Re: [Harp-L] Harmonica Customizing as a Business

[fjm <mktspot@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Matt Stuart writes about getting a lesson in harmonica set-up/repair 
from Richard Sleigh.  Having spent some time across a table from Richard 
I can confirm that it's time well spent. If for no other reason than to 
see how he approaches the problem solving involved with diatonic 
harmonica manipulation.  I'll transplant a reed if I'm forced to and 
I've retuned an entire harmonica to low A.  Over the years I've touched 
up the tuning on my various customs and I've even bought a composite 
comb and assembled a ground up custom on my own devising but I'll 
confess that when they work out right I can't tell you why.  That leaves 
the whole process somewhere in the realm of magic for me.

Off the shelf harmonicas are getting better again but the contrast we're 
seeing is more due to how abysmal they'd become rather than how good 
they currently are.  What is required to make a superb instrument 
customised to an individual's requirements is well beyond the scope and 
capabilities of any normal manufacturing process.  I don't think Hohjner 
or any of the other harmonica manufacturers are missing the boat by not 
serving this market niche.  They sell millions of units in a year. 
Beyond an airtight instrument the biggest difference that can be made in 
a harmonica is in the tuning.  Tuning schemes are subjective and myriad 
and good tuning takes time because of the tendency of the reeds to not 
stay put when you tune them the first several times.

Robert Bonfiglio talks about the necessity of being able to handle your 
own chromatic set up.  I do think he's correct in that the basics, gross 
reed offset and tuning of octaves and intervals are all well within the 
capabilities of most players.  Maybe it's like being able to change a 
flat on your car.  Most times you'll be able to give a quick call to AAA 
but sometimes you'll need to for what ever reason just change the flat 
and get on your way.  It's nice to not be totally helpless.  As Robert 
points out it's almost impossible to actually hurt a reed by 
manipulating it.  If it snaps off it was dead anyhow.  fjm