Odd Question
I have noticed that some of my harps have an odd tin taste/feeling when I place my tongue on them. Like when you were a kid and placed your tongue on a 9volt battery.
Do you know how to get rid of it?
Is there a way to get rid of it?
Hello bluzmann,
You mentioned that this phenomenon happens only to a few of your harmonicas. Please identify the make and model of those nasty harps, and I’ll see if I can come up with solutions for you.
Kinya
I only have Hohner Special 20's. The one that I'm having the most problems with is a "G" that was recently worked on by Randy Sandoval. New corian comb added and customized.
Did the new comb eliminate the front plastic "mouthpiece" that is part of the Sp20 comb? if so, it may be exposing the steel rivets of the blow reeds to your mouth, where before they were behind the mouthpiece.
One thing you might try is a very small dab of clear nail polish on each rivet to insulate it from contact with your lips or tongue. (I say clear for purely cosmetic reasons, unless you find a shade that looks really cool).
Hello bluzmann and thanx Winslow,
Randy Sandoval has made numerous world class Corian combs for me, all in the flat "sandwhich" style that matches the Hohner Marine Band. Here the reed plates are aligned with the leading edge of the comb, making up the mouthpiece, and exposing the BLOW reed rivets to the very front of the harmonica. In fact, the rivets are only 1/32" away from your tongue!
The original Hohner Special 20, on the other hand, is a injection molded "indexed" comb made of ABS plastic, with a comfortable preformed mouthpiece. The reed plates are nested into place with indexed protrusions, then torqued down with reed plate screws. With the SP20 comb, the blow reed rivets are set back 1/8" and your tongue is protected by the mouthpiece.
Winslow's recommendation of painting the rivets with nail polish is a cheap and easy fix. A little dab should do it. Be careful not to get any product onto the reeds -- you don't want to create tuning headaches for yourself.
The Saga continues! Let us know ...
Kinya
Hello bluzmann,
You think that's odd, how 'bout Andy Just's teeth receiving that very same sensation when I plug in the ultrasonic cleaner! And what's this talk about "when I was a teenager stuff". I'm willing to bet, that any musician, who includes a stomp box in his or her rig, has tested their 9volt battery on their tongue -- better buzz than a double espresso.
You are not alone. Numerous people have reported to me similar experiences of electrical and/or bitter tastes, especially harmonicas with aluminum combs. My hunch is that when “non-ferrous” metals (stuff you can’t pick up with a magnet), such as aluminum and/or brass come in contact with “ferrous” metals; like the steel, an electrical/chemical reaction occurs. Our tongue and lips; saturated with moisture/minerals act as a conductor, coming in contact with the comb, reed and rivet simultaneously.
Harmonicas with rivets closely positioned near the mouthpiece (you can see and touch them with your tongue) have the same effect. I remember machining a Suzuki Promaster aluminum comb down to Hohner Marine Band dimensions. The reed plates, comb and cover plates fit perfectly. You should have seen my “shock” the first – and last time I played it. Now that was a buzz!
“Play the notes people want to hear” © 2008
Kinya Pollard
The Harpsmith