Cleaning your harp
Mon, 09/18/2017 - 16:34
Im nearing the end of the beginner phase. Ive played the heck out of A harp and open it clean it now and then. I see the reeds and frame showing corrosion and discoloration. Any tips on how to clearn the guts of the harp? At some point should I just get a new one? It still plays fine.
Gary
This might be beter posted in Kinya's repair and maintenance forum. "Gear" usually refers to amps, mics, and the like.
Generally discoloration is not a problem. Brass doesn't suffer significant corrosion damage, which is one reason it's used in harmonica reeds.
If your harp has screwed-on reedplates, it'se easy to disassemble and clean. But just taking the covers off and scraping off whatever crud creeps under the mouthpiece and flicking dried stuf out of the holes with a dry toothbrush is enough to prevent problems.
Some players feel that all that stuff just helps seal up leaks and should be left alone (Douglas Tate, one of my mentors, was of that opinion).
Others, like Jason Ricci, are clean freaks who feel that a harmonica performs and sounds better when clean. He made a long video about it, which you can find on YouTube. Two things to note, though:
1. Do NOT use Kaboom! They changed the formula after this video was made and should NOT be used on brass. Use something else.
2. Jason attributes Douglas' statement to me, probably because he heard me relating it. My own attitude is somewhere between Doug's and Jason's.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E3RwSiMEQvg&t=30s