Re: Subject: Re: [Harp-L] valve problems! need help!

[joe leone <3N037@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Jan 4, 2010, at 12:03 AM, EGS1217@xxxxxxx wrote:

> Good info from both of you!
>
> quoting Michelle and Smokey (much snipped):
>
> "You just can't leave a stone unturned, can you JoJo? You oughta  
> write a
> book, "Harmonicas For The Incurably Curious" or "Harmonicas For The
> Inveterate Tinkerer!" Seriously! You carry a wealth of harmonica
> knowledge and experience unequaled in any other person I know of.  
> Every
> time a "new" idea comes along, you "been dere, done dat!" Write it  
> down,
> old buddy. Get credit where credit is due!
>
> Michelle"

I'm not all fired up on getting credit. But I DO believe I came up  
with country tuning. I just got home from the gig but I'm too wired  
up to sleep, so here goes.

Here's the deal. Back in the mid 50s I started playing chromo. The  
first thing I noticed is that the slides stuck. The second thing was  
the wind saver problem(s). I no longer worry about the slides but am  
always searching for the best wind saver. Even though lately, I  
haven't had a problem there either. In the past 55 years, I have  
tried a lot of things. It wasn't because I was looking for a bid for  
recognition. It was a matter of economics. I always had the  
impression that when you bought a chromo, you were stuck with it. I  
was a teenie bopper and didn't have funds. Then when I DID have  
funds, I already knew what I was doing. :)

Ergo, I have made reeds from brass lipstick cases, shell casings,  
electrical contact points, razor blades, etc. I have made rivets from  
paper clips, high heel shoe tap nails, springs from #2 safety pins, I  
jewel the slides, have shaved reeds. I may not be a master craftsman  
but ALL my chromos work. I recently got rid of 3 or 4 diatonics  
simply because they were over 16 years old and looked whipped. I gave  
3 to Dave Payne..for parts. One went into the river.

I have run into a giant dillema. Before GSHC, I had 8 chromos. ALL in  
good playing condition. I now have 12 after bringing home 4 with  
minor problems. They are now (also) in good shape. My problem is that  
since my chromos always work, I have NO spare reeds. If I were to  
NEED a reed change, I wouldn't be able to do it. That's what kind of  
shape MY stuff is in. So instead of sending the chromo away, I would  
probably MAKE a reed.

No drawers full of 'beaters'. A couple weeks ago, I wrote about a job  
that I did putting a bushing IN a rivet hole and subsequently  
mounting a new reed INTO that bushing. It works fine now. Would  
anyone else go to the trouble? That was my last low reed.

6 or 7 of us would go to Gerri Muradian's home on Tuesday evenings to  
play arraingements. I would get there a coupe hours early and we  
would work on chromos. I not only learned some stuff Jerry (Murad),  
he learned some stuff from me too. But I went to my first spah in  
1991 and I was either Herb Eck's room mate OR Jerry's friend. That's  
what I was. Mr Cellophane. I made no fuss. I still don't. I don't  
glom my way in if I feel I'm not welcome.

As for a book. I waited too long. AND I don't have a REP. You need a  
rep.  So, I'll just remain Mr. Cellophane. One day I was talking to  
Richard Farrell about mounting reeds on studs and cap nuts and told  
him I was using inserts. He mentioned Blackie's book. I went and  
bought it. There was nothing in there that I didn't know. So it was  
nice to see that all I had been doing was good stuff. It's a decent  
book. Someone else mention the late great Doug Tate's book. For  
aforementioned reason I didn't buy it. But I DID look at a friend's  
copy. I found it a wealth of info. Most of which was over kill, but  
still a great book.
>  Michelle, I'm not sure if you're the one who coined the 'McGyver'  
> name for SmoJoe...but whoever it was nailed it. And in reference to  
> your points above, you're so right. He's never satisfied with what  
> other people do...is always looking for new and different methods  
> to try something, or other ways to turn a problem upside down just  
> to look at it askew and anew. I'm surprised he has time to play the  
> darn things <G>

As a matter of fact Elizabeth, I was trying out some new material  
tonight that I have been working on for my upcoming 10 day cruise in  
February. I did a rendition of Killer Joe that even YOU would have  
liked. It was 'Killah'  lol
> Like you, I've learned so much hanging around him...from his wild  
> imagination and ability to make something from nearly nothing.   
> It's become a wee bit of a contest now...to see just what ordinary  
> household objects we can find to turn into 'harmonica related'  
> tools. It's all such fun and too cool, and he really SHOULD write a  
> book. I second the motion :)
>
> Here's a wee tip of my own, haha: used mascara wands. Soak 'em for  
> a while in a paper cup with dishwasher detergent. Keep replacing  
> the water and soap, then scrub lightly with an old toothbrush and  
> soak again until the wand/brush (with its attached handle) has no  
> traces of mascara left. Then run through the dishwasher for the  
> final cleaning.   I have several now (we women are supposed to  
> replace our mascaras every few months, anyway).
>
> They make perfect cleaning brushes to get into mouthpiece holes.  
> Some narrow to points, some come with already curved tips but even  
> the straight ones can be gently curved if need be. Just be careful  
> not to allow them to be caught between reed and reedplate..slow and  
> careful is the way to use them but they make a perfect cleaning  
> tool for any type of harmonica.
>
> Elizabeth