Help: Harmonica Sanitation

Subject: Harmonica Sanitation
From: GUEST,SlickerBill
Date: 25 Feb 02 - 02:01 PM

As I incorporate more blues harp into my playing (with guitar and voice...), I can't help but wonder sometimes just what kind of fungi have been growing in my harp since last I played. I mean I suck pretty hard on the things (okay, okay, I can hear the jokes. Fine lets have em...), and can't help but think that I'm hauling some pretty noxious stuff into my pipes. How do you keep your harps clean? Any methods that seem to work for you? SB

Subject: RE: Help: Harmonica Sanitation
From: Les from Hull
Date: 25 Feb 02 - 02:50 PM

Yes, the wonderful feeling when you draw pretty hard on a note and something pings off the back of your throat and goes down your windpipe!

The best way is to take them apart and clean them out properly. It's easier now they have nuts and bolts instead of those rotten little nails that Hohner used to use. If you don't want to take them apart, you can pluck some of the gunk (alright dried spit!) that congregates at the front of the hole with a pin (just like eating a winkle!). Don't eat it though!

We do suffer for our art, don't we? Especially if we have facial hair.

Les

Subject: RE: Help: Harmonica Sanitation
From: Uncle_DaveO
Date: 25 Feb 02 - 03:23 PM

If the comb is not wood or a fiber composite, but plastic, you can clean it out with faucet hot water after use, or give it a short soak in a water/bleach solution, then a rinse. In any case, shake it out well after playing. If you want to dry it out, you can carefully use a hairdryer.

Again, DO NOT SOAK IT IF IT'S WOOD OR A FIBER COMB! If you do, it will never play right again.

Dave Oesterreich

Subject: RE: Help: Harmonica Sanitation
From: GUEST,SlickerBill
Date: 25 Feb 02 - 11:46 PM

Yes, well here's the thing. I made the mistake once of soaking a wood harp: not a great result. It still plays...kind of. Mostly I go for the Special 20's or the black one (Deluxe Blues?) which are plastic, but I've been hesitant to drop the thing in a glass since that other fiasco. I've seen Neil Young plonk the thing into a glass before he plays it and it seems to work okay for him. The bleach thing...hmmm. Any other ideas? I've wondered about a squirt of Binaca or an alcohol mix of some kind. Might be fun if not effective ;). SB

Subject: RE: Help: Harmonica Sanitation
From: Les from Hull
Date: 26 Feb 02 - 09:56 AM

Many of the old blues players used to play their harps wet, and I imagine they were all wooden-bodied in those days. I think the theory was that the body swells up and cuts out any leaks. The main problem is that the front part swells up and cuts your lips up. You can cut that back with a craft knife. The plastic-bodied type are certainly an improvement and stay cleaner- I play Tombo Lee Oskars mostly.

Subject: RE: Help: Harmonica Sanitation
From: Rustic Rebel
Date: 27 Feb 02 - 01:08 AM

Ah, harmonica maintenance. Pour a little tequila in them, rub some lime across the top, and play those blues baby!
P.S. people often ask me how to play I say suck and blow.

Subject: RE: Help: Harmonica Sanitation
From: GUEST,SlickerBill
Date: 27 Feb 02 - 02:16 PM

Rustic Rebel, are you serious about the tequila thing? Or is this all to make the bacteria more palatable? SB

Subject: RE: Help: Harmonica Sanitation
From: GUEST,HarpInBeer
Date: 28 Feb 02 - 06:23 AM

Yeah, when the wood swells from soakin ther harp in beer, just pare it down. OK it will mes up the harp--but the REASON for soaking the harp is VOLUME!!!! A wet harp is WAAAAAAY loud. Try it, you'll like it. Mebbe not, at the price of Marine Band's nowadaze.

Subject: RE: Help: Harmonica Sanitation
From: Dave Bryant
Date: 28 Feb 02 - 09:52 AM

You just need to give the harmonica it's own litter tray. Wrap a diaper around non-housetrained ones !

Subject: RE: Help: Harmonica Sanitation
From: GUEST,SlickerBill
Date: 28 Feb 02 - 02:05 PM

Do you find you prefer the wood/fibre Marine Bands to the plastic? I find them a bit less reliable, probably because gunk sticks to the fibres more easily, or so it seems. I must say beers one that hadn't occurred to me. Sounds like fun tho. SB

Subject: RE: Help: Harmonica Sanitation
From: Lonesome EJ
Date: 28 Feb 02 - 02:43 PM

This "harp sanitation" concept is a new one on me. I only have two rules:

1) I won't ask to borrow your harp, so don't try to borrow mine.

2) Unless there's a stuck reed, it won't do me no harm.

Subject: RE: Help: Harmonica Sanitation
From: Les from Hull
Date: 28 Feb 02 - 02:46 PM

Dave Bryant - Our problem is more an excrement retention problem than potty training. Have you had any success with senna pods?

Subject: RE: Help: Harmonica Sanitation
From: GUEST,Harpie
Date: 21 Jul 11 - 09:34 AM

Drop it in rubbing alcohol.

Subject: RE: Help: Harmonica Sanitation
From: DonMeixner
Date: 21 Jul 11 - 10:52 AM

I play Golden Melody Hohners. Once a week or two I soak them over a 1/2 an hour in Listerine. And always after a job if I have a cold. Every so often I take them apart and clean them out with a tooth pick taking care to avoid the reeds.

Don