Baltobluesman
12 posts
Nov 14, 2011
6:47 PM
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I have a mustache and a goatee. I love it. I keep it well trimmed and I've had it long enough that no one recognizes me without it. I even put it up to a poll as to whether or not I should shave it on my fb page and all my hot chick friends emphatically said "no!!" (and let's face it, no other votes matter to me!).
BUT... As a harp player, I've ripped sooo many hairs out of my upper lip playing that I'm lucky I can even grow a 'stache anymore. And I remember every damn one of them. The only thing that hurts more is catching your -you know- in your zipper! So for my fellow 'stashe sporting harp players, is there a particular harp that you like because you have less problems with this or is there a particular way you wear your 'stache that minimizes the issue? Help a brother out!!!
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JInx
131 posts
Nov 14, 2011
6:58 PM
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Marine Band
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Todd Parrott
774 posts
Nov 14, 2011
7:00 PM
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I had a full beard and mustache for awhile and experienced the same problem, mainly with the mustache. I finally gave up and shaved it. Sorry that I can't be of more help....
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jbone
685 posts
Nov 14, 2011
8:20 PM
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sp20s used to be notorious for grabbing stache hairs. i very rarely have this issue since i seldom use a sp20 any more. i also keep the stache at maybe 3/8" or less. but the main thing is finding a harp that the covers don't let any hairs in the left end of the top cover. because when you move up from the low notes and a hair is in there- you know the rest!
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easyreeder
25 posts
Nov 14, 2011
8:26 PM
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I'm not sure if I shave so I can play harp, or if I play harp so I don't have to wear a beard. Same story, everybody says "you look great", but it hurts too much to play. As I recall it was harps with the slight split in the cover at the corner, the split tended to snag the whiskers. Course I"m beardless now, so I can't test that theory. My beard is curly, and my whiskers are on the thick/stiff side, and I often thought this made them more prone to snagging.
Last Edited by on Nov 14, 2011 8:26 PM
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Pluto
190 posts
Nov 14, 2011
8:35 PM
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What's almost as bad is the hair that gets pulled out often gets stuck under the cover plate, and tickles you on the nose. If you're older than 20 the low light and bad old guy eyes make it hard to pull out!!
I use Seydels now and don't have the problem as much. Golden melody's are the worst.
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nacoran
4927 posts
Nov 14, 2011
8:43 PM
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Lee Oskars are notorious for it, which is a pain, since they are my harp of choice and I've got a caterpillar living on my lip. I've found that will some diligence though I can keep it from happening too often.
The first thing is it depends on your mouth position. The farther in your mouth you've got the harp the less you have to worry about the hairs directly above your lips (which is good because you get better tone that way anyway.) Unfortunately, then you have to worry more about the hairs on the side (especially with those square holes in the tops of Lee Oskars.)
So, how do I groom? I take a fine toothed comb into the bathroom with me and I use it to pull my 'stache straight down. I trim everything that sticks down to cover any part of the red of my lip. Usually I carefully use buzzers to do this. It's harder on the sides, but if you eyeball it you can get it. You want it to be as short as you can get it and still have it look full. There is a little bit of art to it. I've got a spot on the left side that isn't as thick to start will which makes it difficult for me. It doesn't stop the hair pulling entirely, but it helps. I also shave my soul patch, but that has nothing to do with the harp- when I don't I develop a weird twitch from the tickle.
Then, there is the chromatic. I've got a Chrometta and I've learned to fear the slide. It catches me at least once every time I take it out. I've learned though that if I return the slide to the same position it was in when it caught the hair will release without further injury.
All in all, with a little careful trimming I manage to only get caught every few weeks now, almost as infrequently as I catch neck hair on the edge of my seatbelt. That's good, because my goatee is the only thing hiding my double chin.
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Nate
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BeardHarmonica
44 posts
Nov 15, 2011
1:35 AM
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Get the right harmonica. I don't have that problem with my Seydel harmonica.
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mojojojo
81 posts
Nov 15, 2011
2:11 AM
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Look into turboharp lids....never tried them but it looks like they are smooth all the way around
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sammyharp
152 posts
Nov 15, 2011
2:24 AM
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The new crossover covers have no joint at the corners. Much more beard and moustache friendly.
