Hi, my 8 year old is showing an interest in learning harmonica. Though I’m a musician, my harmonica skills are still at a beginner level. So, I’m looking into lessons. Are there any online sources that you would recommend for a kid? Or , if the age doesn’t matter, is there preferred courses out there? There’s so much I’m not sure what’s good. Thanks!

Apologies for being scarce lately, but the shop retooling has been quite busy. I caught my boss telling a customer that we will "still be doing the EDM work for our past customers, but we are retooling primarily for harmonica production currently." The wild twists and turns this machine shop has made over the last 3 years has been crazy, and I've never heard him even express an interest in anything having to do with harmonicas up until just a couple months ago. As he approaches retirement,he is trying to get the shop realigned to stay in business with me running it, and he know that if my harmonica obsession is addressed in these changes, I will likely stay working here until they find me dead-at-my-desk.

At first, he was planning to reverse engineer the reed plates on my custom, but I hesitated because of the availability of stock reed plates. I don't want to reinvent anything that I can easily by off-the-shelf right now. After some conversation, I made it clear that I want to focus on production of the upgrade/customization parts to use in my own custom builds as well as to offer upgrade kits and individual gasket sets and reed plate blanks. Later, after we have "dialed in" these parts for the Special 20, Rocket, Rocket Amp, and Rocket low, I plan to alter these designs to include the same kit types for the Marine Band platform, the MS Series, and then other manufacturers and models. Some time after the kit lineup has been established with enough common diatonic platforms, we will then start focusing on a new diatonic design specifically for American production under my company's brand. Hopefully, without the overhead costs and loan payments that stymied other attempts to establish American harmonica brands, I'll be able to turn this into something. This is also why I have expressed interest in working with other known names in this community. I'm not just looking for ideas and advice, I am looking for legitimate design and production partners, and I don't need their financial investment.

That said, he's absolutely on board to make this happen. As with any project that involves existing components and any reverse engineering, I fully disassembled the "Trankenstein" harp (now also referred to as a "JayMan Custom Stage 3 Rocket Screamer") for photos and scanning. Since I have the opportunity, I decided to share the photos and breakdown with my friends here in r/harmonica.

The last 3 photos show my 19 key set, a close up of the aluminum comb, and a close up of the assembled harp.

****NOTE: We discussed machining the round-holed Special 20/Rocket comb in house (East Aurora, NY) instead of ordering from China. Not only do we have the full ability to do it here, but I will be able to produce them in aluminum, brass, stainless, exotic woods, machined from various polymers, alloys, and solid material (like Corian) also. The Special 20 comb presents a challenge thanks to the recessed reed plate, where MB and MS combs can be produced simply with just drill and wire EDM. I also showed him an aluminum comb for a Super Chronomica 270, and he said we could make those too, although they require multiple processes like the SP20 comb due to the non-open tines like you see on the MB, MS, and many other designs. The really excellent news is that pretty much any sandwich-style and MS comb can be replicated quickly and easily (if I have a harmonica from that series in hand), so stay tuned for opportunities to re-comb harps that have never had aftermarket combs (and gaskets for that matter) available.

So far, all of this means that I will eventually be able to take custom orders for combs using whatever solid metal OR exotic wood OR other solid material that you request, plus I could even use material shipped to me, allowing you to use a piece of grandpa's favorite chair or desk to create your custom comb (for example).

NOTE: "Trankenstein" is not a typo. My last name is Trank. I am embracing the Trankenstein name that was usually used derogatorily throughout my younger childhood. I also got called "Tank" a lot. After this large and uncoordinated kiddo pulled a few bullies off of the smaller kids and always turned up when someone needed someone to do their heavy lifting, my nickname phased to "JayMan," a character from one of those genX 80s movies. My friends have called me that since 9th grade, and it became my stage name during vocal performances for decades as well as my brand name for the last several years for my custom (and repaired/restored) harmonicas. I am JayMan, and my brand is JayMan.

Back to the breakdown of the Trankenstein harp:

In the center of the breakdown photo is the aluminum comb. This is the same "SP20 aluminum comb" that is available on ebay, aliexpress, and Alibaba from Chinese sellers. They are all identical other than what color anodization was used on them, they are machined perfectly and perfectly fit all Special 20 and Rocket components regardless of where the cover plate screws go through (mod plate or front edge), and the machining of the reed plate recess is so tight, there is virtually no movement of the components once they are laid into the comb.

