Re: [Harp-L] breaking - in, looking for a metallurgist

[Cljdm@xxxxxxx]

Hi all,
 
When I first started playing I was told to go "easy" on the harmonica for  
the first few weeks. It will play much better if I softly blow and draw the  
natural notes and the bends. I cannot recall where or who I received this 
bit of  advice, but I listened.  I noticed the harps I break in ( some of my 
harps  do not get this attention, I do not know why)  usually turn out to be 
my  favorite harps. That seems to be enough proof for me. Now if I can find 
the  discipline  to break in all my  harps, I probably would be spending a  
lot less money on new ones.
 
Chris Mastakas
 
 
In a message dated 5/27/2010 6:47:59 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time,  
jevern@xxxxxxx writes:

"Coaxing" is possible in only iron and mild steel, not in high-carbon  or 
stainless steel.  Besides that, breaking-in doesn't meet the  procedural 
requirements of coaxing.  Coaxing requires a long period of  cycling at low 
stress followed by successive long periods of gradually  increasing stress.  For 
two reasons, coaxing does not occur in the  "breaking-in" of SS harmonica 
reeds.  We currently have no evidence that  breaking-in extends the life of 
reeds.  

Hohner and Sissy Jones  claim that it does but have not revealed the basis 
for their  claims.

Vern  



On May 27, 2010, at 12:43 PM,  captron100@xxxxxxx wrote:

> 
>   Patrick wrote:  
> You don't need a metallurgist to establish whether or not breaking in  a 
harmonica has a perceptible effect....snip....which of the harmonicas (the  
"broken in" harps or the stock harps) sounds better?
> 
>  
>  This reminds me that we are questioning three aspects of  breaking in -- 
does breaking in supposedly make a harp sound better, play  better, or last 
longer?  So far the evidence indicated by science seems  to indicate that 
breaking in a brass reed harp is a myth.    
>  But still unanswered is whether breaking in could benefit a  harp with 
reeds that are made of ferrous metal, such as the Sydel 1847 with  it's 
stainless steel reeds.  
> ron
> 
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