14 replies to this topic

[AEGree]

Hi. I'm a new harmonica player in San Diego. I have a Hohner Special 20. I'm able to play nice clear single notes now - with one exception. The draw on the second hole yields no sound. I even taped over the 1st and 3rd holes, to verify this, and no sound. But the blow on hole 2 is fine. I'm using a book that says that getting nice single-note tones from the low notes is hard, and requires a harmonica that's broken in. My question is....does this sound typical? Should I get some type of musical tone from the draw on hole 2? Or is there clearly something wrong?

I admit that I opened the harp, to see it's inner workings, but am sure I put it together tightly, and exactly as in the diagram in the book. I even opened it up again, to see if something was caught in the offending reed, but I see nothing. I appreciate your help.

[Dauber]

There's definitely a sound in the 2-draw -- same note as the 3-blow. But that's not a good draw to blow out!

Take the harmonica apart again, and take a pair of tweezers and try to pluck the 2-draw reed...if you can hear a distinct note, it's fine -- just put the harmonica back together carefully. If not (if it just "clicks", that is), time to replace the harp, unfortunately.

[AEGree]

Thanks so much. This sounds like good advice. Yes - that's the sound it makes when I draw - a click (or a "cluck"). I'll try what you suggest.

[Dauber]

Well, remember - actually pluck the reed with a pair of tweezers or a paperclip or something and see if it makes an actual note...it should sound kind of like a muted guitar string...could be that the reed plate just fell out of line or something....

[AEGree]

I have not yet taken the harp apart again, to see if the reed makes a decent sound when plucked.....but I realized that when I initially took it apart, and put it back together, a tiny black rubber band (the size of a small pea) also came out of the harp (I noticed it on my work surface, after I reassembled it). I wonder if this is the problem - that this rubber band belongs inside the harp somewhere. I'm almost positive this band came from the harp. Does anyone know where this band belongs, or does it have nothing to do w/ the harp? Thanks.

[Dauber]

No -- I've taken apart Special 20 harps before, and trust me -- no rubber bands.

[harmonicatunes]

There is almost certainly nothing wrong with the harmonica. All new players have trouble with the 2 hole draw.

Pointers on getting a good two hole draw note are at the link below

Harmonica Two Hole Draw Problems -

[Dauber]

One other thing you might want to try -- go to a local music store and see if they have a squeeze box or something you can test it on. At Different Strummer -- the music store attached to the Old Town School of Folk Music -- if you buy a harmonica, they actually test it on one of those before they sell it to you to make sure it works...they go hole by hole and use this little thingy to blow air in and draw air out so that all the blow and draw notes get tested.

[Atomic_Rat]

If you think your harmonica is 'broken' or does not work well, you should be able to purchase a new comb for it. There are also tool kits available on the web especially for harmonicas--most harmonicas are very well made but like all things, some fail good quality. I agree with Harmonicatunes, it very may well be that you need more practice to get a good draw on hole 2. I prefer Suzuki Promaster, as I once had real troubles drawing a 2 hole on my Hohner Marine Band. Once I went to the Promaster, music improved so much.

[FMWoodeye]

Whatever you do, don't throw the harp out. You can always keep it in the car as a "window harp."
Hold it out the window on the highway. The faster you go, the better it sounds. After you play for a while and start wearing them out, you can bolt three or four together and hold them out the window.
The sound is amazing. Works well on motorcycles, too.

[FMWoodeye]

Just as an update, I had a dead two-hole draw on a Lee Oksar diatonic. I dissembled
the harp and plucked the reed. No sound at all. I removed both reed plates and put
them in a tall glass of water with two steri-dent tablets and let them soak overnight.
in the morning I rinsed them carefully and .....voila!! I now get the appropriate tone
from the reed. This is the second time I've done this.

[TNFrank]

harmonicatunes said:

There is almost certainly nothing wrong with the harmonica. All new players have trouble with the 2 hole draw.

Pointers on getting a good two hole draw note are at the link below

Harmonica Two Hole Draw Problems -

Sometimes that's true but not always. I bought a Big River in the Key of A and it had a bad 2 draw reed. Took it back and got a different one and it worked fine so it CAN be the harp sometimes. I'd suggest looking the reed over likes been mentioned above and if it does sound bad then you can either replace the reed or get a set of new reed plates and install them. If you have a quality harp(and you do) then the 2 draw should be no harder then any other draw note. My Deuce pulls a 2 draw just as easily as a 3 or 4 draw and it's in the Key of A also, which tends to make it a bit harder to do a 2 draw.

[paulbunyn]

This advice is not from personal experience but from other websites I have read in my quest to learn this instrument. I have done it to two of my harps with dead reeds and it worked well for me.
If all the advice the people here have offered fails and before you purchase another replacement comb, look at the gap between the comb and the reed. The gap should be about twice the thickness of a cash register receipt, if it is not, slip a business card under the reed about 2/3rds of the way and GENTLY flex the reed a little at a time until the gap is correct. Try this before you buy a replacement. If you are thinking of replacing it, what do you have to lose? Let it rest over nite before you play it as the metal will continue to move for a while after you bend it according to the articles I read..
I would try everything else first and try this as a last resort before spending money. It may save you a few bucks.

[james cotton]

Any luck yet?

[james cotton]

Don't play those window harps, they got bugs in them.