Re: Subject: [Harp-L] Harp Soaking ...

[David Payne <dmatthew@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

A while back the Elk River Institute for Advanced Harmonica Studies looked into this issue. It was found that whiskey, like bourbon, has someanti-bacterial properties... Since it's aged in wood barrels, it takes on matter from wood, this is oversimplified, sure, but it's like grain alcohol with liquid wood in it. I think the most interesting thing I found was when I allowed a puddle of Early Times to dry on a flat surface. It left a film, like a hard resin. I could imagine that filling in some of the comb/reedplate air leaks. Ultimately, there are easier ways to take care of these problems today, but the old timers, I believe, did know what they were talking about.

Dave
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----- Original Message ----
From: Brian Stear <brianstear@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx
Sent: Wed, January 27, 2010 11:27:19 AM
Subject: Subject: [Harp-L] Harp Soaking ...

Just a quick note on this........back in the 60's, a club  in Goleta California, right above Santa Barbara used to let us kids in, mainly because they needed the business. One day they had this blues band in ( for me back then, blues was Jimi Hendrix and Led Zeppelin ). Honestly, at the time I didn'tt get it and didn't like it. But the harmonica player/singer/frontman kept pulling his harps out of a glass which later on I would come to recognize as containing whiskey. During break, I asked the well dressed man why he kepts his harmonicas in the glass. Said " makes them play better ".
  The harmonica player was Charlie Musselwhite.

Brian
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