How I repaired a cracked comb

A seller on eBay offered a used Hohner Super Chromonica 270/48 for sale, without realizing the comb had a crack, which showed on the base of the comb, and the seller neither presented a picture with the crack, nor mentioned any defect in the item description, and in answer to a question, even gave assurance the harmonica looks and sounds great.  After the sale and informed of the undeclared defect all my payments were refunded and the seller left me the harp to keep.  

The crack

The crack in the comb is not obvious even if a cut at the back of the harmonica shows as in the picture below:

I needed to take off the mouthpiece and slider assembly to find out if the cut above is confined to the lamination, or if the comb itself is damage.  And here is the crack which shows on the third hole:

Taking the comb assembly apart

Given the nature of the crack it is necessary to dismantle the harmonica, which means taking off the nails, a very delicate and difficult task.  Below is a video showing how I took the harmonica apart:

The comb separates in two sections as soon as the reeds plates are unfastened. 

If the two sections are joined at the point of cut the smaller half angles slightly upward.  

if the two sections are laid flat on their base a gap at the top of third hole as wide as 1/8" shows.

 It seems to me the comb is badly damaged beyond repair.

Options at restoration
Two alternatives are open.  First, join the two halves using the base as reckoning point and fill the resulting gap at the third hole with filler wood. If I do this, the third hole will probably be wider by 1/8" and most likely the 4th hole all the way up to the 12th will move slightly out of position viewed from the mouthpiece. Second, use the cut as reckoning point and join the two halves there without regard to the effect on alignment. This option will make the smaller half slightly angle upwards and protrude out of the reeds plate and will throw off the mouthpiece and slider assembly out of position. 

I took the second option - glue the two pieces together following the match-fit at the cut on the third hole and deal with the resulting misalignment.  

I thought perhaps the procedure of correcting a warped wood by heating it wet can be applied to correct the problem. The procedure involves wetting the area of the warp, positioning it in such a way that the base lies on a very flat surface; another flat object is placed on top serving as weight and a small heater slowly drying up the comb. I was not sure if this would work, or if it would further aggravate the problem, because the weight might reopen the old crack or new cracks might develop, or the heat might actually warp the comb out of proportion.

Using heat and weights

Here is the picture of my initial attempt to correct the misalignment by applying the water, heat and weights solution:

As seen in the above picture the comb is set on a flat surface with weights placed on top of it, and on the side is a small heater to dry it up.  On the left side is a water sprayer which I used to apply generous amounts of liquid from time to time on the misaligned section of the comb.

A lost comb?

After all the trouble that the comb went through the warp and misalignment worsened as seen in the pictures below:

I eventually abandoned the effort because the comb ended up longer than its original size and the position of the hole of the cover bolt had moved farther away by a few millimeters.  The heating procedure had terribly warped the comb and I ended up losing the comb.   Or, did I?

Saving the comb

Several days after I stowed it away I revisited the comb to find that the misalignment is not as bad as when I stowed it, although one end still angles upward.  But I was encouraged to find that the holes of the reeds plate match the holes in the comb which means the comb has retreated back to its original size.

As I examine the comb a thought came to my mind that  if only I could straighten the slant near the third hole I could still use the comb. And considering I had given up the comb for loss I thought there is no harm experimenting with it and even applying extreme measures if that is what is going to restore it.

Using clamps

Before making attempts at correcting the warp and misalignment, I patched up the unnecessary holes of the comb with tips of toothpick.  Then I took out the clamps from the tool cabinet and used them on the comb:

I used the clamps to force the warps to align and normalize, progressively tightening the clamps as the comb shows it can take the pressure.  I applied this procedure on all sides of the comb.

The solution worked !  I needed only to repair a small slit at the top of the comb at the location of the third hole where the original crack was.  I was so happy of the results.  The comb is actually restored and has come back to life. 

