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Repairs & Maintenance
[Parts of a Diatonic] |
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Good news! There aren't a lot of parts that go into a standard diatonic harmonica, so assembly and disassembly are not much of a problem.
- Cover plates and screws, reed plates and screws, and comb- A standard diatonic harmonica will consist of 2 cover plates with 2 screws and nuts, 2 reed plates with either 2 or 3 attachment screws, and a comb. That's it.
- Different brands and models of diatonics- are all roughly the same. If you own Hohners or Lee Oskars or any other brand, the parts will be very similar.
Cover plates and screws, reed plates and screws, and comb.
- Don't lose the tiny screws and nuts- Be very careful during disassembly. Your best bet is to work over a table so that if you drop a screw or nut it won't land on the floor or carpet and disappear. This is one very good reason to keep your old harmonicas for spare parts. Murphy's Law states that if you drop a small important object, it will disappear forever.
Disassembled cover plates, reed plates, screws, and comb.
- The longest reeds will be on the left side- The longer the reed is, the lower the note. This is why if you observe the top and bottom reed plates, the longest reeds are on the left side.
- Blow on top, draw on the bottom- The top reed plate (low notes to the left) will always be the "blow" reeds. The bottom reed plate (low notes to the left) will always be the "draw" reeds. For instance, the reed for hole 4 blow will be on the top reed plate and be the fourth reed from the left. Your blowing activates reeds on the top plate while your drawing (inhale) activates the reeds on the bottom plate.
Blow reed plate. Ten reeds attached by rivets, low notes to the left.
- Each blow and draw note has it's own reed- The top "blow" reed plate and the bottom "draw" reed plate each have 10 reeds attached to them with rivets. Ten slots are cut out in each plate so that the individual reeds can vibrate when hit with your airflow.
- Brass reeds and brass reed plates, cover plates??- In virtually all harmonicas, the reeds and reed plates are made of brass. This explains the tarnishing (brown color) over time. The cover plates can be made of different metals and finishes. The Lee Oskars are made of stainless steel, the Hohners are made of different materials -- some nickel plated, some painted, etc.
- Different comb materials- Harmonica combs are made from numerous materials. The most common being plastic, wood, and metal. Various densities of plastic are used, different kinds of wood, and metals like aluminum and brass. Combs have less to do with the sound than other factors including shape and material used for the cover plates and most importantly the player's abilities.
Plastic comb and wood comb.
- Comb density and brightness- Regardless of the material used, the more dense the comb is, the brighter the sound will be. Dense metal combs will be brighter sounding than soft, less dense wood combs. On the other hand, hard wood combs will also be bright sounding. Plastic can be manufactured with a wide range of densities.
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