Setting Up Your Harmonium
At Old Delhi Music, each harmonium that is purchased goes through an extensive servicing process before we ship it out. This level of refinement is time-intensive, unmatched by competitors, and crucial to ensuring proper functionality and sound quality from these handcrafted, acoustic instruments.
Here is the standard harmonium set-up process:
- Check for air leaks; seal as needed
- Manipulate internal springs to optimize sustain
- Inspect individual key alignment; reshape as needed
- Assess general keyboard action; adjust springs as needed
- Remove debris from reed chamber
- Ensure proper seal between reed chambers; fix as needed
- Adjust tension of stops and drones
- Refine tuning to equal standard ($100 value)
- Solve for any current buzzing or rattling issues in the reed set
- Examine reed set and mitigate for potential buzz/rattle issues
- Properly gap reeds to ensure equal response
- Repair minor blemishes (as much as possible)
- Clean instrument shell
- Carefully pack to ensure safe arrival
- Optional: Coupler removal (free upon request - a $40 value)
- Optional: A440 Tuning* ($50 fee - a $150 value)
*A440 is widely used as the standard for concert pitch. Almost no harmonium comes factory tuned to A440, and most retailers do not have the capacity or expertise to offer this level of service. This is one of the major differences between our online boutique and the majority of the other retailers you'll find online. We can re-tune any harmonium to concert pitch or any other standard, making our instruments fully usable in ensembles with other instruments. Here are some FAQs about this service.