Sealing and waterproofing

 The final touch is sealing and waterproofing the comb with Salad Bowl Finish:

I had the comb immersed in the sealing liquid three times for less than a minute each, drying it each time using my small heater and again using clamps to immobilize the comb and prevent any more warp or misalignment.  As soon as the comb is completely dried, I had it fanned by the same heater for about half a day to soften up the strong smell as a result of the sealing.

 

  

Back into service

As soon as the comb is ready, I gathered the parts together and assemble them into a working harmonica.

The final outcome is a restored, good playing harp previously given up for loss.

The Swan 1664 Chromatic

I received my new Swan 1664 chromatic harmonica after almost two weeks of waiting from the time the item was shipped.  It took such a long time because I did not realize that the supplier is a company located in Hongkong, China.

The inside of the carrying case is damaged when it arrived, but I was able to contact the supplier through their chat facility and received a replacement.

Here is the Swan 1664:

The harmonica is called Swan 1664, firstly because "Swan" is the brand name of good harmonicas manufactured in China by a reputable Chinese company; 1664, because the harmonica has 16 holes producing four notes each, or a total of 64 notes, making it a four-octave chromatic harmonica.

Here are the notes of the Swan 1664:

Out of the box, the Swan 1664 is difficult to play on the first and fourth octave - a lot of wind is needed on the first, while very faint sound comes out of the fourth.  The slider is soft and quiet.  Obviously, a little tweaking might be needed.  

One only needs a philips mini screwdriver to disassemble the Swan 1664.  Here is the semi-disassembled view of the Swan 1664:

The craftsmanship is excellent and it looks like a clone of the Hohner Super 64 chromonica 280.   Here are the two harmonicas set against each other:

Without the labels, the two harmonicas can be mistaken from one another.  Even the carrying case of the Swan 1664 seems to have come from the same mould that produced the carrying case of the Hohner Super 64.  But looking at the mouthpiece, one notices a difference - the Swan 1664's is thinner and the holes are arranged in straight line while the Hohner Super 64 has its holes alternating up and down.  In technical terms, the notes of the Swan 1664 are straight-tuned, while the Hohner Super 64's are cross-tuned.  

I went all the way to a full disassembly, i.e., I also took apart the comb assembly.   The first thing I noticed was some screws that attach the reeds plates to the comb were loose.

Here is a view of a fully disassembled Swan 1664.

The comb assembly of the Swan 1664 is beautifully done, with the red colored windsavers and solid cylindrical support studs.  The comb is synthetic and the reeds plates are attached to the comb with screws that thread to the opposite plate.  The slider assembly is a copy of the 3-piece design of the Hohner Super Chromonica 270, a system discontinued in the later versions of 16-holers of Hohner, which now use a 2-piece slider assembly, the mouthpiece having been redesigned to serve also as the cover plate.

Except for the cylindrical cover plate support studs that are bolted into the reeds plate, the comb and the reeds plates look almost like the Hohner Super 64's.  I noticed however that the material used for the reeds plate looks more like brass alloyed with steel.

I again played the Swan 1664 after the reassembly and checked the notes played on the first and fourth octaves and I noticed a marked improvement in tonal quality.

Here is a full piece, "I'll walk alone" in G major on Swan 1664 Chromatic:

But it seems to me the similarity with the Hohner Super 64 stops at the physical appearance and does not extend all the way down to the quality of the sound.  A hard draw on the higher notes gives an extra  whistling sound.  And after playing quite a bit, the mouthpiece corners start to irritate my lips.   I am not sure if this peculiarity is isolated to my harp.  Hands down I would give the gold medal to the Hohner Super 64.  And even against the older Hohner 64 Chromonica 280, the gold still goes to Hohner.  However, I think the people at Swan will not stop until they grab the lead and take pole position in this field of 16-holers.

In sum, I am very much impressed with this harmonica.  It is comparatively cheap, good practice harmonica, and could be a usable workhorse, considering the quality vis-a-vis the price, which is way below $100. I would think the full power still has to come with use. 