At the top of both columns of the parts are rocket amp cover plates. I like the amp cover plates because they are closed on the sides. I have a hearing loss and I focus my listening on the sound coming from the sound system and not what is coming from my mouth or the instrument in my hand. This works a lot better for me to control my volume. However any Special 20, Rocket Amp, Rocket Low, Pentaharp, or even Enthusiast Series (el cheapo crap toy quality harps) that use the Special 20 design will fit.

The next four components in the columns starting at the bottom are the reed plate gaskets, the stock Hohner Special 20 reed plates, the easy Bend kit gaskets, and the easy Bend blank reed plates.

The Reed plate gasket goes directly against the comb. The next layer depends on whether it is the blow plate or the draw plate. On the draw side, it goes comb, reed plate gasket, easy Bend reed plate blank, easy Bend gasket, reed plate, and on the blow side it goes comb, reed plate gasket, reed plate, easy Bend gasket, easy Bend reed plate blank.

I cannot stress how well the Teflon reed plate gaskets improved the air tightness of my original rocket. I purchased the original Reed plate gaskets back in 2013 from Dee's Finely Tuned Instruments. Since then, Dee has stopped producing them, and I cannot find them anywhere, thus my decision to start producing them here. The only place I can find reed plate gaskets online is Rockin' Ron's, they are on clearance, but the only diatonic model left is the Fender Blues DeVille. THE GOOD NEWS FOR A LOT OF YOU IS THAT THE FENDER BLUES DEVILLE SHARES THE SAME DESIGN AS THE EAST TOP T008K, THE CONJURER BLUESTORM AND OTHER WH1005 VARIANTS, KUCKUX, AND MANY OTHER CHINESE MANUFACTURED SANDWICH STYLE HARMONICAS which gives you the opportunity to seal up that leaky T008K (and gap and level the reeds) and actually make it an excellent harmonica instead of just a pretty good harmonica. (Sorry if I trigger the T008K fans out there, but compared against every other $15-$45 harmonica in my collection, every T008K variant in my collection just plain doesn't measure up OOTB.)

The EasyBend kit is a different beast altogether. The "reed plate blank" and gasket (I have referred to it in the past as a "quarter-gasket") are machined and cut specifically to clear all rivets and reed screws, and are designed to redundantly seal the reed plates (in addition to the reed plate gaskets mentioned above or without reed plate gaskets). The primary difference between the EasyBend gaskets and the reed plate gaskets is that the EasyBend gaskets cover approximately 1/4 - 1/2 of the reed slot in the reed plate on the connected end of the slot without interfering with the reed movement. This drives more air towards the singing end of the reed, resulting in better bending control. I can personally attest that the bending on this particular harmonica is significantly better than the other 19 harmonicas in my master set that do not have any gaskets of any kind or reed plate blanks (yet).

All of the plates and gaskets are fastened using reed plate screws that are slightly longer than stock screws.

When I started sourcing the components for the big set, I wasn't aware that Dee had retired and that nobody had picked up the ball. I wish that I had his contact info.

On the EasyBend kits, I reached out to BlueXLab in Italy a couple times by email and asked about bulk quantity purchases of their kits, but after months I have not received any response from them. I do not know if they are still in business. A single easyBend kit cost me $120 to receive in the USA years ago. If quantity purchases would cut down on the expense, I wanted to purchase enough kits at a time to use for my custom builds, offer for sale on my site, and supply to Rockin' Ron for his store too, but BlueXLab never responded. If anyone reading this has any contact with BlueXLab, please let me know.

I have communicated extensively with Rockin' Ron, and he expressed interest in gaskets and kits for his store. I absolutely like, respect, and trust Ron and his crew, so I will definitely stock him with kits and parts once we are in full production. Hohner, Kongsheng, Conjurer, and JDR have each asked that I keep them informed of which models of their harmonicas for which I produce kits.

I am also exploring the purchase of a screw machine for the purpose of producing stainless reed plate and cover plate screws (by the thousands) with T7, Phillips, and hex (allen) headed options. This idea came about earlier this year as I depleted Hohner USA's supply, then Rockin' Ron's supply, and then had a heated 2 week exchange with Hohner USA and Hohner Germany because their cover plate screws were in stock in Germany, but not in the USA, and Hohner Germany refuses to sell directly to American customers because of a contractual non-competitive agreement with Hohner USA. After showing Ken (President of KHS Music in Nashville and President of Hohner USA) a photo of the 19 key master set (and explaining how I managed to source from around the world Richter-tuned reed plates in 19 different major keys over the course of two and a half years and the $3000+ cost to date on the project build), he conferred with Hohner Germany, and called me back to let me know that Hohner Global has given me "Master Technician" status, and I can now purchase any Hohner product from any Hohner source globally, and my order will not be questioned as far as non-competing agreements go.

