Replacing a single harmonica reed

The easy way repair that broken/flat reed in your harp without having to buy a new set of reed plates

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Harmonica
• repair
• single
• reed
• replacement
• using
• screws
• to
• fix
• harmonica
• reeds

[N62KNM]

Sounds like the reed is fouling on something. Try cleaning the reed plate (don't get the unsealed comb wet) and check the reed alignment with the slot. Hope this helps.

[N62KNM]

You can use any screw size that is small enough but where there is no room for a nut you must tap a thread into the reed plate. Screws and taps are available on Ebay. Sorry about the picture quality, I will try to use a better camera next time.

[N62KNM]

I use a screw (10BA) to re attach the reed because different makes of harps sometimes have the rivet hole offset slightly. You drill the hole in the rivet oversize so that you can re

position the reed exactly over the slot. Marine Band handmade need a thread tapping into the plate, most plastic body harps have room for a nut. I will try and do another video to explain this more fully.

[Tryharp]

Nice one, I'm going to have a go at that. I've customised a number of MB'S,which went well. Thanks to your efforts with a bit of patients I might resurrect some good harps I've got with just one reed dead. thanks.

[N62KNM]

Hi Tryharp, If you use the screw method on wooden body harps make sure you cut off the end of the screw where it comes through the reed plate and file it flush. Be Lucky

[Ahmabehr]

So I've been trying to figure this out on my own with little luck, so I thought I'd ask you since you may know. I have a number of harmonicas of varying quallity, but even my better one (Hohner Marine Band in C) has an issue with randomly having a reed stick and sort of buzz into tune, it will randomly go away, but I was wondering if you knew the reason why this happens, and if so, if there is a way to fix it without replacing a reed.

[ktommycary]

Many thanks! I've been repairing stringed instruments for 30 years but somehow never thought of repairing my own harps. You made it straight and simple for this California player.

[TheZmann16]

anybody got a more clean video?? / Im told the reed in my harmonica is stuck can I get it unstuck or do I have to replace that reed?

[hillspring13]

Great vid. I learned a lot from you in this (and just built a mic using an old underarm deodorant using instructions from another of your vids). Cheers, Mark

[fuudman]

Nice video. You also sound like Bricktop from Snatch. Cool.

[ogobongo]

Advice: leave the camera steady in one place! It's very tiresome when you watch that after a while..

[harmonikan]

Too bad the video was a bit blurry. I did learn a great deal, however. Thanks for sharing your knowledge. I may have missed it, but do you reattach the reed with a screw? Where do you find appropriately-sized screws to do this?