The Hohner Super Chromonica 270 Chromatic

Coming from a tremolo background and egged on by a cheap chromatic harp, the Hohner Super Chromonica 270 Chromatic, Super 270 for short, harmonica easily becomes a highly coveted instrument for its widely acclaimed distinct melodious tone. 

Laid side by side with the Hohner Echo Celeste, its shortness can throw off the uninitiated because what it lacks in size, it shows off in its muscle. The 12 holes actually produce four notes each, making the Super 270 a 48 notes instrument. In other words, it is a 3-octave harp with the full notes of the scale, i.e., including the sharps and flats, available in each octave.

Notes Chart .  Here are the notes forming the tuning chart of the Super 270:

To say that the Super 270 is a 12-hole instrument is a mistatement because as can be seen in the above pictures the mouthpiece has two rows of 12 holes each.  The slider mechanism makes it possible to play both rows containing each of the 24 holes that hold two notes each, a blow and a draw.  This makes the Super 270  a 48-note harmonica, hence its complete description is Hohner Super Chromonica 270/48 Chromatic.  The top row is activated with slider in "out" position, or at rest, while the lower 12 holes are activated by pushing the slider in.  All the sharp and flat notes are produced with the "slider in" operation, while major notes are produced with the  "slider out" operation. 

Regular Maintenance.  The effect of liquid and saliva on the longevity of the Super 270 is much more pronounced compared to other makes of harmonica.  This is because the comb of the Super 270 is wood, and wood is susceptible to warping if liquid is absorbed or if exposed to extreme temperatures.  As a precaution the Super 270 and every harmonica for that matter is usually tapped several times against the palm of the hand after every use to take the saliva out.


But even with this precaution there is a need for a  regular cleaning of the Super 270.  The parts where the mouth comes in contact with and where saliva will accumulate, i.e.,  the mouthpiece and the slider assembly, should be pulled out regularly and washed thoroughly with soap and water.   

Here is a video showing  how I clean my Super 270:

Here is the semi-disassembled view of the Super 270:

The Comb Assembly.  Note in the above picture that the comb assembly is shown intact.  Actually, there is really no compelling reason to take apart the comb assembly for cleaning purposes because the parts forming the assembly - the reeds, the windsavers and the wooden comb - do not need regular cleaning. The windsavers are the white strips of plastic material, as differentiated from the strips of brass metal called the reeds, which produce the notes. The windsavers act like open and close valves such that if a blow reed in a hole is being activated the draw reed is closed so air leak is minimized, if not prevented.

While the windsavers are glued to the reeds plate,  the reeds are riveted.  Thus, these parts are very delicate and are the key to the acceptable level of performance of the Super 270, and is better left alone untouched.  This is perhaps one of the reasons why the comb assembly is held together by nails and not by screws, in order to discourage untrained hands from making unnecessary access and in the process disturb the proper functioning of these delicate parts.

The use of the nails is peculiar to the Super 270.  Its comb is wood and the reeds plate are attached to the comb with nails. This wooden comb is claimed by some enthusiasts the reason behind the mellowed sound of the Super 270.  However, the wood makes maintenance and repair of the reeds and windsavers a very difficult operation. But it does not explain why the latest models coming out of the Hohner factory are now equipped with synthetic combs and the reeds plates are attached with fastening screws.

The problem with wooden comb and fastening nails is the inconvenience, if not extreme difficulty, in pulling out the nails.  And once pulled, the nails will, of course, lose some degree of hold on the wood.  Thus in many cases, once the nails are pulled out, these are discarded and replaced with screws. In fact, the upgraded version of the Super 270, the Deluxe Super Chromonica 270, has plastic for its comb and the reeds plates are held by fastening screws.

In reassembly, it is important to make sure that the slider is properly fitted into the housing created by the match-fit of the back plate and the plate cover.  The back plate has six flanges that match the six lugs of the back plate.  These flanges and lugs must be wedded together to create an even space between the cover and the back plate which serves as the housing for  the slider to operate.  An incorrect matching could damage the slider due to obstruction in its operation.

