The process of installing a new comb is straightforward.

Here are written instructions on how to install my Dark Combs. (click here for the PDF file)

My combs maximize surface contact and do not incorporate room for the tips of the rivets that stick out on the under side of the reed plate. You need to flat sand the draw plate to install my combs. Flat sanding the draw plate is easy and it provides an additional boost to the performance of any diatonic harmonica. Try it on a harp with its stock comb and see.

Here is the process of flat sanding:

Here's a video of the whole procedure:

After years of hard work, I am humbled to have gotten the news from Joe Filisko this morning:

"I'm happy to say that Andrew Zajac has PASSED the rigorous tests and is now officially part of the Hohner Affiliated Customizer Program."

Thank you so much, Joe!

This is only the beginning - I intend to work just as hard and continuously strive to produce a better harp.

Plinking is an essential part of gapping and reed work. Here are a few things you were never told about plinking.

How hard should you plink? How fast? How often? How do you hold the plate as you plink? What should you listen for?

Here's local harmonica player Wayne Riley (http://www.rileyandrileyblues.com/bio...) flattening the draw reed plate on a stock Manji harmonica.

Flattening the draw reed plate is the easiest thing you can do to get a dramatic increase in performance.

This kit is for those who like to spend ten minutes or less per harmonica on gapping, tuning and other adjustments.

You don't need to be a customizing whiz! These are the tools you need to get the essential things done and keep you playing.

Get the kit here

This kit provides what you need to work on harps anywhere.
Use this kit to:
-Adjust reed shape and gap
-Fix tuning troubles without having to take apart your harp!
-Fix Reed Centering
-Replace lost screws

Includes:
-Solid brass reed shaping tool
-Five Cent Tuning Tool™
-Multi-purpose Reed Wrench/Tuner/Support Tool and Plinker
-Small assortment of harmonica screws

Here are a few thoughts on overblows and harmonicas. These ideas are relevant to both setting up and playing overblows on the diatonic harmonica.

- Overblows, overdraws, overbends are just like regular bends. The same thing that causes a regular note to bend causes the note to overbend.

- Air flow makes the reeds move and resonance affects the frequency (pitch). This is basic to how the harmonica works.

- Resonance can make a reed stand still. Resonance is kinetic energy and it can greatly affect the frequency of a reed.

- Resonance has a strong effect on both reeds when regular bends are played. Regular bends are double reed bends and overblows are single reed bends - they have a different behavior and sound.

- Resonance has a weaker effect on the closing reed than the opening reed during an overblow. If you can't hold and overblow note, it's likely because the reed that's supposed to stand still is not standing still.

- There are several kinds of overblow. Which is your favorite?

- It’s technique, but it’s also the harp. You need technique to play overbends but you also need a harp that will respond to your playing.

A harp player bought one of my combs from Rockin Ron's and had a little trouble getting the harp to play well. Here's why!

Just like maybe one-in-ten harps plays really well from the factory, this one suffered from defect and was the worst of the bunch.

It's fixed, now.

This particular harmonica is a Delta Frost but these defects happen with EVERY brand of harp. There are no exceptions. The only harmonica free of defects is a proper custom harmonica.

My combs are here:
https://harp.andrewzajac.ca/Combs

My tools are here:
https://harp.andrewzajac.ca/Tools

USA harpists, find my products at Rockin Ron's:
http://rockinronsmusicsd.com

There are only two or three ways to change the shape or curvature of a reed. There are several ways to perform each of them and of course you can combine them in a million ways.

Here's a reference to doing reed work. It's a PDF file you can download for free! Click the image to download...

REAL-LIFE DEMONSTRATION:

(The black arrows indicate pressure applied with a tool and the pink round spots indicate counter-pressure applied with your finger.)

Curve the tip down:

Curve the tip up:

Lower base of reed:

This is a description of how I get the proper view of the shape of the reeds: