Re: [Harp-L] chromatic button stick remedy

[G <gigs@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Date: Thu, 10 Aug 2006 23:37:25 -0400
From: "Matt Smart" <matthewsmart@xxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [Harp-L] chromatic button stick remedy
To: harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx
>
>The button/slide on my chromatic sticks and is hard to push in
>sometimes. It is pretty new...any remedies for lubricant or a fix?
>
>Thanks
>-- 
>Matthew Smart
>matthewsmart@xxxxxxxxx

Hi,
  Since it's a near new instrument, it sounds like you just need to give
your harp a bit of basic maintenance, and clean the slide assembly.  As a
chromatic harmonica player, it's a given that you learn basic maintenance
to keep your instrument working.  This is no different to a sax player, or
oboe, or clarinet player.  You'll find instructions here:
http://www.angelfire.com/music/HarpOn
  scroll down the left hand menu, looking for "+ Chrom Maintenance".

I've spent a number of years experimenting with fustrating sticking slides
and repairing chromatics other people have tried to lubricate with all
manner of things.  For instance I now have a near new HH260 that the
customer has applied vegetable cooking oil on the slide, and I've had to
remove all the valves and the comb itself to undo the damage.
  I've tried flavourless clear teflon lubricant, paraffin liquid, white
paraffin (cream), vaseline, food grade silicon spray ... and to one degree
or another they temporarily solved the problem, most of them caused the
slide assembly to gunge up with fluff and muck over the space of a week
(with regular playing), creating an even stickier slide until I cleaned it
out.  
  Some of the lubricant found it's way into the cells and onto the valves,
meaning they had to be replaced, and didn't do wood combs any good.  Food
grade silicon goes putrid after a month or two, and the same happens with
any cooking oil or the like.
  I've seen far worse lubricants used that I wouldn't dare try, such as
instrument lubricant (eg. for trombone), CNC, WD40, and car engine oil.

The only lubricant product that I had near success with was "personal"
water based lubricant, down under its KY-Gel.  However it didn't take very
long for it to be removed by saliva and/or condensation.  At least when it
got onto the valves it could be washed away with water... so it wasn't any
better, and cost more than the final solution I've settled on.

  My choice of lubrication cleans as it lubricates, it's readily available
and free or very cheap, and it works really well if applied properly.
Unlike all but one of the above it doesn't collect dust and muck over time
creating worse jamming, and it doesn't create problems if it gets through
to the comb and valves.
  Water.  It was recommended to me some time ago by far more experienced
players, but I had to find that out for myself.  I keep a bottle (actually
several bottles) of water around with the pop top caps you get on bottled
water, fill it up at your nearest tap.  Before playing I put the chromatic
on its left (bass) end (or hold it) with the button pointing at the
ceiling, and dribble a little bit of water down in front and behind the
slide so it runs down the slide assembly.   
  If the button won't move, just wait a bit, maybe a few minutes, then try
again, the water will eventually disolve enough of whats in there to free
it up.
  With the chrom still on it's end, work the slide several times so the
water works its way down to the lowest hole, then draw gliss across the
range of the instrument working the slide quickly to draw out any excess
water.  
 You're set to go.
When ready to pack it up, apply a bit more water to the slide in a similar
way, again with the working the slide, then draw glissing (no blowing).   
  Then put it away.

If I follow this method I rarely have sticking slide problems, and the
slide works really well, and reduces the number of times I have to clean
the slide assembly dramatically.  

  I highly recommend water as a slide lubricant.
-- G.