Re: [Harp-L] Stuck 5 Blow and Draw Stuck On Brand New Golden Melody

[Pierre <plavio@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

No big deal opening it up (trust me), but if you like, just put warm to hot 
water with a drop of dish soap in a bowl and drop the whole harp in it. Let 
it soak for 10-15 minutes. Then rinse in clear warm water using the same 
bowl. When you are done shake the water out by htiting the harp against the 
palm of your other hand. You can play it while wet but not too hard as some 
reeds may be stuck due to excess water. I sometimes use a fan to speed up 
drying.

I often clean my harps this way as I don't like to take them apart to clean 
them as I feel they play and sound better with some residue in them to 
reduce leakage. When there real stinky I take them apart to clean them.

Should that fail, open her up and check the reed to see what's wrong. 
Perhaps the reed is not quite centered or there is lint or something in the 
way.

You'd have to be an oaf to break anything, just watch you don't lose the 
screws.

Have fun learning,

Pierre.




----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Steve Shaw" <moorcot@xxxxxxx>
To: <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Thursday, March 16, 2006 6:35 AM
Subject: RE: [Harp-L] Stuck 5 Blow and Draw Stuck On Brand New Golden Melody


> >Hello
> >   I got great advice from you folks a month ago and purchased the Jerry 
> > Portnoy course thank you all you mailed me.
> >
> >   However I have another problem I need advice on. I also bought a Hohner 
> > Golden Melody in the Key of A for the course . Was in the box for a 
> > couple of weeks and have been playing it for about a week.
> >
> >   The five blow and draw are already sticking awful and I was so careful 
> > to take care of it. I was checking Amazon and the vendors return policy 
> > and don't think
> >
> >   I will get any satisfaction on a harmonica.I had lost my apartment and 
> > close to everything. I borrowed money and got an advance on my April 12 
> > birthday gift to get the course and the harp..
> >
> >   I am assuming I am going to have to buy a new one and do not want to 
> > take this one apart until I have to . After I know they will not let me 
> > return it.
> >
> >   I am so upset and terrified I will screw it up since i do not know what 
> > I am doing. It seems like something might just be stuck in there.
> >
> >   Can any of you folks help me?Well it was worth a try, it sure seems 
> > like you  all know what the hell you are talking about so it was worth a 
> > shot.
> >
> >   Mark Seagrave
>
>
> You've probably got something stuck in there as you say, unless it's a 
> gapping problem (you'd get a slight delay known as choking before the note 
> sounds when you play hard).  Best thing is to just take off the covers and 
> have a look.  It's only a couple of screws, but use the right screwdriver 
> and don't overtighten when you replace them.  The problem may be staring 
> you in the face (usually a beard-hair in my case) or you still may not see 
> what's up.  Now the experts hereabouts may shoot me down for suggesting 
> this, but when I get this hassle with a plastic-bodied harp and I haven't 
> time to dismantle everything I rinse the harp thoroughly under a gentle 
> stream of tepid water (You can even do it with the covers on, but the 
> water gets at things better with 'em off).  Wrist-flick most of the water 
> out then tap the harp sharply on your leg. Gets the muck out 95% of times. 
> Failing that you may need to do a little very tentative poking down the 
> holes with a fine-pointed implement of some kind.   Do what doctors do - 
> the least invasive measures first, the trickier procedures failing that. 
> Good luck.
>
> Steve
>
>
> http://mysite.wanadoo-members.co.uk/trad_irish_harmonica
> HEAR my CD clips: http://www.gjk2.com/steveshaw/cd.htm
> READ review of my CD: http://www.irishmusicreview.com/sshaw.htm
>
>
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