Here is a video demonstrating how I reassemble my Super 270.

Taking apart the comb assembly.  In exceptional cases such as when the comb or the inner reeds and  windsavers need to be accessed for repairs or replacement, there is no option but to take the comb assembly apart.  The most important consideration in doing this disassembly procedure is making sure the reeds plate is not bent or twisted as the nails are pulled out.

A special technique using a single edge blade alternated by a box cutter blade is the method I follow in loosening up the nail and preparing it for removal by a plier.  Using a thicker blade pen knife is not recommended because it can bend or warp the reeds plate and cause it to malfunction.

A video showing how I take out the nails can be viewed in this posting: How not to repair a cracked comb 

Replacing nails with screws.  Here is a picture of  a comb assembly of the Super 270 which I have taken apart, showing the tiny screws that have replaced the nails, which have been discarded:

Thread-through design.  Fastening screws that thread to the opposite plate of the Super 270 is also an alternative.  In fact, the better alternative,  and is used in new models of most harmonicas.  The superiority of the thread-through design lies in having the wooden comb pressed from both sides, instead of being pulled, as in the case of separate screws driven on opposite sides of the comb.  


Whether the wooden comb is affected by the pull exerted by the screws is difficult to ascertain, but I would go for the thread-through design because no pull pressure is applied on the wooden comb.  Rather, the comb is sandwiched between two plates and pressed from both sides, thus the design could actually help in preventing warping or misalignment of the wooden comb.

Here is an example of a thread-through design applied on the comb assembly of an Hohner 64 Chromonica Chromatic after replacing the nails with screws:

Note the screw head in the top picture and the thread end in the lower picture.  The same renovation cannot be done fully on a Super 270 because the head of the four screws that will be placed near the two cover bolt holes will put the cover plate out of flush.  Instead, tiny flat head screws can be used near the four cover bolt holes while thread-through screws can be used for the rest of the holes.

My eBay (Mis)adventure

"You win some, you lose some".

This statement epitomizes my experience in buying through eBay. Still fresh in memory is my first purchase more than 10 years ago of a pair of golf shoes. When the shoes arrived, not only was the other shoe smaller but the pair was both left footed.

The Ioncare Ozone Sanitizer.  I had several good "buys" from eBay.  Apart from the brand new Hero Chromatic and the Hohner Echo Celeste tremolo harmonicas, I had the luck of not purchasing from a non-eBay supplier an Ioncare brand ozone sanitizer for $47.00, which I was able to find in eBay and buy for only $19.95 plus shipping of $9.35.

The sanitizer is one of my earliest purchases from eBay.  It is the first item on my list because I needed to sanitize my harmonicas, including my other personal things like dentures, cell phone, watches, eyeglasses and the like.

So, let me proceed with my first booboo, (yes, this is the second after the shoes).

. 

The Swan 1020 7 set (C,D,E,F,G,A,B,C) diatonic blues Harmonica.  I bought through eBay a set of brand new, made in China Swan 1020 7 set diatonic blues harmonica (keys C,D,E,F,G.A and B) from a company located in Great Britain for 44.99 pounds, plus 15 pounds shipping, or approximately US$98.00.  But before I decided to buy, I had my wife, who was coming over to the U.S. in second week of November, canvassed the item in either Raon or Evangelista street, in Quiapo,  Manila, Philippines,  where all kinds of musical instruments are sold.  My wife would rather not go to the place, and preferred shopping in suburban Makati and Ayala Alabang.  She found an identical item but the price was over $100.  So, she advised me to go ahead and buy what I saw on eBay.

I liked what I received, until I found out later by chance that another British company was selling through Amazon.co.UK the same item for only 21.99 pounds. Rough calculation shows I was priced more than double. I tried to salvage the deal by complaining to the seller about the apparent overprice. I even found out from another eBay supplier that there is a Deluxe model that cost about the same price I paid, but what I got was apparently not the Deluxe model.  Seller refused to recognize my claim and insisted that what he delivered was what was described on eBay.


