Water logged harmonicas and their relative volume

[Barry Schaede <barrys@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

While I swore I wouldn't wade in on this subject, (pun intended) I found 
I couldn't resist.  I happen to own a dB meter.  Conducting simple 
experiment s with a sacrificial Golden Melody I have determined that I 
can find absolutely no basis in fact to support the hypothesis that 
harmonica volume is increased 10dB by being soaked in water.  The 
test vehicle Golden Melody was about 90dB average when played normally.  
All results were determined from a distance of approximately 2 feet.  
This is the distance that allowed me to play and still read the meter.  
Using an assistant would have skewed the results due to their sound 
absorbing qualities.  After immersion the Golden Melody still produced an 
SPL of about 90dB.  The peaks both wet and dry were around 96dB.  10dB is 
an enormous increase in volume.  The dB scale is logarithmic so 2dB is 
much louder than 1dB. (aproximately 26%)  I must add that the whole 
harmomica plastic or not would become temporaily more airtight.  This 
would be due to the water filling the spaces in the reed offsets and 
althought the effect is temporary (as Tim so sagely pointed out) it is 
still very pronounced.  FJM