sonvolt13
83 posts
Feb 21, 2011
7:47 AM
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After 10 years of sp20s I'm considering switching to the Crossover. I like to soak my harps about once a month in 91% Isopropyl alcohol or Samistat and water. Can the Crossover's sealed Bamboo comb handle this without swelling? Thanks.
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Sausagescoffer
24 posts
Feb 21, 2011
9:03 AM
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There was a thread on the old Harponline website (which is now closed, I believe) that showed a MB Deluxe and Crossover comb soaked in a large glass jug of water for 24 hours. The Deluxe sank to the bottom - the Crossover stayed afloat!
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Xpun3414
182 posts
Feb 21, 2011
11:05 AM
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Well Let me add.. The differences to the Marine Bands. The classic is made with an unsealed comb & nails. The Deluxe is made with an unsealed comb & screws. The Crossover is made with a fully sealed comb & screws,also the crossover is tuned a bit differently. It's a "compromise tuning"
I,myself am thinking of going from the classic to a deluxe & just fully sealing the comb. As the deluxe has screws vs. nails (which are a pain in the butt). So if your looking for that classic Marine Band sound. Perhaps you can go with a deluxe & just fully seal the comb yourself.
Also as the crossover is fully sealed,it should be able to handle what you are looking to do.
Last Edited by on Feb 21, 2011 11:08 AM
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pistolero
73 posts
Feb 21, 2011
1:02 PM
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Either way I wouldn't try soaking it in IPA. Alcohol will quickly dissolve most wood finishes. Well sealed bamboo shouldn't have a problem with spit or a wipedown or rinse occasionally, but I wouldn't try actually soaking it in anything. Warm soapy water should take care of the comb, save the alcohol for the metal parts. I like my plastic Special 20's because I can run hot water or alcohol through them and not worry. I only have one wood comb so far, a Blues Harp in Bb, I don't know how I'm gonna deal with it when it gets nasty yet.
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It's MUSIC, not just complicated noise.
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chromaticblues
622 posts
Feb 21, 2011
1:49 PM
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Its OK to soak a SP 20 with that, but not any of the other harps mentioned. That is a BAD idea!
I would just stick with SP 20's. Sp 20's are better now than they have ever been!
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groyster1
878 posts
Feb 21, 2011
11:58 PM
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never cleaned a harp ever especially soaking in alcohol you cannot be infected with your OWN germs some people seem to be obsessed with germs just dont let anybody play your harps
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sonvolt13
84 posts
Feb 22, 2011
4:37 AM
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Thanks for the insight. Some good thoughts here. I love the responsiveness of the crossover and that's why I'm considering switching. I agree that sp20s have gotten better and more consistent. I think Hohner has been forced to step it up by Suzuki and Seydel. @groyster: My concern would be bacteria because I get frequent sinus/respitory infections.
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Andy Ley
81 posts
Feb 22, 2011
4:43 AM
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Even fully sealed; I wouldn't soak the comb. The smallest gap in the finish (and one is bound to form eventually) would let the fluid in, but it wouldn't be able to find its way out again.
The same thing sometimes happens in the region where I live with cob-built houses. People paint the walls with weatherproof masonry paint. rainwater eventually seeps in to the wall and rots it due to not being able to escape.
I can't see that wiping the comb with a damp cloth/cotton bud (q-tip in america?) would hurt though.
Last Edited by on Feb 22, 2011 4:45 AM
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joshnat
111 posts
Feb 22, 2011
5:12 AM
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Not to hijack the thread, but what about ultrasonic cleaning? The jewelry cleaners come up on daily deals frequently. I play a combination of SP20's, Manji's and some other fully sealed or synthetic combs. Does anyone have experience with these cleaners? It might also work with a Crossover with the bamboo comb.
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barbequebob
1564 posts
Feb 22, 2011
8:06 AM
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I wouldn't put any type of comb thru those at all. You'd be better off using isoporpyl alcohol and then wiping it dry immediately, even on a plastic comb.
A bit of a correction on sealed combs. On the MB Deluxe, the comb IS sealed, but only partially, meaning just around the outer edges and so, under the right conditions, the comb CAN swell. The reason Hohner came out with with MB Deluxe in 2005 was because when Hering introduced the 1923 Vintage Harp, it was the first production line diatonic that had ANY kind of comb sealing at all, and like the MBD, it's comb partially sealed (along the outer edges) as well. However, the first batches of the MBD weren't sealed properly (they use shellac as a sealant on them, which I don't feel is a good enough sealant for that purpose) and they admitted that as well. Until they Hohner came out with the MBD, the Hering 1923 Vintage Harp, especially on the online harp specialist stores, were clearly outselling the MB's in a big way (even more so because they were to the way MB's used to be tuned prior to 1985, which is 7LJI tuning) and so the MBD came out in 2005.
Hohner had been nagged for decades about sealing combs but they always refused and their reasons were that the screw holes may get enlarged from swelling plus the sealing (which they NEVER had a production line method for) would add considrably to the production line costs) and when they put out the MS series in 1992, for the MS Blues Harp and MS Marine Band (which was only issued in Europe), the didn't use pearwood as they had for over century, but a wood from the African tropics called doussie, which was denser and more resistant to swell, but I can tell you personally, can still swell under the right conditions.
The MB Crossover came about a little over a year ago with its fully sealed comb in response to competition from Seydel, who in 2006-2007, came out with the very first production line diatonics with a 100% fully sealed comb first with the 1847 Classic and the the Solist and, according to Ruper Oysler, customizer, and US sales rep for Seydel (also a member of this forum), uses 5 coats of sealant on the 1847 comb.
The only other stock diatonic with a 100% fully sealed comb is the Bends Juke model.
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Sincerely,
Barbeque Bob Maglinte
Boston, MA
http://www.barbequebob.com
CD available at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/bbmaglinte
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HarpNinja
1127 posts
Feb 22, 2011
8:22 AM
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I sometimes use an Ultrasonic cleaner, but I don't often put combs in there unless they are dymonwood and really, really gunky.
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Mike
Quicksilver Custom Harmonicas
Updated 2/1/11
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Joch230
425 posts
Feb 22, 2011
12:24 PM
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I remember Buddha saying that he used the ultrasonic cleaner too from time to time.
-John
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