Eyeball_Kid
17 posts
Sep 13, 2014
12:01 PM
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Hey guys!
I have problem: I went away for 6 weeks and my apartment got all wet and moldy. I left all my harps in a drawer and now they smell and taste like 60 year old shoes. I already tried laying them into water for a day but the smell is still there and I guess it's not that healthy to suck on moldy harmonicas. Unfortunately I don't have the money to buy a whole new set.
Do you have any tips about how I could kill the spurs and get the moldy taste and smell out of them?
Thanks!
Manuel
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arzajac
1467 posts
Sep 13, 2014
12:24 PM
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Hello Manuel.
What model harps are they? I would deal with this completely differently depending on the comb material.
I would discard the wood combs because they would be a lot of work to deal with while keeping them flat - but it's possible to restore them. I make and sell combs, but I only started doing that because dealing with the stock wood combs was too much work for it to be worth the effort.
It's really hard to get a bad smell out of a wood comb. You need to scrape off any obvious debris, seal the comb with varnish, flat-sand it and then seal the sides again (because you have sanded away the finish). Massage the varnish into the surface of the comb so that it doesn't create an unflat layer of varnish. Keeping the comb flat will help make it playable. An unflat comb will make your harp sound terrible.
If the combs are plastic, take the harps apart completely and wash them well in warm soapy water. Use your fingers to gently rub suds all over the reed plates without messing with the reeds (rub soap from base to tip) Rinse well and the mouldy smell should be gone - no need for harmful chemicals.
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Custom overblow harps. Harmonica service and repair.
Last Edited by arzajac on Sep 13, 2014 5:35 PM
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Eyeball_Kid
18 posts
Sep 13, 2014
12:57 PM
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Unfortunately only one of them is plastic.
Seems like a great deal of work with the wooden combs. Maybe I should just replace the combs with new ones. Most of them are Marine Bands. Luckily I don't own any fancy custom harps. (What a sentence :D) But I don't know where to get the single combs.
If I only replace the combs, can I simply wash the smell off the metal?
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Thievin' Heathen
391 posts
Sep 13, 2014
3:11 PM
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You went away for 6 weeks and didn't take your harps?
Are you certain you're not a shill for Andrew's combs.
Andrew, you do not have to stoop to these sales gimmicks. Your combs sell themselves.
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arzajac
1468 posts
Sep 13, 2014
5:43 PM
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Manuel: Yes, you can wash the smell off the metal.
A third-party (replacement) comb for Marine Band 1896 will be made for use with screws. It's a bit of work to convert a Marine Band to screws:
Here's a video on how to do it:
Unless these harps were manufactured in the late 80s or early 90s, I would say it's worth it to restore them. By making the reed plate flat and using a comb that is flatter than the stock comb, you will improve the instrument.
Thievin' Heathen : Thanks!
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Custom overblow harps. Harmonica service and repair.
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harpwrench
906 posts
Sep 13, 2014
6:19 PM
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What model harps, and where are you
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www.spiersharmonicas.com
High performance harmonicas.
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JustFuya
493 posts
Sep 13, 2014
6:38 PM
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I bought an excellent instrument off eBay but it had a very odd smell; as if it came out of granny's steamer trunk in the leaky basement. I can't believe I played it out of the box. The pads were somewhat eaten but the metal was immaculate so I had it rebuilt.
I tore the felt out of the case and after 6 months of 24/7 outside and in direct sun it sill stinks. I'm going to spray it with bleach and let it set outside until the rains come, and then I'll sand the dead critters off. I'm determined, but really, I should just toss the case.
Clean the metal & replace the organic material. If you don't it will be like kissing a decomposed corpse. Not that I've ever done that on purpose but I think I did in this case. Mold leaves an indelible mark.
Last Edited by JustFuya on Sep 14, 2014 10:42 AM
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