Re: [Harp-L] Gasekting

["Tim Moyer" <wmharps@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Ryan Hartt wrote:
> I've heard two school of thought on gasketing
> 1. Gasket the comb itself
> 2. Gasket the reed plates
> Who thinks which is better and why?

I used to be the gasket guru.  I used to gasket all the plastic 
combed customized harps I made.  I have seen the error of my ways, 
and I now no longer advocate gasketing, except in the most extreme 
of cases.  

I don't subscribed to the notion that gaskets are a sticky, seething 
mess of bacteria and germs.  I've been inside a HUGE number of 
gasketed harps, many of which have had gaskets in them for years, 
and the truth is that they are pretty benign.  They don't stick to 
everything, they're simple to remove, and while they might hold 
moisture inside the harp longer, there's probably more trouble from 
excessive rusting in contact with the gaskets (when they are used 
against a steel part, like a cover plate) than anything else.  

But the truth is, they don't do much, if any, good.  You could 
probably see as much benefit in a harp like a Special 20 or a Lee 
Oskar by simply removing the reed plates and reattaching them, or 
just retensioning the screws.  In a decently designed and built 
harp, they simply shouldn't be needed.  

Simpler is better.  Whether there is a bacteria risk or a gumming 
risk is to me a moot point, because gaskets simply don't make the 
harp any more airtight.  You're better off spending your time 
working reeds than trimming gaskets.  

All that said, in historical perspective, I found it easier to apply 
gaskets to reedplates.  When you remove and replace the reedplates, 
the gaskets would go with them, meaning you'd get new ones.  If 
there were to be any gumming from the tape, it would be on the part 
most likely to be replaced, the plates.  

But it just ain't necessary, so don't waste your time.  

There.  I have repented.  

-tim

Tim Moyer
Working Man's Harps
http://www.workingmansharps.com/