[Harp-L] Chrometta 12 maintenance

[Eric Chard <jeric@xxxxxx>]

I bought a Hohner Chrometta 12 on eBay.  Following, ok, SOME of 
HarpOn!'s chromatic maintenance directions (thank YOU to that 
person!), I gave it a half-assed cleaning.

I removed the cover plates, the spring, and the slide.  The slide 
seems to have some corrosion near the handle end-- it's quite a bit 
rougher there.  Scrubbing w/isopropyl alcohol and pro-audio swabs 
removed quite a bit of the grunge, but now it's just a CLEAN rough 
area. (My guess: prev owner smoked.) The slide DOES slide a lot better.

Question: any problems w/using fine grit emery paper to smooth out 
this rough area?  Is the slide plated or stainless all the way 
through?  I take it lubrication on the slide is a no-no-- correct?


On the Chrometta 12 it appears there's no easy, i.e. screw/bolt, way 
to remove the reed plates from the red bakelite comb-- is this 
correct?  Is this what they mean when they say "nailed"??  But it's 
plastic!!!???

I'd really like to get the bakelite/plastic surround (is it the comb 
too?) piece off for a THOROUGH cleansing (scarey stuff in the holes), 
but it's not leaping out at me how to non-destructively remove the 
reed plate assemblies from the red plastic.

It looks like I'll have to replace some windsavers too.  I'm reading 
up on that.  Surprising the amount of highly evolved low-tech stuff in there!


E



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