Re: A Harp

[hippo@xxxxxxxxxx (Hugh Messenger)]

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.

>Any ideas?

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.

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!

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:)

   -- hugh