Minding the Gap
Occasionally the gap between a reed and the reed plate becomes too large or small, or the reed might become slightly misaligned in relation to its slot. This likely will be evidenced by a buzzing sound (misaligned reed), an unresponsive or sticking reed (gap too small), or a “windy” sounding reed (gap too large).The gap should be about the same thickness as the reed itself.Remove the faceplates and inspect the reeds on each reed plate. If the broken reed is on the bottom reed plate, you need to unscrew the comb-reed plate assembly to inspect the bottom reeds. The reeds should all be aligned straight in relation to the slots. Identify the reed that is not working correctly. If it’s too weak or breathy, then the gap needs to be decreased. If it chokes up too easily, then the gap needs to be increased.If you don’t have the special pick that comes in a harmonica toolkit, you can use a toothpick or pin tovery carefully pry, nudge, or press the reed into the proper position. If the reed is misaligned vis-à-vis the slot, you should use the toolkit’s alignment tool to align the reed correctly on top of the slot. You also can use needle-nosed pliers or a jeweler’s pliers or wrench to carefully rotate the attached end of the reed (where the metal plug holds it in place) until it is correctly aligned.
Tuning