FAQ
2. Which comb material sounds better?
3. What does rounded or flush tines mean?
4. Do you make combs from ________ ?
5. Can I request a thinner or thicker comb?
6. Why are your prices higher than some of the other comb makers?
7. Why can't I still get the the key or my name etched on the comb?
8. Do you set up the reeds on your custom harmonicas?
9. Do you make a comb for ________ harmonica?
10. Which set of ENR clamps should I get?
11. Do you sell just the HFC parts so I can do my own conversion?
12. Can you replace a reed on my harmonica?
13. What brand of harmonica is best?
14. I have an old harp that belonged to my _________, can you restore it to like new condition?
15. How come you don't have a phone number listed on your site?
16. What's new for BlowYourBrassOff.com? Any new products in the works?
17. Why don't you do refunds or cancellations?
1. How long will it take to get my order?
This can be difficult to estimate some times because a lot of it will depend on the number of orders I have at a given time. Also, like you, I have things that I have to do on a day to day basis that keep me from the shop. It will also depend on what you order, obviously a custom harmonica will take longer than just a comb alone. In general, based on the number of customers I have all over the world, and the number of different products that I offer you should be ready to wait 8 to 12 weeks for you order to be shipped.
2. Which comb material sounds better?
It's the general concensus that comb material makes no difference in the sound of the harmonica. There are other advantages to the different materials, but generally anything other than the exotic hardwoods are inherently waterproof, which makes cleaning and maintenance easier, it also will help add to the longevity of your investment.
3. What does rounded or flush tines mean?
If you hold the comb in your hand and look at the end of it, flush tines will be flat and even with the front edge of the reed plates. Rounded means that they will protrude slightly from the front of the reed plates in a slight arc, but still be flush at the top and bottom of the comb.
4. Do you make combs from ________ ?
I've tried to offer a very wide selection of materials and colors, however, if there is something that you'd like to try contact me and we'll see what we can do.
5. Can I request a thinner or thicker comb?
Yes, to an extent. Some of the materials such as the acrylic are already slightly thinner than the standard 1/4" (6.35mm) thickness I generally make the combs. However some materials such as the Dymondwood and Fantasy Marble I order in thicker pieces so that I can machine them to the finished thickness, this ensures I get a nice flat surface and even thickness in the comb. If you are ordering one of these materials then you can request either a thicker or thinner comb. Max thickness is going to be about 3/8" ( 9.5mm). I can do the brass and aluminum combs in thinner than 1/4" (6.35mm) but because of the additional time to mill down the metal to another thickness there will be an additional fee.
6. Why are your prices higher than some of the other comb makers?
Recently I've reduced my prices by half on combs. I'm still trying to offer a wide variety of materials but in an effort to keep costs down and reduce delivery times I'm only going to stock certain colors of materials. You will still have the option to get other colors, but they will be special order items from now one and carry a slightly higher price. My goal has always been to offer the most material and color options that I possibly can, after all the idea of a custom is that it's what you want, not what I want. Therefore in order to offer as many options as possible I can't possibly stock every material or color option. This means that when you place an order for a Dymondwood, Acrylic, Corian, or Fantasy Marble comb I will order the material once your order comes in. Because I order materials per order I have addtional shipping charges that I'm going to have to pay for more frequent orders. This increases the price, but I think that the additional options are worth it.
7. Why can't I still get the the key or my name etched on the comb?
The etching option was something that was carried over from my interest in custom knife making. The process envolves making a stencil for each and every request and electro-etching that name or key into the metal comb. This all has to be done after the comb is made and finished so if it got ruined during the etching process I would have to scrap the comb and start all over. Also the materials to do this were a bit pricey. Given the potential for problems and the cost I opted to just do away with this option. However now that I'm working with computer contolled machines I may be offering engraving instead in the near future.
8. Do you set up the reeds on your custom harmonicas?
Yes, all custom harmonicas will have the reeds set up for optimum performance as taught to me by Joe Spiers.
9. Do you make a comb for ________ harmonica?
I'm always looking to expand the lineup of combs and custom harps that I offer. If you don't see a particular make or model of harmonica on my site that doesn't mean I can't do it for you, it may simply mean that you would need to send me the harmonica in order for me to get all the necessary dimensions from it in order to machine you a custom comb. Feel free to email me and we'll discuss your request.
