'm fussy and want the full advantages I can get out of the instrument.