Re: [Harp-L] Soaking harps

["Steve Shaw" <moorcot@xxxxxxx>]

> > It'll probably perform pretty badly until it warms up.  When your hot 
> > breath hits the cold reeds, moisture from your breath will condense on the 
> > reeds, making them wet, sluggish, and perhaps completely unresponsive.
> >
> > This is why Robert Bonfiglio warms his harps with a small electric blanket 
> > or heating pad before he performs.  You want the reeds to be as warm as 
> > your breath to prevent condensation.
>
> Any appreciable condensation on the reeds is shaken off by their vibration. 
> The reason that Bonfiglio and others warm their harps is indeed to suppress 
> condensation.  However it is not for any "sluggishness" affect of the 
> reeds..  They play chromatics where the condensation can cause the 
> windsavers to stick and pop.
>
> Visit my harmonica website www.Hands-Free-Chromatic.7p.com
> Vern

I think I may have mentioned this before, but a cheap and convenient way of 
keeping your chroms warm and ready to play all night is to put them in a bag 
of some sort with one or two of those gel hand-warming packs, the sort that 
have a little disc in them which you flex to activate the gel.  They give 
out gentle heat for a couple of hours, and when you get home you restore 
their heat-giving powers by boiling in water for a few minutes.   I've had a 
pair of these for two years and they cost me three pounds the pair and 
they're still going strong.  I've forgotten what popping valves are.

Steve

http://mysite.wanadoo-members.co.uk/trad_irish_harmonica
HEAR my CD clips: http://www.gjk2.com/steveshaw/cd.htm

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