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Tommy the Hat
410 posts
Nov 15, 2011
5:54 AM
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Funny thing about the Seydels not grabbing mustache hair mentioned above. I have the opposite problem with my Solist Pro's. They are always snagging hairs. Actually I was trying to find an old thread where someone else mentioned this and I replied to it during the thread agreeing. I couldn't find it but I found another thread that someone also mentioned it so I guess it isn't that uncommon.
7th post down.
http://www.modernbluesharmonica.com/board/board_topic/5560960/544083.htm
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Tommy
Last Edited by on Nov 15, 2011 5:55 AM
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Jim Rumbaugh
601 posts
Nov 15, 2011
5:58 AM
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I have the beard and moustache. I trim them every day.
I rarely have problems
I play special 20s
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shadoe42
69 posts
Nov 15, 2011
8:09 AM
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I keep my stache/goatee trimmed pretty short. Harp is one of the reasons why :) I can always tell it is past time to trim up when I start catching the stache hairs in the covers. But until they get a little longer I have no problems on my harpmasters.
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The Musical Blades
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KingBiscuit
126 posts
Nov 15, 2011
8:17 AM
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I used to play Lee Oskar pretty much exclusively and never had a problem catching my mustache in them. A couple months back, I started using Seydel Blues Soloist Pros and have yanked quite a few hairs out of my stache!
It wakes you up for sure!
Dan
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Bugsy
18 posts
Nov 15, 2011
8:46 AM
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My facial hair isn't significant enough to cause me any trouble in that regard, but I remember I pulled a chin hair bringing the harp down from my mouth once. It is a very memorable experience.
That being said, my Golden Melody is really smooth and rounded, so I would say that is your best bet. A quick rub test implies it is safe.
Really, I don't know how you would snag one on this.
Last Edited by on Nov 15, 2011 8:47 AM
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walterharp
760 posts
Nov 15, 2011
11:02 AM
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you can fix this on most harps by taking a very very slim bit of bluetack and putting it in the cracks.. any place where you can get a thing blade to get in a bit could catch and pull a hair. figure out where your problem points are, take of the cover plates, roll very thin piece of the tack and put it inside the cover plate where it will not be noticed from the outside
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HawkeyeKane
409 posts
Nov 15, 2011
11:27 AM
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I've been thinking about experimenting with a SP20 lately...in particular, seeing if I can mount plastic cover plates from Piedmonts and/or Blue Ices on a SP20 comb, and whether it'll make any difference to the tone or abilities. But the plastic plates may also make a diff in catching whiskers.
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Hawkeye Kane
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nacoran
4934 posts
Nov 15, 2011
5:35 PM
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HawkeyeKane, I've tried the Piedmont covers on a SP20. They fit fine but they muffle the sound a bit. It's not a bad choice for a practice harp though, especially if you are somewhere where volume is an issue. Before it cracked I had a clear acrylic comb that I put SP20 reeds on with set of Piedmont covers on it. It was a slick looking harp.
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Nate
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oldwailer
1772 posts
Nov 15, 2011
5:45 PM
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If you're catching stash hairs too much, you need to work on your harps. Check them for a little bitty space between the cover and the reed plate. I never tried blue tack for that--seems like stuff would stick to that--I just take them apart and bend the covers around until they fit tight--then no problem--I have a full beard and stash--haven't shaved in over 40 years. . .
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barbequebob
1778 posts
Nov 16, 2011
7:48 AM
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I don't have a 'stache or a beard anymore, but when I did, the one thing I had to do REGARDLESS of what harp it was, what was needed was that you keep it neatly groomed and trimmed ALL THE TIME and don't let it get to be a bushy mess or this is gonna be a frequent occurance and I've had those hairs caught in the slide of a chromatic and so to say it's one model more than another is total BS from my experience, so outside of shaving it off, you HAVE to keep it NEATLY TRIMMED all the time, like it or not, and many guys don't.
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Sincerely,
Barbeque Bob Maglinte
Boston, MA
http://www.barbequebob.com
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HawkeyeKane
410 posts
Nov 16, 2011
8:54 AM
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@nacoran
Please tell me it at least sounded better with the SP20 comb and plates. I would imagine it'd have to considering the materials used for the Piedmont plates.
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Hawkeye Kane
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