[OneHarp]

Hiya! Sorry I’m a little late to this thread, but I come from the wide world of Harmonicas, where we blow out reeds all the time! 🙂 Yes, reed go flat when they start to develop “stress fractures” usually near the base of the reed (close to the rivet pad). Typically, one can retune a flat reed once or twice to get some more playing time out of it, but it is indeed the sign of death for that reed, and it will need to be replaced. While that might sound daunting, it’s actually rather easy. Both Hohner and Suzuki make reed replacement tool kits (as well as the Harmonica companies Seydel and Herring), and but you can also send in your busted reed plates for repair by the manufacturer (I know that at least Hohner and Suzuki do this, and have great repair techs). I’m not sure if Hohner/suzuki et al sell individual reeds for Melodicas, but they do so for Harmonicas. I have a “bone yard” of old harmonica reedplates from which I salvage my donor reeds, though. I made my own set of reed replacement tools, using an “eylet” tool from Harbor freight, which I filed down to the same diameter as the reed rivets. Basically, I jsut line it up, squeeze, and the rivet pops out. I then put new reed on re-using the old rivet, and setting it with a hammer, nailset, and small anvil. Takes me about 5 minutes to replace a reed, but I don’t blow them out so much any more now that I’ve learned to better control my breath pressure. Hope that helps!

[OneHarp]

Thank you! You’ve told me the main two things that I wanted to know (that build quality is similar, and that the range overlaps with the Soprano model, not the Alto). Really, what I wanted to know is if my “next” vintage button-style Hohner melodica purchase should be the Alto or Soprano, and you’ve answered that.

I really love this little guy. I have taken it apart (mainly to clean it), and although I only have one other Melodica to compare it to, I have extensive experience with Harmonicas (including reed work and other custom modification), and to my eye, the build quality of this Melodica is excellent. The gaps were all set very well, the sizing of the reed slots were very tight, and the instrument thus produces a really nice tight focused sound (contra to my modern “Student 32”, which I assume was made in China from the quality of the reeds and reedplates, and which consequently produces a very “airy” tone). The only negative I could find about this vintage Melodica was that the gasket was not really fully airtight anymore, and one of the screw holes for the back plate was stripped because it’s just a hole in the plastic body with a “wood” screw, not a machine screw into a properly tapped hole. I expected some of that, and I think I can fix it with a tiny dab of epoxy in the stripped screw hole to give the screw something to bite onto. Other than that, this is a very high quality instrument, and I really really really love it!

[OneHarp]

Thanks Lowboy! I’m really glad to see that there are others here who share my musical interests! I had a listen to some of the things you’ve posted here, and am quite impressed! I think I’m gonna like this board! 🙂

-OneHarp

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