He doesn't consider himself much of a harp player, but Ottawa's Mike Mitchell is quickly gaining a reputation as one of the world's best harmonica tuners.

At his home in Vanier, he takes the instruments apart, cleans them, then fine-tunes them with tiny tools to improve their sound. In the harmonica world, it's a practice also known as "customizing," and there are only about a dozen or so people in North America who do it.

Some of the tools Mike Mitchell uses to customize harmonicas. (Hallie Cotnam/CBC) "Every single harmonica made in a factory can be made to play better than it does when it leaves a factory, and that's the kind of thing I do," he told Ottawa Morning Hallie Cotnam.

"It's a playability thing. I make harmonicas that play extremely well, and so they're a joy to play."

A customized harmonica Mitchell gave to world-renowned virtuoso Jason Ricci was apparently such a joy to play that Ricci gave a shout-out to "Mike from Canada" in a recent YouTube video.

Mitchell calls such accolades "unbelievable," considering he only picked up the harmonica some six years ago after buying one for his nephew one Christmas.

He began learning the basics, but became more intrigued by the inner workings of what makes the harmonica hum.

"I enjoyed learning how to play some," he said, but "I never pursued my harmonica musically terribly much, because I discovered that I could make them play better making a few small adjustments."

Ottawa-based Mike Mitchell is gaining a reputation as one of the world's best harmonica tuners. 0:23

'A labour of love'

Mitchell began customizing the instruments for friends, then his client base gradually grew to amateur and professional musicians.

He equates his work to putting a "tiger in the tank" of a car: "Make it go faster and go around corners and hold the road a lot better."

Mike Mitchell discovered the harmonica when he bought one for his nephew for Christmas six years ago. (Hallie Cotnam/CBC) He still considers his harmonica work a hobby — he doesn't have enough clients yet to do it full time — but he enjoys the challenge of getting all the intricate details just right to carry tunes that are pleasant to the ear.

"There's little money to be made," Mitchell said. "It's much more a labour of love, and I just enjoy focusing on small details. It's the kind of stuff that would drive a lot of people crazy, and for some reason, I enjoy doing it.

"I really enjoy putting a harmonica in the hands of a great player... I love it. It's one of the best feelings."