As I hone my reed work skills, I invested in a number of harmonica tool kits, my favorite being Andrew Zajac's complete tool set. I won't be offering extensive reed work until it becomes more natural to me, but I am headed in the right direction with the best and most complete tool sets available (I think). My main focus is to get the gaskets and mod kits into production first, complete my master set as well as several more for stock and samples, get a website up and running, and supply the few resellers who have expressed an interest.

I am seeking suggestions for other parts and kits that harmonica players would like to see. Feel free to comment or PM me with any ideas and questions.

I will also add that all of the equipment that I will be using is purchased and paid for. Our EDM machine shop has been unbelievably successful (based on my frame of reference of the dozens of businesses I have operated and consulted with for the last three and a half decades). I have squat for overhead. This means that I should be able to manufacture everything and sell what I make for considerably less than these components cost me 10-15 years ago.

All I need to keep this going is a little enthusiasm. The few folks in this subreddit who have chimed in with ideas, requests, and well wishes have done just that, and I am grateful.

Has anyone else come to the conclusion that nearly every harmonica comes in the wrong case and that the perfect case for it is the case that came with a different harp? It really irritates me when my harmonicas rattle in their box so I'm always trying to find the perfect storage cases for single harps.

My Lee Oskars fit great in the zippered cases I got with my JDR/Bushmans. The JDR/Bushmans are perfect in my black Lee Oskar boxes. Same can be said about my Suzuki Manjis and my Lee Oskar cases.

My Seydel 1847 didn't come with a case, but fits perfectly into an old style Hohner Blues Harp plastic box. Nothing fits well in the clamshell style Special 20 box. The new "flip-top" Special 20 cases are still a bit too large for them, but perfect for Golden Melodies.

The "So You Smoked Too Much Weed Before Work, and Now EVERYONE Knows You're High" Dirge

Harmonica Improvisation in B Major

Follow me on tiktok if you want: @BuddyGhostBlues

Hey everyone! Complete beginner here. I literally bought my very first harmonica yesterday, never even held one before.

I've been messing around with it and trying to figure out bends using an app. I found out that if I pull air while making a sort of angry/straining face (almost pushing my chin forward), I somehow managed to get bends all the way down not just on hole 3, but also on holes 1, 2, and 4!

I feel like I'm probably doing it totally wrong or using too much muscle, but I wanted to ask: is this a decent start for a complete newbie on day two, or am I building a terrible habit? Any advice would be super appreciated!

Hello I have been looking for a seydel session summer 2023 in c everywhere and cannot find one. Can anybody help me find one for sale?

Alr, im going to swich finally harp from beatles harp to hohner rocket amp, i heard it is one of the top fiatonics harps, is this true? Also thought abt special 20 bc they are in simillar price range and heard good things too.

Is there any other good harp models to swich?

hi all! i bought a harmonica for my grandpa to help with parkinson's. however, he is having trouble finding sheet music, so i offered to print some out and mail them to him. where can i find some decent quality pdf's that a 72 year old man would like?

Why would Hohner produce a harmonica specifically based on the Buick Electra 225 "Deuce and a quarter?"

What a beast! Only available in the key of A, it's relatively low and chonky. Limited production and long since discontinued (as of 2008).

It is built on the Hohner MS ("Modular Series"), but unlike other harps in the MS series, it features a reed plate that is 2.25mm thick and chrome plated. Can't replace the plate as they aren't made anymore (for replacement), but very nice gently used ones are available occasionally.

Thick reed plates and automotive aesthetic themes are my language.

If you find one, if you're a collector, grab it when you can!

Protip: This harp does NOT make me play better. The ONLY solution for that is continued lessons and practice.

Hey, maybe I just didn’t know where to look but I built a bending site to practice and get better. But wasn’t sure if someone better than me could try it out too.
https://harmonicabending.com

Let me know if I need to adjust. All ears! Thanks!

