Other than the obvious potential loss of air/responsiveness what is the benefit of sealing a comb-at least to the degree some do? Aren't out of the box combs decent enough? MB for example. I would also appreciate a good link too. Thanks.
I don't think it's so much about the swelling as it is about them drying out after they swell. That leaves pins/screws pushed out so that the once air tight harp is now very leaky. My new Deuce and a Quarter has a wooden comb and it seems to have a finish of somekind on it, not sure what but I've not played it enough to notice any swelling yet. It IS a really great feeling harp though.
Yeah, like Frank says, the main reason for sealing a harp is to prevent the repeated cycle of wetting and drying of the comb. It's like the freezing-thawing cycle that destroys the surface on every road in the Northeast every year. It can loosen nails, create a protruding edge that chews up your lip. Purely from a speculative point of view it might keep your harps from turning into germ factories too. If you've got one open anyway, you can also sand the tines to round the ends off a bit. That feels really nice on the lips and it actually seems to make them more playable. (My guess is because it effectively gives you a little bigger target to get a clean blow on a hole.)
Frank, I saw the link to the discounted Deuce and a Quarters, but they only seemed to have them in A, the key I'm most overstocked in. I've wanted to try one for a long time. What do you think about it.
I think that A is the only key they made em' in. If this is a wooden comb harp then I'm really lovin' it from first impressions. Not sure what it's a take off of, Blues Harp, Marine Band or ??? but it has a feel to it and it sounds awesome. It does appear to have some kind of finish on it, not sure what though. I figured that a $59.99 harp for $24.99 is just way too good of a deal to pass up and I wanted a higher quality A harp then my Old Standby. If nothing else it's sure to become a collectors item. Once I get back to work I may have to look into the other wooden comb harps that Hohner makes and pick up a couple three, maybe the Blues Harp or the MB. Someone posted some info about using Butcher's Block oil to help seal a wooden comb but you need to make sure that there's no additives or drying agents since that'll make it smell funny and would probably also give it a bad taste.
34 Days to Blow Your Brains Out i can't wait to here you Play your new Harp:)
Telling the Truth Maybe i shouldn't Have Challenged you I'm thinking this May be A mistake sounds like You Realy know what your Talking about? ---------- 34 Days
"Other than the obvious potential loss of air/responsiveness what is the benefit of sealing a comb"
Actually, sealing them will nave no effect - it actually may make the leak worse. It's sanding them flat/smooth that will make them less leaky and much more responsive.
Now, once it's flat and plays really well, will it stay that way? There probably is a greater chance that it does if the comb is sealed. ----------
Thanks. Makes more sense. I thought it helped a lot with the responsiveness but it's more comfort, consistency, durability and hygene. I do recall swelling issues with the tines and it was brutal but that was years ago. I do use all wooden combs but don't have any real issues with them. Ok, I will seal. Chromatic scale on the way.
Some Marine Bands have a bumpy surface (or saw mill marks) that cause the contact between the reedplates and the comb to leak air. For example, if you have a harp that has a hole that is really hard to play; a hole that is very airy no matter how you gap it.
If you take apart the harp and sand down the comb to make it completely smooth, the harp will play much better once reassembled.
So you don't blow out the seal - it just was never there.