10. Which set of ENR clamps should I get?
This depends on your intended use for it. There is a good list of harmonicas that can be held with the different clamps on the ENR page of this site. A number of the full length coverplate harmonicas can be held with the chromatic clamps while the standard diatonics such as the Marine Band would use the diatonic clamps.
11. Do you sell just the HFC parts so I can do my own conversion?
No. The manufacture and assembly of the Hands Free Chromatic go hand in hand throughout the process. The parts also require special jigs and fixtures for drilling and fit, and there's no way that I can ensure that the harmonica will be assembled correctly without the required tools. Therefore I don't sell just the parts.
12. Can you replace a reed on my harmonica?
I haven't added this to the repair section of the site yet because there is some question at the moment as to whether or not Hohner is going to continue to sell individual reeds to the general public. However I'm pretty sure that Seydel will, and possibly Suzuki though I haven't checked into the latter. In short yes I can, however until I know I can get new reeds or you the customer has a donor reed plate I'm leaving it off the website. If you do have a donor reed plate from which to get the replacement reed but just don't have a means of doing so then by all means contact me and I'll work with you.
13. What brand of harmonica is best?
This is purely up to you the customer to decide. However I think they each have their pros and cons. Lee Oskars for example are known for having reeds that seem to last forever, however I've never had any luck making them into overblow harps without them squealing. Seydel probably offers you the customer the most options for your harmonica straight from the factory, but can but problematic at setting them up for overblows as well. For a harmonica that you are going to want to use for overblows then Hohner is my choice of harmonica hands down.
14. I have an old harp that belonged to my _________, can you restore it to like new condition?
Yes. Feel free to email me and we'll discuss what it is that you would like and what it will take to get it there. However in some cases once the harmonica is here and I can inspect it in person if I feel that there may be additional fees I will email you and let you know before proceeding.
15. How come you don't have a phone number listed on your site?
All I have at the moment is my personal cell phone and with my fiance and I working different schedules I prefer to just keep the contacts via email so that I can better respond to them when I get the chance without having to worry about the phone waking her up while she's trying to sleep during the day. I have also limited the number of minutes I have on my plan to try and reduce the cost, which I'm sure in this economy everyone can relate to. If there is something about your order that requires a phone conversation I will send you an email letting you know that I need to contact you and will do so then. The other reason I don't list a phone number is because when I'm in the shop with all of the machines running it's virtually impossible to hear the phone ring.
16. What's new for BlowYourBrassOff.com? Any new products in the works?
I'm always trying to come up with new products and materials, as well as doing experimentation that I think will allow me to offer better and better products. I'm working to expand the lineup of Hands Free Chromatics to include other models of harmonicas, as well as trying to increase the number of models of chromatic combs that I offer. I've also been working on reed making and have had some really good success. One of my goals since I made my very first comb was to eventually make an entire harmonica from scratch, and while I have no plans to do so for the purpose of selling them, it's something that I've been working towards for the last 3 years. The thing to keep in mind with new products is that I'm only a one man shop, so sometimes it's hard to divide my time between filling orders, working on the website, answering emails, doing the computer aided design and writing machine programs. So please be patient with me, it can be a lot to do all by yourself.
17. Why don't you do refunds or cancellations?
Because it puts my business in a very tight situation. When you place an order for a custom harp or comb, I use a part of the money that comes in with the order to buy the materials and harps needed to build your custom, I also have to set aside the amount for shipping your order for when it's done. So when you place an order I immediately order up all the things I need for it, so by the time I get the parts and start half the money from the order is already gone. If you cancel an order or request a refund there's no way for me to cover that because I no longer have the full amount that you paid for it. I will always work with customers to solve any problems that might come up, and you can be confident that when you place an order you are going to get the best instrument I know how to build, but refunds are not going to be an option. Since this is my only source of income it's just not a possibility, and by placing an order you are agreeing to these terms. If a dispute is filed with paypal or a charge back on a card used to place an order is filed then I will challenge the charge back based on the fact that according to the text on the main page of my site by placing an order you are agreeing to these terms. Any cancellation or dispute will also cause any future orders from that individual to be immediately cancelled.