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My store is not taking any orders today due to health reasons which limit to my productivity.
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My custom harmonicas, combs and tools are made to order. If items are out of stock on my website, it's likely due to my workload is at the limit. Please see my dealers for all items I offer.
Maximum production times may be up to 16 business days for combs and tools. Current production time for custom harmonicas are shown on the top of the custom page.
Thanks for your support.
Andrew
"...better than Netflix and solved a lot of harp issues for me!"- EMC
Update #3 is included in the current release!
Version 3 includes over 9 hours worth of videos of which 2 hours and 30 minutes are Premium videos. Premium videos go into unprecedented details and show you topics that have never been shown before.
Learn to repair, upgrade or customize your own harmonicas to make each one of them a high-quality instrument.
A well-playing harmonica is a joy to play.
Many harmonicas require a lot of effort to play and it makes you feel like you are fighting with the instrument. That can leave you questioning your skills or thinking about giving up.
There is no reason playing harmonica should feel like work - it should be FUN!
On my USB drive you will find over 30 of my best YouTube videos teaching most customization and repair topics.
In addition to those popular videos, I created 15 new Premium videos that are only available on this USB drive. These videos go into unprecedented details and have best video and sound quality. I show you topics that have never been shown before.
All videos are organised and come with 50 pages of printed documents to which you can refer as you watch the videos. Charts and checklists are included.
Premium videos include:
- Advanced reed work: This method uses your eyes, ears and oral cavity to tell you how to shape the reeds. I reveal everything in this video.
- Tuning using an Analog Strobe Tuner: Nothing can beat an analog strobe tuner. Here's why.
- The secrets of finding and correcting hidden manufacturer defects before you even start working on a harp. Avoid unpleasant surprises and wasted time!
- Make an easy task of full-slot embossing and chamfering.
- Reed replacement two ways: With a rivet and with a screw. Take your pick!
...And many other things never before shown!
For those who want to spend as little time as possible working on their harps, I have a Quick-and-Dirty section which includes useful instructions on how to get surprisingly effective results FAST!
- The "Silver Bullet": how to make up to 90 per cent of harmonicas from the factory play louder, bend easier and have better tone.
- Five Minute Reed Work: What do you do when gapping doesn't work? You fix the reeds. Here's how.
- Gapping strategy: Here's how I gap any harp to get the same results every time.
- Tuning repair: Spend less time tuning by zeroing-in on the problem notes.
Support and updates:
With the purchase of these videos you get email support: Ask me anything!
I'm not done! I will continue to make new videos. I will also provide a method for you to get updates and access new videos as I make them.
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Update number ONE was added on 2018-03-20:
Added videos:
- Use your mouth to guide Reed Work (Premium)
- 7 Limit Just Intonation
- The Flatness Tool™ instructions
- Reed Plate Claws™ instructions
- Answer to the most common customizing question
- To Tap or to Self-Tap?
Added Documentation
- Updated Reed Replacement information
- The Flatness Tool™ and Reed Plate Claws™ (Replaces F-tool and Comb Tool)
-Insight on why the BLOW plate is much easier to deal with than the DRAW plate
- Best lighting for reed work (and everything else)
- Altering Standard Richter to Powerbender
- Tuning offsets
- Gaskets are not the best way to make a harp airtight
- How many cents are there in a Hz?
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Update number TWO was added on 2018-10-18:
Added videos:
- Chamfering (Premium)
- Upgrading a stock Special 20 comb (Premium)
- Roll (reed work) (Premium)
- Insights into the 7 Overdraw (Premium)
- Harmonica Customizing is Harmonica Rebuilding (YouTube)
- Easy way to support the blow reeds while tuning using a Hockey Stick (YouTube)
- Hohner Affiliated Customizer program at SPAH 2018 (YouTube)
Added Documentation
- Advanced Tuning: Written instructions on how to properly use a strobe tuner. A guide on how to buy a new or vintage strobe tuner.
- Chamfering guide.
- A method for testing/assessing a harmonica.
- An easy way to support the blow reeds while tuning.
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Update number THREE was added on 2019-12-02:
This is a minor update that adds clarity and precision to previously published content.
A new video and new documents have been added to my Customizing videos on USB! This update includes one new video and four new documents. The tuning guide has been updated to be more clear.
This update is a 76 MB download. The files you get with this update will not serve you unless you have already gotten the USB videos and documents.
You can download and extract the update files to your computer. Documentation is provided as PDF files.
I have gotten fantastic feedback since I first released these videos, thanks! The contents of this update reflect the best and most frequent questions and feedback as well as upgrades to my tools.
2019-12-02
Added video:
- Using solder to lower the pitch of a reed (YouTube)
Added Documentation
- The Gapping Paradox
- In what order should you do things?
- Tune a harmonica using your ears and a simple chromatic tuner (updated from 2013)
- What happened to breath control in the 1960?
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More to come! The science and art of harmonica customization continues to grow. Updates will continue this way in the long-term.