danbower
6 posts
Jan 06, 2012
12:32 PM
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been playing for three years now.just curious.got a head cold this Christmas,and was wondering.does it matter about the condition of your harp if it's a good idea to play while having germs to this degree?would it be a problem later on about getting reinvected.we all know harps can get a little rough!LOL! when it's nice and broke in,however considering that were able to play while sick should we? thanks dan
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the_happy_honker
103 posts
Jan 06, 2012
12:46 PM
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Your body develops antibodies to infection and I've never heard of a real world dose that would cause reinfection in a normal person.
Reinfection might occur if your immune system were severely compromised in some way, immunosuppressive drugs for example, but if that were the case you should worry about all the new bugs going around more than being reinfected with the old ones.
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Tommy the Hat
550 posts
Jan 06, 2012
12:58 PM
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Do they even survive more than a few days on metal? Spray a little alcohol on there.
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JInx
156 posts
Jan 06, 2012
1:19 PM
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I was playing my promaster the other day, and i inhaled a giant chunk of germs on a 3draw double bend. God it was awful. I'm going to have to start cleaning my harps.....that can never happen again!
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FMWoodeye
172 posts
Jan 06, 2012
1:38 PM
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@Llnx....a giant chunk of germs? Hilarious. I wonder if that's worse than just one giant germ, say, the size of a ferret. BUT...I must say I know the feeling. I brush my teeth and rinse well before playing, at least at home. That chunk flying in and bouncing off the back of your throat.....
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MrVerylongusername
2141 posts
Jan 06, 2012
1:44 PM
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Nate, stop reading now!
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jimbo-G
62 posts
Jan 07, 2012
3:44 AM
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i got some 30 year old pile of crud/germs the other day. i found one of my granpas chromatics and instantly started trying to play it, VERY bad idea i got a big throatfull of nasty old guy lip skin and god knows what else. its all cleaned now but i was nearly sick everywhere.
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jbone
730 posts
Jan 07, 2012
5:47 AM
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on a diatonic, you can do a warm water gentle rinse followed by an alcohol rinse, then let it dry after shaking it out. but i've never had a cold due to playing a harp after illness. granted most times i just don't play if i'm sick, but there have been times when "the show must go on" as well.
a chromatic one must clean much more carefully so as not to knock loose any windsavers. there is also the possibility that the occasional double set will stick if you get any water on them at all. mostly on a chromatic i have kept the covers and mouthpiece wiped down well, occasionally i have cleaned the reed plates carefully with a lint free cloth and a small amount of alcohol.
but i think my immune system is pretty good. we all survive childhood and the crazy things kids do. and i know there are parents out there as well who are exposed to some supposedly really hardcore germs. they survive, we survive. i picture it like this, my immune antibodies have kevlar vests and ak47's. what do YOUR antibodies have?
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danbower
7 posts
Jan 07, 2012
10:24 AM
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thanks for everyones responses!had common knowlegde of winter colds being from missouri,I have pretty a good immune system.also aware of reoccuring infections. I'm confident that playing through after getting well enough to play. pretty depends on the condition of nose throat and lungs.being a harp nut,I'm sure we all will get back in playing when where well enough. thanks for the advice dan bower
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groyster1
1675 posts
Jan 07, 2012
10:46 AM
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only play your own harps and dont let anybody play yours-best advice I can give
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nacoran
5070 posts
Jan 07, 2012
10:51 AM
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MrVLUN- :) TOO LATE!
I usually do a pretty good job keeping my OCD separate from my harps. I think it would depend on the illness involved. Like Happy Honker pointed out, you're body is already primed to fight the cold you just had, and cold viruses don't stay alive that long outside the body. Now, if you were to pick up a harmonica someone else with a cold just used...
There are some diseases that last longer outside the body. If you ever get anthrax I'd suggest you throw your harps out! There can also be some more practical reasons to clean your harps or let them sit a couple days after being sick. I suppose if you were really sick the extra phlegm might jam you harps up and make them nasty. If you think you might inhale a 'chunk' like Jinx, something big enough so it actually triggers a cough, then clean 'em. If you think your cold isn't all better playing full force my trigger a coughing bout. That coughing bout could irritate your lungs/throat and that could give the cold some new legs (or it could help you cough that last phlegm out and get you feeling even better.)