Here is a picture of a Deluxe model.  Note the difference in packing, labeling - both the harmonicas and the carrying case.  

On the cover plate of the harmonica I bought is engraved: "Swan Harmonica", while on the Deluxe model, it says: "Blues Power Swan Harmonica".

Here is the picture of the carrying case of the model I bought:

And here is the picture of the carrying case of the Deluxe model.  The material, color and   labels are almost identical except that the word "Deluxe" included in the label of the carrying case of this model.

I elevated the case to the eBay buyer protection program, and supported my claim with the fact that seller used the words Deluxe in the item description, and what I received was not what was described, and asked for discount, replacement or a full refund.   Despite the glaring differences bewteen the two models eBay's final judgment favored the Seller.  I surmised that the unfavorable decision must have been influenced by the fact that I had all the time to make a study of the purchase and therefore my complain was a delayed reaction common to those dissatified with a transaction.

Hohner Super Chromonica 270/48 Chromatic C.  I also bought from eBay a used 12-hole Super Chromonica  270 Chromatic from someone I will call seller A. It was advertised to the effect that it was a Christmas gift to his Dad who never played it, but kept it in his drawer.

Here is the picture of the item as advertised on eBay:

The harmonica glowed like shining brass in the picture, perhaps done on purpose with proper lighting effect,   to give the impression that the harmonica is almost like new. I was encouraged to bid at the time when there were already 7 bidders and the current bid was at around $30. Simultaneously, there was an identical model offered by someone I will call seller B which had only two bidders and the amount of the current bid was only $15. I reckoned if I lose in seller A's bidding, I will end up with nothing, so I played safe by placing also a maximum bid of $51 on seller B's. This bid closed earlier and I won it for $44.05 plus $5.50 shipping. On seller A's bidding, I placed a maximum bid of $101, on the basis that the brand new price was over $200, and I won the bid for $61.99 plus $10 shipping.

Now, here comes the bombshell. Seller A's Super Chromonica 270 arrived earlier and immediately I inspected the item. It looked very nice from the outside, the metal covers were shiny, no scratches and the protruding reeds plate, while showing signs of age , appears clean. Then, I took off the mouthpiece and the slider assembly, and while I was unscrewing one of the screws, it was wobbling from side to side. When it had fully come out I found the screw was crooked, like it had a zig and a zag!

I complained to seller A that he misrepresented because if the item was really unused or slightly used, if ever, the screw should not be crooked, and sent him pictures of the crooked screw. I threatened to void the sale and return the item for a full refund, but seller A was hospitalized (at least, according to the email of his son) and I relented and agreed to have replacement screws he offered, which arrived directly from Hohner parts center.  While I was disappointed with the item from seller A, I was overjoyed with the item I received from seller B because it looked almost like new, very much better than seller A's, and cost much less.

The two 12-hole Super Chromonica 270/48 Chromatic C's underwent extensive cleaning, disinfecting with 91% isoprophy alcohol, and sanitized with my ozone sanitizer. When I tested both, the notes from seller B's harmonica sounded more melodious and stable, while that of seller A, one of the notes actually shrills when blowed a little stronger. These two harmonicas will eventually  undergo modification and upgrade - metal polishing, comb sealing and replacement of nails with screws and will be offered in eBay.

Here is a picture showing the two 270s side by side.  Even in this picture, Seller B's harmonica looks newer in comparison to Seller A's.  Note the faded brass metal on both ends of Seller A's, while that of Seller B shows no smudges or fade.  Even the cover plate of Seller B's is more silver that Seller A's.

