Re: A Harp

[Mike Curtis <wd6ehr@xxxxxxxxxx>]

> 
> At 7:56 PM 3/5/95, Steve Price wrote:
> >Mike Curtis suggests that a gentle break-in period would make my harps
> >last longer.  I've been playing for 30 years and I've never noticed
> >anything like that.  Does anyone agree with Mike?
> 
> Nope.  I used to do the breaking in period thing, 'cos I read it in a book,
> but it didn't seem to make any difference.  After enough times of buying a
> harp at the last second before a gig and jumping straight in with it, I
> noticed that harps I didn't "break in" lasted just as long and sounded just
> the same as the ones I honked on straight away.

I play my harps pretty hard.  Sounds to me like Steve does, too.  Also 
sounds to me like Hugh is more considerate of his.  Maybe that's the 
difference???

For my style of playing, breaking in makes a very noticeable difference 
in harp life.  The reeds don't seem to fatigue nearly as fast, keep their 
tune longer, and take a lot longer before suckout (when you draw, the 
reed makes a rapidly lowering "whine", detaches itself, and flies past your 
tonsils into points south 8-Q )

I'm not differing with Hugh - I'm sure his observations are accurate in 
his circumstance.

> Use less breath.  Let your amp supply the volume.  It takes a while to get
> your amp and mike setup right, but with some careful twiddling I've got my
> gear set up such that just a little extra sound pressure through the harp
> will dramatically increase the amplified volume.  My diatonics last on
> average a year.

I play just one 99% of the time (conservative estimate :-), and I get a 
couple months per reed set (I use Oskars and Suzuki's, both of which have 
easily obtainable reed plates.)  So it sounds as if we get somewhat 
comparable mileage.

Because I play a single harp, I really notice when it blows out early.  I 
have an old A Marine Band that I bought something like 15 years ago, and 
have never touched it as far as maintenance, tuning, etc.  The rest of my 
kit is much newer, but also reasonably unused.  My most used harps other 
than C would be Db valved Oskar, and of course my CX-12.

> The whole "how do I get my short harps to last longer" debate always
> reminds me of a rockabilly guitar player I know.  He *whangs* away on his
> strings all night, using the heaviest duty pick he can find, using upper
> body action similar to a fast pitch softball pitcher.  Then he complains
> that his strings are always breaking!

I'm pretty hard on my guitar strings, but use 011-052's (a heavy medium 
gauge), and a base metal bridge with cylinders instead of sharp string 
saddles.  Heavier strings hold up better than thin ones, and matching 
metal types between bridge and strings minimizes potential electrolytic 
action.  Also, the cylindrical shape of the saddles minimizes spot 
tension and metal fatigue.  I can beat my strings worse than Pete 
Townshend ever dreamed of and they'll never break.  And in days past, I 
used to beat them to death.  I've since mellowed my guitar technique.  I 
haven't broken a string in 15, maybe 20 years on my Coronado.  Can't say 
the same for my Strat, though, with its brass bridge and sharp saddle.  
But my Coronado is my number one guitar.

My point is, there _are_ things that can be done to minimize guitar 
string breakage.

> A harmonica is just another machine.  The harder you run it, the quicker it
> breaks.
> 
> >        Steve Hohner-is-why-I-play-the-blues Price
> 
> You too, huh?  Hohner are enough to give anyone the blues:)

Yawner - I mean - Hohner, eh?  Could it be ... nah, couldn't be ... ???

 -- mike "Suzuki and Oskar works for me" Curtis

(But I have ordered a new Meisterklasse in C, and will valve it and play 
it until it falls apart.  Opinions forthcoming later)