Harp Repair.

[Norbert Brunhuber <brun@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Dear Harpers,

  Well it had to happen, and I wouldn't learn until it did.  During sound 
check at my gig last Friday I soured the 4 draw reed on my "A" Marine 
Band.  Being that it was 9pm and *of course* I didn't have a backup harp, 
there I was saying "oh crap!"

  We had time to kill until the show happened, so I pulled apart the harp 
and then tried to file down the reed by holding a butter knife underneath 
the reed while file away at it with a small file.  Predictablly, the reed 
snapped in half.  Which, as it turns out was probably better for me 
because now I couldn't cheat and sort use the sour note quickly every 
once and a while and get away with it.  Instead I made use of my 
opportunity by trying out similar riffs in the songs but with variations 
to get around the missing note.

  This has taught me two things.  1)Always carry spares of your most used 
harps (for me "C" and "A").  2)Get one of those repair kit things.  As 
for #2, what is the consenus?  I know Hohner make a kit and so does Lee 
Oskar.  I think I remember the Hohner kit being more expensive and less 
useful.  Any more comments?  Are there other kits?

  By the way, the next day I picked up a new Marine Band and have you 
people seen the new cases?  The box is the same, but the sticker on top 
of it covers the whole top now instead of only the middle part.  Also in 
block letters on the front side there is printed "HANDMADE," which is 
reassuring.  The bottom of the box now sports the standardized printout 
that Hohner is using to catagorize its harps.

--Norbert