Re: [Harp-L] Cleaning with alcohol de-tuned my harps!

["Joe Spiers" <moparjoe@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

  Take them apart, clean the parts with a toothbrush, then blow dry with a
hairdryer. Do the dip method only on fresh slobber, not 2 years worth of
buildup! Alchohol isn't going to throw your harp out of tune, but it will
break foreign material loose, which probably is still in there weighing down
a reed. Alchohol won't remove tarnish either.

I like a product by the name of Red Bear copper and brass polish. It's a
fine powder, and will make the brass parts shine like NEW, with a toothbrush
and very little effort. A jar of it is less than ten bucks and will last a
lifetime of cleaning harps for the average person.

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Tim Dougherty" <timd@xxxxxxx>
To: <harp-L@xxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Tuesday, July 19, 2005 6:39 PM
Subject: [Harp-L] Cleaning with alcohol de-tuned my harps!


> Help!
>
> After following the "easy" method of cleaning some of my Lee Oskar harps
by
> dipping them in alcohol, I rinsed them with water and allowed them to dry
> for several hours.  Now five out of eight of of them has pulled out of
> tune.  Particularly the low notes on the lower harps , and especially the
> 1-4 draw and blow octave for some reason.  On the good side, they are now
> very responsive and easy to play!
>
> I guess it's time to learn to tune a harp (after 15 years).  I have no
idea
> what I'm doing, but I found a good article by Robert Bonfiglio.
>
> Has anybody else had this problem?  What did I do wrong?
>
>
>
> Tim Dougherty
> www.TDVP.tv
> www.HarpMicGaskets.com
>
>
>
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