[Harp-L] Re: Soaking Your Harps

[JohnnieHarp <johnnieharp@xxxxxxxxx>]

> I think I stopped soaking my harps in 1972.   Does anyone still do it?

Based on the recent postings and just to be clear that we are all on
the same page, I'd like to introduce some now-to-be standard
definitions involving harmonicas and their exposure to liquids ...
please feel free to refine and clarify these as you desire ...

My answers to your question is: NO/Maybe, YES, YES... see below

Definitions:

Harp Soaking - Placement of harmonica in a liquid for an extended
period of time ... i.e. long enough for a wood comb to swell and
distort ... tens of minutes to hours ... occassionally until the next
day if it was an especially long night  ... done with non-sealed,
tine-trimmed, wood combed harps to return comb tines to flush position
with front of harp ... any liquid may do ... high test liquor said to
work best ... especially in the days of yore when used as an excuse to
squeeze a large freeby out of the establishment under the guise a
necessary stage prop ...

May also refer to placing harmonica in a liquid for an extended period
in hopes that any hardened "stuff" floats off and, in the imagination
of the operator, circumvents the need for total harp dissessembly and
elbow-greasing ...

Harp Flushing - placing a harmonica under running water/liquid or
swishing it back and forth in a container of liquid for a minute or
two to dislodge a stuck reed or particulate matter of known or unknown
origin ... typically followed by gently shaking out excess liquid then
sucking and drawing to make sure the darn thing works properly... done
to degunkify harp if gunked, especially in cases where there is
insufficient time to perform a proper disassembly and cleaning ... May
be performed in an attempt to free a stuck reed... May take place at
any time, before, during or after a performance depending on
operational demand and personal preference... also aids in instrument
moisturizing

Harp Moisturizing - a quick introduction of a minimal amount of fluid
followed by the immediate removal of any moisture by either tapping,
shaking or BS'ing (blowing-sucking) ... the purpose of this is to
shorten the time for the harmonica to reach its optimal performance
state such that instrument's playing characteristics including
responsiveness and audio dynamics meet with operator expectations and
satisfaction...

The mechanism by which this works is somewhat in debate... the most
likely mechanisms include a reduction in the degree of inter-harmonica
air leakage and the functional reduction of reed-reed slot tolerances
due to the introduction of a fluid ... both of these mechanisms may
play a part depending on the particulars of the instrument
involved...In some cases, this practice may be counterproductive...
especially true if the harmonica has been modified to have very small
inter reed-reedslot and/or reed-reedplate gap tolerances where,
instead, moisturization may promote reed sticking through the surface
tension inherenet in the fluid ....

So the answer is:

NO/Maybe ... Harp soaking ... of no value functional value with
non-swelling combs ... state-of-the-art combs are nearly or completely
water impervious therefore the tines do not swell outwards during
operation therefore there is no need to trim them back ... HOWEVER
there mab be instances in which the operator is attempting go
rehydrate desicated "harp sludge" in hopes of subsequently flushing it
out of the instrument with moving water/liquid ...

YES ... Harp flushing ....  Used based on operator whim ... generally
to to free a stuck reed or clean the crap out ...

YES ... Harp moisturizing ... used based on operator discretion ...
may be more useful for diatonic harmonicas in the lower keys to
facilitate low note reed responsiveness when beginning to play ...

UPDATE: It has recently been noted that the use of garlic juice in the
moisturizing process, may be useful due to the well known
anti-Vampiric properties that it holds. It is unkown at this time,
whether this is a universal or merely a regional geographic phenomena.
Just don't say we didn't warn 'ya ...