snapz
7 posts
Jul 31, 2013
6:23 AM
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Hi good folks of planet harp.
I'm looking for some advice. I recently bought a second hand 365 Marine Band it's old but plays really well and is a lot of fun
butt ....
after 20 mins or so of playing the comb swells up like a bee sting and that's it for some hours or in the oven it goes for 15 mins to dry out. I have the same problem with a Blues Harp.
I'd be grateful for some advice. What I can do to treat and seal the combs of these great instruments.
PS. This effing code on the bottom is doin' my head in.
Thanks !
Jeff
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Gnarly
652 posts
Jul 31, 2013
10:42 AM
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Lots of folks seal their wood combs--I don't do it myself, but Mike Peace in Tulsa has been doing my 365s (I like the range, I retune them).
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Kingley
2952 posts
Jul 31, 2013
10:50 AM
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You can use lots of things to seal the comb, such as beeswax or mineral oil. Just do a search on the forum and you'll find loads of info on it. Alternatively you could get an aftermarket comb. These come in various materials such as sealed wood, corian or acrylic and metal. This would mean changing the harp to a screw assembly rather than nails. Again a forum search will bring up a wealth of information on how to do this, or people that will do it for you if you don't feel confident doing it yourself. The forum search is in the left hand column. Just scroll down until you see "forum search".
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STME58
511 posts
Jul 31, 2013
11:33 AM
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I sealed one of my Marine Bands with hot vegetable oil. The trouble was I used the same pan to heat the oil that I make quesadillas with, now the harp smells like tortilla chips! It's been a year and the smell is still there. It has not gone rancid though.
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jbone
1320 posts
Jul 31, 2013
1:31 PM
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Beeswax can be very dangerous to work with, it flashes at a low temp so will actually catch fire if one is not very careful. Never happened to me but I always used a double boiler setup to heat it to liquid. Over all if I was still sealing- I've moved on to Suzuki Manji- I'd find a way that was easier and still effective like oil or silicone.
Those big 14 holers sure give a nice tone. SBII used them in G and C a lot.
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http://www.reverbnation.com/jawboneandjolene
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wa7La7yYYeE
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arzajac
1114 posts
Jul 31, 2013
4:24 PM
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Hi Jeff.
I have combs for MB 365. $16.50 each.
Blues harp (MS) $15 each.
Your choice, I mail you the comb and you prep and install the comb or you send me the harp and you get back a well-playing, adjusted and tuned harp with a new comb. 5 day turnaround for comb installation service. Contact me for more info...
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Custom overblow harps. Harmonica service and repair.
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arzajac
1115 posts
Jul 31, 2013
5:33 PM
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...Just to elaborate a little... I was on my phone and I can't type very well on that thing!
I've restored many combs. The challenge is to keep everything flat. These combs are so unpredictable that it's just a lot easier to swap out the comb with one that won't swell.
But if you are really up for it, I recommend you flat-sand the comb as well as the draw reed plate. This will make the harp play even better than it does now.
I seal wood combs with water-based varnish. Apply some to the inside of the tines and watch then warp. Let the varnish dray and in most cases the wood will come back to at least 80 per cent of normal. Apply two other coats to the inside of the tines. This take about two days in total.
Then apply three coats to the sides of the comb. I massage the varnish in so that everything stays flat. You can't brush it on.
Again that should take a couple of days, letting each coat dry before you apply the next. Once you are sure everything is dry, run the comb under water for a moment. Shake it off and dab it dry. Watch the tines to make sure they don't warp. Even if you did a pro job sealing the comb, about 1 in 50 will still warp.
If it still warps at that point you start from scratch and apply another three coats.
After doing this for a few years, I decided that it's just a lot easier to make my own combs.
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Custom overblow harps. Harmonica service and repair.
Last Edited by arzajac on Jul 31, 2013 5:35 PM
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nacoran
6989 posts
Jul 31, 2013
6:48 PM
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STME58, as long as it doesn't go rancid, I'd call that a feature! Mmm... quesadilla!
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snapz
8 posts
Aug 03, 2013
7:11 AM
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Hi, thanks for the advice.
jeff
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