I spent hours once removing a bad reed from a harmonica reedplate and replacing it with a good one cannibalised from another harp. It's a fiddly and tricky procedure. Half way through the operation I got distracted. I returned to the job and did all the tweaking and aligning and fine-tuning. Only when I raised the harp to my expectant lips did it dawn on me that I'd chucked the good reed away and reattached the duff one.

There is another law regarding the fixing of harmonicas. No matter how careful you are, one tiny screw will fall on to your carpet and get lost in the pile. You will never see it again. Just like Bill and his pills. I know that one only too well too.