With all my bad experiences, I did not seem to have learned my lesson. Perhaps the urge comes from the confidence that I could tinker with an old harmonica - clean, sanitize the instrument and upgrade it by replacing the nails with screws; water-proofing and sealing the wooden comb with non-toxic Salad bowl finish,  replacing defective reeds and windsavers, and  retuning.  Someone might ask why I consciously subject myself to suffer all these troubles.  Perhaps, I enjoy and crave the satisfaction of bringing forth the hidden craftmanship  in me, like an artist taking a step backward to appreciate what he has accomplished on canvass,  and seeing that the reconditioned harmonicas will really sell in eBay. So,here I am, still fishing for usable and good Super Chromonicas, and in the process almost always catching some non-edible ones, so to speak.

Hohner 64 Chromonica 280 Chromatic C.  The next "non-edible" I got was a bid I won for a used 16-hole Hohner 64 Chromonica Chromatic 280 harmonica, a more advanced design compared to the Hohner Super Chromonica 270/48 Chromatic. The seller must have been in the pawn shop business judging from his eBay identity and business association and did not know much about harmonicas because the item description he provided in eBay was practically lifted from the description of brand new late model. The word "plastic comb" appeared in the item description, so I was encouraged to bid because I knew I could take off the reeds plates and the plastic comb and do a good cleaning and sanitizing job. And to make sure I was not buying junk, I inquired from seller if there were any visible damage and seller replied "looks good and sounds good." I won the bid for $26 and $9.35 shipping. As soon as it arrived I took off the mouthpiece and slider assembly. I was so disappointed with what I found.

The inside was not only dirty and showed signs of abuse, but more importantly the comb was not plastic but wood, and the hole dividers were warped, some already showing signs of deterioration. I complained to seller who immediately offered  me a full refund, including the cost of  shipping in and out, accompanied by seller's expression of apology and protestation of good faith.

Hohner 64 Chromonica 280 Chromatic C.  The setback in my first attempt to get hold of the more advance 16-hole 64 Hohner Chromonica did not stop me from looking for a really nice piece, and I finally got one.  Shortly after, I won a bid for a used 16-hole Hohner 64 Chromonica 280 chromatic key of C,  for $38.59 plus $7.00 shipping. The harmonica appears slightly used and the inside is very clean. The comb is plastic although the reeds plates are nailed to comb and not screwed, which is the design of the latest version. I am very happy with this purchase because not only is the item slightly used but I could have the nails removed and replaced with screws and give the comb and the reeds plates a thorough cleaning and sanitizing job, which means upgrading the harmonica to premium class.

However, I cannot do it yet because I have not received my order for 2 mm x 16 mm screws, which I intend to use on all my upgrades.  In the meantime,  I have already tested  the tiny 5 mm screws on one of my 270/48 (the better screw size is 1 mm x 16 mm, but I have searched all over and cannot find a supplier).  I prefer the longer screws that thread to the opposite reeds plate because in this design the comb is clamped or sandwiched between two plates and any warp movement of the wood will likely be minimized.  Using  tiny 5 mm screws that thread halfway through the wooden comb and coming from opposite directions has the tendency of creating a pull pressure on the comb, which could contribute to warping.

Hohner Super Chromonica 270 Chromatic G.  Still the itch to buy from eBay does not seem to subside. Just two days ago ,  I sent an email to a seller of a Hohner chromatic 270/48 key of G, which I won for $23.10 and $3.08 shipping, complaining that the wooden comb is cracked and is very likley split in two, which renders the harmonica practically unusable.

The crack can be clearly seen in the following pictures.

 

When seller did not reply after two emails, I told seller that I intend to void the sale and demand a full refund including the shipping cost, saying further that seller can pick up the harmonica, or I can have it shipped, but seller has to send me in advance the shipping cost. Seller, apparently a "she",  replied that she just got out of the hospital and has not read my emails, and asked to be given 24 hours to study the whole thing.

