Re: [Harp-L] Fire Breath and Pure Harps



Many woods are poisonous/toxic. I learned this by shopping for woods
at a woodcraft place near my house. I was trying to build my own comb
and was going to buy some exotic colored rosewood or something else.
When the sales guy asked what for, he was very quick to tell me not to
purchase a toxic wood. I think he said maple is ok for woodcombs. He
also said that a seal can sometimes prevent this, but not always. I
think Tim Moyer said he uses a wood salad bowl varnish...

In my personal opinion, without playing the new suzukis, the hering
vintage 1923 is one of the best sealed wood comb harps out there.
According to Filisko, when I asked him, he said that these are one of
the best harps to play out of the box if you do not tune/customize
your own harps. They play pretty nice, have a dark tone and don't have
beating octaves out of the box. They are 7 limit just tuned (flat 5
draw and draw 9). I usually play them for a few weeks and then tune
them....When I customize them/hand tune they sound beautiful and can
be very responsive.

On 8/14/06, Bobbie Giordano <bogio@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Ola, 'L-ers!

I really should be packing all my sharp objects and liquids, but I just
thought I ought to take a short break and pass this on...

On the German list, HarpChat, Steve Baker recently commented regarding
the Fire Breath harp he just acquired, and became concerned when he
apparently had a very adverse reaction, presumedly to the Rosewood comb
[but, as we know, it might just as easily be the sealing finish
applied.]  Anyway, as he put it, he wondered if he was getting an asthma
attack due to difficulty breathing.

He also wrote of having spent some time recently with William Galison at
the Asian Pacific Harmonica Festival.  It seems William told Steve about
having once gotten a rosewood-combed chromatic from somewhere; didn't say
where, and I only know of one, maybe two, places he might have obtained
one.  William related having loved playing it, but then, after some time,
he began developing a severe breathing malady and was told, I 'gather' by
a Doctor, [I have to BabelFish the German, sorry!] that he evidently was
experiencing an allergic reaction to the rosewood.  William quit playing
harmonica for a time because of it.  I seem to recall hearing about this
awhile back, too, [also from William, I think,] but just that he had to
quit playing for awhile due to illness, but not what sort.

Rosewood is not one of the friendlier woods to be sucking on, it seems,
because some people develop a sensitivity to it over time, and outbreaks
can be breathing difficulties or painful rashes.  Usually, though, it
comes from extended exposure to rosewood dust, as for woodworkers or
people who lay rosewood flooring.  I was wanting one of the new Suzuki
harps, and hopefully, the comb's sealing substance guards against any
dangers, but maybe I'll just wait awhile, or at least, not play it every
waking hour every day if I do pick one up at SPAH!

There are sites on the Net about this problem, too.  I just thought some
of us here might want to be aware of the possible problems with the
rosewood-bodied harmonicas.

Cheers! [... back to Packing!!!]

Bobbie


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Matthew Smart
matthewsmart@xxxxxxxxx




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