[Harp-L] Wind Saver Maintenance

[Elizabeth Hess <TrackHarpL@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I'm doing some work on the chromatic harp for my lessons right now.   
With an unusual lull in other areas of my life, I've been able to put  
in 45-90 minutes of practice a day.  (Woo.)

Some of the wind savers are starting to curl up away from the reed  
plates, and some of the notes are starting to sound markedly  
"breathier".  I just re-watched the section of Rupert Oysler's DVD on  
maintaining chromatic.  (Don't lose those little screw bumpers!)

I know I'm going to have to go in there.  I'm worried that I'll screw  
a wind saver up and not be able to get everything back and playable in  
short order, or worse, not in time for my lesson next Wednesday.  I  
know what to do.  But I'm a klutz.  It's just fear.  That's all.

What I'm wondering is, what's the typical maintenance life of a wind  
saver?  In terms of playing hours, I suppose.  I mean, is this  
something that chromatic players do  *all the time*, so I'm just being  
a whiney-butt about having to do it now, or is it one of those  
infrequent things that I can at least feel justified in grumbling about?

Thanks in advance.

Elizabeth (aka "All-Thumbs Lizzie")