After lapse of a day and half, I needed to prod her again with another email, and she came back with a statement that the published return policy is for the buyer to submit photos of the damaged item in order to claim a refund.  I pointed out that two photos of the defective harmonica was already sent to her in my second email as attachments.  Anyway, I resent the photos and seller confirmed receipt, but saying further the photos will be compared to the one published in eBay, and denies there was a crack  when the item was packed.   We were unable to resolve anything because seller excused herself for a doctor's appointment, while I tried to put across a request to settle the problem no later than tomorrow, to which she did not say a word.

Seller came back and offered to refund half of the price.  I countered two-thirds saying the harmonica is not usable and is good only for parts.  She refused and said she will just follow the procedure on returns where she is obligated only to refund the price, making me absorb both the inward and return shipping cost.  I opened a case with the eBay customer support and the following day the seller offered full refund including inward shipping which I readily accepted.  She said she is not giving the return shipping money and I can keep the harmonica or throw it away.

The harmonica is still with me and I am at a loss to decide how the cracked comb should be repaired.  The damage seems to be unrepairable because if I try a match-fitting the smaller half angles upward and will surely pose seating problem to the mouthpiece and slider assembly.  On the other hand, if I follow the straight line of the base of the comb, I need to glue filler wood on the third hole and the result is it will be wider than the rest of the holes and will surely impact on the quality of the sound.  I have not started working on this cracked comb until I am positive the repair job will work.

Harmonica tablature

I now have compiled some 180 tabbed songs for chromatic harmonica which I have sourced substantially from two websites – harptabs and  harpinanawhinin .  My collection also include a few diatonic harmonica tabs which could become handy if and when I decide to try and learn to play the popular diatonic ten holers.

Harmonica tab.  Here is an example of a tab for the first verse of a popular Filipino love song, Ang Tangi Kong Pagibig (My One and  Only Love):

Key: Am (Chromatic)

 2        5         -4   -3        3* -4      -3   -3  -4    5      6   -5 

 Ang   ta-----ngi kong pag-i-----big ay minsan lamang

     -2 -5  5     -4      -3-3 3* -6    6  -4 -5   5  

 Ngunit ang 'yong akala   ay hindi tunay

    2  5     -4  -3  3* -4 -3    -3   -4    5  -5    6   -6  

  Hindi   ka  li--li--mutin magpakai--lan pa man

     -6  6      -5  5 6  -3 5-4 -5    3*  -4 -3

   Habang ako ay narito at may buhay.

In the above example, the number notation is supposed to be the  simulation of the hole position of the note in the harmonica.  In actuality it represents the note itself. The "2", for example, is an "E" in the lower octave for both diatonic and chromatic and is played as a blow note.  The rule is a positive number should be played as a blow note, while a negative number should be played as a draw note.  Number notations with an "asterisk", as in 3* above, (sometimes represented by '<" or "#"),  are to be played with the slider pushed in for chromatic harmonicas.

Tablature chart.  The complete tablature chart for a chromatic harmonica and the corresponding equivalent key of C in a diatonic harmonica is shown below:

Note	Diatonic	Chromatic
C	1	1
C#	1*	1*
D	-1	-1
D#	-1*	-1*
E	2	2
F	-2"	-2
F#	-2*	-2*
G	3-2	3
G#	3*	3
A	-3"	-3
A#	-3"*	-3*
B	-3	-4
C	4 3o	4 5
C#	4*	4*5*
D	-4	-5
D#	-4*	-5*
E	5	6
F	-5	-6
F#	-5*	-6*
G	6	7
G#	6*	7*
A	-6	-7
A#	-6*	-7*
B	-7	-8
C	7	8 9
C#	7*	8*9*
D	-8	-9
D#	-8*	-9*
E	8-8o	10
F	-9	-10
F#	-9*	-10*
G	9	11
G#	9*	11*
A	-10	-11
A#	-10*	-11*
B	10'	-12
C	10	12
C#	10*	12*

Legend:

+ =blow

- = draw

* = slider in

' = half step bend

“ = two half step (whole step) bend

“' = three halfstep bend

o = overblow

The diatonic chart was lifted from harptabs which shows a complete musical notation  for diatonic harmonica under the name of W. M. Molino, while the chromatic chart was taken from theCoast2Coast. The slider-in notation (*) applies only to chromatic harmonica, while the bends and overblows apply only to diatonics. Sometimes the slider-in position is notated with the sign "<", or "#",  before or after the number notation. I do not use the sophisticated convention presented in angelfire because  some of the recommended usage conflict with the conventions I have adopted for use in my compilations.

