Less damage to valves.

[Ed McCullough]

  I damaged almost all of the valves that I needed to replace by mangling the valves while reattaching reedplates to the combs. We need one hand to handle the screws and screwdriver, so the other hand has to hold both reedplates to the comb. No matter how careful I am with the "other hand", one of my fingers sometimes mangles a valve.
  Now I lay a reedplate oon the comb and hold it there with tape. The reedplate cannot fall off. Then I flip the comb over, lay the other reedplate on the comb and tape that one to the comb also. Then I merrily put the screws in.  No worries.

  You will notice in the picture that I wrote the pitch of each reed on the reedplate. This helps me find the right reed when I tune reeds.


  Oh yes: If you have a Hohner Performance harmonica, go look in the Swap Shop section.

[Keith]

Interesting solution; I normally place the reed plates against the comb, holding in place with one hand, insert one screw, & using a finger tip pressing on it, rotate/screw it in a few turns, then do the same with the other, then grab a screwdriver & tighten.

[Edward Brock]

Your experience sounds all too familiar.
So, Whatever it takes to maintain sanity, Ed. 

[Age]

I just just promised meself to take off my boxing gloves before doing if, and I haven't had any problems since. Who knew?

(seriously) I do like the idea of marking the note values on the reeds. That's a cool idea.

[Laina]

One of the plusses in my Wills Make (Oritta) is the ability to remove just one cover - takes seconds to remove.  It's one of the original entry level models with alu covers. It would be good to see some mainstream manufacturers considering this aspect in some of their future designs.

[ejacob4]

Not a recommendation, just my experience:

Put the sandwich together, just plates and comb.

Put in 2 screws, just a little snug and at ends.

Put empty mp side down and put the other screws in, loose enough to adjust later, if you  feel the need.

Put mp on.

Snug it all up.

Usually, I don’t touch reedplate faces or valves after those first two screws. I touch the backside of the comb, and later that and the mp.

Best regards,
Ed