Sour notes until warmed up
Thu, 03/30/2023 - 11:44
Hello Kinya! Lately, when I begin playing my Marine Band A harmonica that I've had for 14 months, the second, third, and fourth holes sound terribly sour. After I've played for less than a minute, they seem to be back in tune. Even if I warm the harmonica up first, which I most always do, this seems to happen. I've only noticed this in the last month or so. I've taken the harp apart and haven't noticed anything out of whack. Although I'm far from an expert about adjusting reeds, the gapping and clearance look okay to me. Is this an indication of weakening reeds or what? Thanks!
Hi No-Note-Harm, it is difficult to assess, but by "sour" you mean the reeds don't speak with the clarity and tone of a new harmonica, it could be time for the reed plates to receive a deep cleaning in an Ultrasonic bath. 40,000 thousand bubbles popping per second do a fabulous job of removing 14 months of caked on saliva.
On the other hand, if you discovered--against your chromatic tuner--that your reeds have gone sharp (#), then we will have a conversation about Tuning.
Your HARPSMITH, Kinya