[Harp-L] re: Soaking Harps (was Young vs Old)



Hurrican Ramon's recollection of James Cotton soaking his harps (Message: 9 Vol. 22, Issue 44) reminded me of visiting with Cary Bell at a bar (last summer) while he was waiting for Bob Margolin's band to bring him to the stage.  He asked me to go to the stage between songs and ask Mookie Brill to give me his leather harp belt.  While we sat at the bar he proceeded to take each harp out and soak each of them and return them to the belt.  I ask him if soaking them messed them up and he said that, yeah, eventually, but that he didn't have as much lung power as he once did and soaking help compensate the problem.  Then, he hit the stage and blew the audience away.  

And speaking of the old timers tweaking their harps, it has been written that Sonny Boy ll would use a toothpick to prod his reeds.  I'm sure that the old timers experimented with methods of tweaking to keep their harps going.  Of course, harps were better at holding up and they were cheap to replace.  Many made use of the Old Standby which was cheaper than the Marine Band. 

See ya--
Rick



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