Technical Specifications NC 64

This instrument was developed over a period of four years in collaboration with Franz Chmel, the well-known harmonica soloist. The goal of the project was to construct a chromatic harmonica that would relieve the professional player of substantial amounts of maintenance work.

»Chromatic mouth harmonica
»tuned in C major
»Range: four octaves
»c-d4

Compared to the familiar classic harmonica, many elements of the NC 64 are of a completely new design, here described in detail:

 

 

Comb

»Made of hard plastic, entirely nontoxic.
»Color: black

Each air chamber has been individually lathed with a CNC machine.

On the upper side of the comb are raised strips that extend the length of each air chamber. These strips are custom-fit to join with the spark-eroded reed-plates. Between the reed-plates and the comb the instrument is completely airtight. The air chambers are larger than those found in conventional harmonicas.

Reedplates

»Made of gold-plated brass.
»Thickness: 0.9 - 2.0 mm

The reed-plates are spark-eroded (electric discharge machining) in order to ensure exact precision in the measure of each individual element.

Extending across the under sides of the reed plates are spark-eroded grooves which join with the raised strips on the comb. Each reed plate is individually screwed on to the comb for an airtight seal. The gold plating keeps the brass from discoloring and helps prevent the build-up of residue that normally appears after many hours of playing.

Reeds

»Made of special rustproof high-grade steel

Fastened to the reed plate with hexagon sockets.
The reeds are conical and cut longitudinally in order to minimize the risk of breakage. The reeds' conical manufacture allows for precise custom measurement.

 

 

 

Valves

»Made of two-ply plastic laminate

Mouthpiece

»Made of gold-plated brass

Milled on a CNC machine.

Slider

»Made of chrome-plated brass with a break-proof slider knob.

Cover Plate

»Made of rustproof high-grade stainless steel, thickness 0.5 mm

»Gold-plated on request.

»All screws on this Chrom are of rustproof stainless steel

Cleaning: After removing the mouthpiece, let the harmonica soak for about two hours in a container filled with a soap-based detergent (suggested manufacturers provided on request), then rinse with clean water.