I've also read about some mold infestations that can settle in in some wind instruments, and the mold can trigger an allergic response. For all our occasional swelling issues on wood combs, the harmonica really isn't a good candidate for mold. Sure, it's dark in there, and maybe a little moist, but compared to the bowels of a tuba our harps really dry out pretty quickly- that's why all the crud in a harp is so hard to get out- it's dried up. It's not a very good place for mold to grow, unless maybe you are storing your harmonicas under a leaky sink. :)
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Waldo
1 post
Jan 07, 2012
11:24 AM
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Tubas... I've found some nasty stuff in my tuba when cleaning it out...
How would you guys suggest cleaning a 10 hole diatonica? A Marine Band specifically.
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nacoran
5072 posts
Jan 07, 2012
2:10 PM
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Another low brass player! There was a whole thread of us a while back. Mostly stuck up :) trombone players. I played the baritone myself.
There are a couple schools of thought on cleaning harmonicas, but I think everyone agrees it's good to keep the outsides as clean as possible. Dead skin can build up along where your lip slides and make the harp rougher to play. What I do is I use something called craft sticks (or picks?). They are little wooden sticks that look kind of like heavy duty toothpicks, except they are only pointy on one end. They are harder than the built up gunk but softer than the metal so they won't scratch anything. Just use the end to get the gunk off the covers and around the inside of the holes. You don't have to get deep inside... most of the crud will be where it's easy to reach. Stay away from the reeds. Then wipe it off with a microfiber cloth. Seydel sells them (and includes them with harp purchases I think). Jewelry shops my have it, but more often they have the chemically impregnated silver polish ones which you don't want. That should keep your harp playable and presentable...
Which brings us to the division in the world of harp cleaning. When you blow through a harp some of air escapes through places it's not supposed to. (Fortunately?) that air has gunk in it and it builds up and lo and behold, the harp becomes more airtight! Who knew you could substitute spit for fix a flat!
If that idea grosses you out, you can carefully take a harp apart and clean it, either the same way you would the rest of the harp, or maybe using a toothbrush on the covers (NOT NEAR THE REEDS!). Marine Bands, unfortunately, are among the tougher harps to clean. They use nails (cleverly disguised to look like screws!) which means if you take them apart again and again the nail holes will get loose (you can break a piece of toothpick off in the hole to tighten it back up). You also have to be careful opening them up (the best technique involves using a Swiss Army Knife to very carefully pry it apart; Adam has a good video showing the technique. They also have a wooden comb (the newest models have fully sealed combs so this may be out of date if you have a VERY new Marine Band). The models that aren't fully sealed can swell, so you don't want to put them in water.
The good news is, if you have a plastic comb there is an easier way. You can get one of those little ultrasonic cleaners and set it in there and it's done. Some people swear by denture cleaning tablets.
Marine band though, that's some work. Jason Ricci has a video somewhere on YouTube about his harp cleaning routine. He definitely is very proactive about it, but if he screws it up, he knows how to fix it. The craft sticks and the microfiber cloth keep my harps looking and playing pretty good.
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Waldo
3 posts
Jan 07, 2012
4:42 PM
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I used to be a baritone player, still play it, but I march sousa.
I'll make sure not to buy wooden combs anymore lol.
Would a wood composite comb be okay in the ultra sonic cleaner? I think the Manji is the one I'm thinking of specifically.
Thanks for the tip, I'll try and keep my Marine Band as clean as I can, not taking it apart, I'll break it for sure. It's an older one, had it in my room doing nothing for 7 years haha.
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Aussiesucker
961 posts
Jan 07, 2012
6:07 PM
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Alco wipes, like the nurses use when they wipe your arm before you get an injection or go for a blood test, are good for wiping harps.
Also before handling your harps wash your hands thoroughly. This way you will avoid putting germs onto your harp and into your mouth. Someone else's germs that they left on a door handle after not washing their hands at the loo...............yuk!