Tabbiing Tools.  At the onset, I did not know that the tablature for diatonics is different from chromatics.  In several instances, while attempting to play a tabbed song in my Hero I would sometimes sense that the tabs do not seem to jibe with the familiar melody.  I would then reconstruct the tab with the help of the piano and use notes name.  The whole piece is then converted back to numeric tabs using the find and replace facility of the word processor. I did not realize then that what I was actually doing was convert diatonic tabs to chromatics.  

Here are some tools I use to tab a song:

I would initially established the key of the song by listening to a performer in youtube.  With the virtual piano in my ipad, I would  play the song line by line and record the melody in note-names in my desktop computer.  After completing the piece in note names, I would run the find and replace tool of the word processor and produce the chromatic tab for the song.  Then, I would use myHero chromatic harmonica, or the Echo Celeste for songs without semitones,  to test the final tab.

Eventually, with the help of generous members of harmonicaclub, I discovered that  a separate tab system is used for diatonics, and this is differentiated with notations for half (or full) steps for bending notes, including overblows. And so, after having gone through the rigors of unnecessary reconstruction and conversions , I finally learned to select only from my sources the tabs for chromatics and shied away from diatonic tabs. And while selecting only chromatic tabs for my collection, I finally realized that most of the tabs I have previously gathered were actually not "incorrect" but were accurately tabbed for a diatonic harmonica.  Of course, it took some time for me to understand this.

Using Notes Names.  One good thing that happened to me during the times that I had to convert "incorrect" diatonic tabs, was the exposure to note-names. Here is the tab in note-names for the above song:

   
E    [C] B    A    G# B A  A   B   [C]    [E]  [D]
 Ang tangi kong pag-ibig ay minsan lamang

 F [D] [C]     B     A A G# [F]   [E] B [D][C]
Ngunit   ang 'yong akala    ay   hindi tunay

E [C] B A G#B A   A   B[C][D]    [E]  [F]
Hindi ka lilimutin magpakailan pa man

[F]  [E]    [D]C] [E]   A[C]B [D] G#  B    A
Habang ako    ay narito   at  may buhay.
(n.b. The notes in brackets are played in the higher octave)

In doing the reconstruction of diatonic tabs to chromatics I became very familiar with the note-names.  The thought of using the notations to further improve my piano playing came to my mind.  So, I made sure that the note-names notations are also made part of the file alongside with the numeric tabs, together with the guitar chords for the songs.  In my experience, I have come to take the note names tab in the same degree of usage and acceptance as the numeric tabs because the blow and draw notes are really confined to specific notes.  The blow notes are C, C#, E, G and G#, while the draw notes are D, D#, F, F#, A , A# and B. I do not use the notation for flat notes, e.g., Eb, because it tends to confuse the major note.  For instance, Eb might be mistakenly played as a blow note because the  E note, is a blow note,  or the mistake could be made vice-versa.  Instead of Eb, I use D#, which is a draw, and the notation is consistent with the major note D, which is also a draw.

However, the numeric tab is superior to the note-name notation because the numbers with negative signs immediately alerts the player  that the note is a draw.  On the other hand, the note-name notation has the advantage of bridging the gap between the instrument and the music piece because the note names can prepare the player for a shift to an actual use of music notes sheet, without the need of providing for a separate harmonica tablature. The drawback is, if and when the key is changed to another, the numeric tabs will stay, but the note-name notation will have to be converted to follow the new key.