Re: Soaking test results

[Mike Curtis <wd6ehr@xxxxxxxxxx>]

> 
> Mike,
> I really enjoyed your discussion on dB's but would have to agree with your 
> method being less than Scientific by using an uncontrolled input device for 
> your test.

See my response to rocket.  It was a tyest of how loud I could make each 
harp.

> I'm sure there probably still would have been a small difference 
> in volume but my original post was meant to show those less experienced on 
> the list, that soaking in general, especially wood combed harps, is a 
> disaster waiting to happen. I'm hope everyone agrees, as we would hate to 
> lead some poor soul astray. I can just see some less experienced individual 
> reading your posts, and then running home to try his "new found trick". He 
> dunks his Marine Bands in the bathtub(or cup of ice water) and then expects 
> someting to happen. After a while something will happen, gonzo harp city. 
> Now we've lead some poor fool astray. I think it much better for everyone if 
> the more experienced players on the list advocate NOT soaking harps with a 
> minor exception to the EXPERIENCED players. If was vey hard for the 
> novice(and me) to tell what you really meant with your soaking post. 
> Especially after you come back with proof of your theory. I would suggest 
> that you make some sort of clarification between, novice and experienced, or 
> between wood vs. plastic, because as I stated before, the OVERALL 
> concensus(sp) is soaking is bad, and that has been since "the dawn of time"

I don't advocate soaking.

But that wasn't the thread.  A fellow asked if soaking increases volume.  
In every post on the topic, it has been mentioned that soaking ain't good 
for harps.

However, in spite of the great prejudice against soaking (and for very 
good reasons!), there are still some positive things to be said for it.  
Increased volume is one.  Hygiene is another - when I soak, my harps 
don't accummulate that nasty "hole gunk" that I end up cleaning out 
periodically.

But I still don't think soaking is a panacea, nor do I do it on my new 
harps - just the old ones I'm ready to rereed anyway, and which play 
better because they're wet (which is a valve problem, so as far as you're 
concerned, no I don't soak :-)


More later - gotta run!


 --mike