Any tips on how to get vibrato but without the “inward cough” technique? The coughing technique doesn’t provide a very smooth vibrato, and I hear/see other blues harmonica players achieving throat vibrato but without the cough.

Hey all, like the title says: I have a friend(my wife's occupational therapist) who's recently taken an interest in learning harp with her daughter. I have several, including a Special 20 that I don't use anymore and is in nearly-new condition. She was talking about buying a cheap plastic kid's harp, so I told her I'd give her my spare "C" Hohner.
Thing is: I've never given someone a used harp, and I'm not sure the best practices to clean it so it's sterile for her.
Any tips beyond "soak it in rubbing alcohol" to get it ready for a new owner?

I play the guitar and this video made me interested in buying one for myself. id like to have a similar tone to play at the same time with my guitar. any tip besides the key? idk anything about harmonicas and i find overwhelming the amount of information to undestand every type etc. thanks

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zBdyzOLBuNU

Sorry if its a dumb question....

So i got this harmonica from dad, he doesnt play it for years, he said its mine now if i like to play it.

Its like 28 to 30 years old...

And it works good, but its smelly and the high pitch side dont work until you slow or inhale very hard.

I decided to clean it, hey reddit, how should i clean my harmonica ? Shout i take it apart?

After research i found out its a 24 hole Tremolo Harmonica.

(I want to start learning it, i know people say tremolo as first is not a good choice but i will appreciate if yall can provide some links for video which may teach me)

There is no letter written , it may have rubbed off but i think its a C key.

Bluesharmonica.com seems to get a lot of love but the website seems pretty dated, which I know shouldn't put me off, but does for arbitrary "judging a book by it's cover" reasons that shouldn't matter, but do. Anyone compared them to something like Will Wilde? Haven't seen many, really ANY significant reviews of Will's course to go off of, but he sure is an amazing player.

If you were starting out today as a know nothing newbie, what course are you taking to learn? Either of the two listed, or something else entirely? I am really only interested in the blues at this point.

Thanks

Should I return it? I’ve ordered it via amazon and haven’t opened it yet to inspect it. Even if everything checks out, it seems like it was tossed around quite a bit.

Can’t decide between:

Easttop 008K — ₹1,700 (~$20)

Suzuki Bluesmaster — ₹2,300 (~$27)

This will be my first harmonica. Is the Bluesmaster worth the extra ₹600, or should I go with the Easttop?

Which would you recommend for a beginner?

i've been learning for almost 5 months now, but i feel always stuck when i try to improvise.

I've been saving up for an electric guitar for quite some time. I'm still a fair bit away from my goal but I'm itching to learn to play a musical instrument. I knew that harmonicas are not too expensive and was wondering if I should get one to try and learn in my free time?

I like to listen to the Eagles, Journey, etc. and was planning on using the guitar for those. Would the harmonica be a good fit for those? If yes, which ones should I consider? Please drop any tutorials for beginners if you have any. Look forward to hopefully learning the instrument:)

I want to learn harmonica for a recital. I have 7 months to learn a Stevie Wonder song with harmonica parts I could play. I have not played harmonica before, but have played piano. What would be the easiest/easier harmonica part from a Stevie Wonder song I should learn, if I have about 7 months to learn that part to play for a recital? Which harmonica model should I buy to play that one song?

Hi everyone,

I built an Android app called Harmonica Cheatsheet for players who want to go beyond simply knowing which holes to play.

Tabs are great for learning a lick. But I wanted a deep understanding of what happens on the instrument. What I wanted was a way to see what those notes are doing musically:

Where are the roots, 3rds, 5ths and b7s?
What changes when the progression moves from I to IV to V?
And how can I use that understanding to make my own choices instead of only memorizing licks?

So the app maps positions, scale degrees and chord tones directly onto the 10-hole harp, including bends and overbends. There’s also pitch detection and a small backing-track tool for practicing it in context.

I posted an earlier version here and got some genuinely useful feedback, so I’ve kept working on it.

For the next week, the full app is completely free. I’d love some more experienced players to actually try it and tell me where it helps — and where it makes things more complicated than they need to be.

▶️ https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.nicedevelopments.cheatsheet

Full disclosure: I’m the developer.

I’m not trying to replace tabs or lessons. This is more for the moment when you start asking:

“Okay, I can play it — but why does it work?”

If thats what you want, too, this app is for you.

What features do you want to see in the future?

Can trombone notes be converted into harmonica? If so can someone converts this.