I strip my harps apart every so often & soak the parts in denture cleanser. It works great. After cleaning it's like having a brand new harp. I think dried on saliva on the reeds has a dulling/flattening effect & the cleanser fixes them up.
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Waldo
5 posts
Jan 07, 2012
9:14 PM
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I like the ultrasonic cleaner idea for the plastic combs, I feel like that's a solid idea that allows the full cleaning without disassembling the harmonica.
Does anyone have any particular ultrasonic cleaner they use?
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nacoran
5076 posts
Jan 07, 2012
10:04 PM
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I haven't tried it, but Turbo Harp has a model that they sell on their website. (They also seem to be doing some cool research on harmonicas. They have a harmonica that changes the pitch of the notes using a magnet!)
TurboHarp
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Last Edited by on Jan 07, 2012 10:06 PM
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nacoran
5081 posts
Jan 08, 2012
3:11 PM
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I think you just drop it in there, as long as you have a plastic comb. If it's held together with screws you could disassemble it first. Just make sure you know the secret formula for putting it back together. When I was starting out I put a few together backwards, got them all screwed back together and blew! Not a pretty sound. (The key is to notice that the rivets at the end of the top reed plate form a straight line. The top plate goes on top with the reeds underneath the reed plate. The bottom reedplate's rivets form a diagonal line. The reeds go facing down on it too.)
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jimbo-G
73 posts
Jan 08, 2012
3:46 PM
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1 tablet to 1 glass of warm water, strip the harp to bits and bung in the reedplates and screws, leave for 10-20 mins whilst you clean the cover plates and comb. I don't like scrubbing the plates because you can sometimes get a bristle caught in the reeds which opens up a nightmare. Almost all the crud is off anyway so no need to scrub IMHO. dry everything or set aside to air dry and reassemble.
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harpdude61
1212 posts
Jan 09, 2012
5:57 AM
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Any chunks that come from the harp into your mouth are probably food particles.
The best way to keep a harp clean longer is do your best to keep it from getting dirty. At home I always floss, then brush before I play. Be sure and brush the back of the tongue really well.
If I'm away from home I floss, then wipe my tongue off with a paper towel befoer rinsing.
If you drink anything besides water while playing be sure and have some water to rinse with before playing. I've had a cold brew make a reed stick before.
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Aussiesucker
967 posts
Jan 09, 2012
12:02 PM
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Just some points on soaking in denture cleanser.
1) I always strip my harps apart as many plastic bodied harps have channels in the comb that can retain liquid if harp is immersed whole.
2) I only soak the metal parts in a tumbler with warm water & a denture tablet for ca 10 - 15mins. There is a Steradent tablet available that will not harm metals.
3) I wash the comb in dish washing liquid & warm water and scrub using an old toothbrush.
4) Rinse all parts in fresh water.
5) Pat dry on a tissue or cloth.
6) I then hang all parts out to dry in a shady breeze way. I use bent paper clips to hold parts on a line.
7) Reassemble being careful to screw in a sequence and to not over tighten.
8) And one more important point especially if cleaning a number of harps is to ID the reed plates with a good permanent marker. I ID them close to one end and am careful to not let the end sink into the cleanser as it will take off the ID. If this happens you might have to learn how to play some weird tunings!
In the past week I cleaned up 4 of my harps and they came up as good as new. Whilst it may not be measurable I believe that dried up gunk on the reeds does dull them (flatten). After a clean they sound better (brighter). However my car also runs a lot better after a good clean!
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LittleBubba
141 posts
Jan 09, 2012
12:15 PM
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I NEVER eat before playing..period. But, that's just me. I don't have as much energy after I eat, and I prefer not to deal with the food for the other reasons mentioned.
I've played where they had free food for the band many times, and I don't eat. I've turned down some great food at game feeds, film festivals, funerals, fundraisers,blah,blah.
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groyster1
1677 posts
Jan 09, 2012
8:37 PM
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the human mouth is filthy!!!much more than a dog or cat-believe in your autoimmune response-dont loan out your harp or play someone elses harp
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