RE: [Harp-L] Good , bad harps From a newbie



Abner Galdos writes:
> ...I just took apart all my Lee Oskar and Horner's to clean up.
> This was my first time taking these puppies apart...
> Hohner's Marine band I like because its my first. I don't like
> the small screws holding the plate. so far I cant unscrew them.
> The flat head that they use seems harder to work with.. all the
> others have Philips and they grip the Philips screw driver. <clippage>

Abner, if I'm reading you correctly, what you are talking about is a
standard Marine Band with a wood comb. Those "small screws holding the
plate" aren't really screws at all, but nails with heads that are made to
look like screws, for whatever reason. My advice is that, unless there is
something wrong with the way that Marine Band plays, you are best leaving it
alone. Unless you are a fairly accomplished harmonica technician, it will
never be as tight or play as well as it does ~before~ you take it apart. I
suggest that, when it comes to wooden combed, nailed-together harps, you
adhere to the old saw, "if it works, don't fix it." For one thing there
isn't much you can do with a wood comb unless you intend to rebuild the harp
and treat the comb to make it waterproof -- a big project, not for the
uninitiated. You don't ~dare~ expose the comb to any moisture, especially if
it is bare, without the reed plates affixed. Even then you are asking for
trouble, inviting swelling and warpage.

I'm not saying that taking a Marine Band apart to clean it or whatever can't
be done. Happens all the time. It's just that someone uninitiated to
harmonica maintenance and repair will generally find themselves way over
their head very quickly when they take their first standard Marine Band
apart (I know I did  :). Not only that, but there are those who posit that a
little dried up spittle makes a handy natural sealant for all those little
joints between the surfaces inside a harp.

BTW, with a plastic or otherwise waterproof harmonica, many people just soak
'em and or rinse 'em under a steady, medium faucet and then let them dry out
on a towel.

I used to be very judicious about keeping my harps clean, inside and out. As
I have become a dryer player with experience and my beginner's zeal has worn
off, I'm not nearly so fussy. 'Course I play diatonics, though many are
half-valved. Those that are I don't tongue block anyway so they stay pretty
clean inside. I do take a few moments to scrap/wipe/clean off the mung that
inevitably collects in and around the mouthpiece holes and cover plates
before I play, as I prefer not doing that with my lips and tongue.

Good luck with your continuing harp explorations. It's fun and exciting to
be enjoying your Odyssey vicariously!

Michelle






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