5 replies to this topic

[Dauber]

So...in my blues harp class, many of us (myself included and the instructor) have Hohner Marine Band harmonicas. One thing my instructor mentioned was that the pearwood comb in the Marine Band is vulnerable to moisture and will over time expand to the point that the harmonica isn't really playable.

He says the first thing he does when he gets a Marine Band is he takes it apart and varnishes the comb. That way, it doesn't expand with moisture, and it lasts a lot longer and he won't have to keep shelling out for a new harp.

Anybody else do that? I actually bought a cheap can of varnish, but then I realized...varnish = poison! Is it all that toxic if I let it dry properly? My instructor's harmonicas have noticeable wear on the self-varnished combs, but it hasn't killed him!

[FatJim]

Use bees wax or food grade acrylic sealant.

Here's a very long article on the beeswax method. I don't play Marine Bands, so I can't really offer any other advice.

http://www.harpl.com/199851430.html

[Dauber]

Wow...that article....a wee bit too intense! I just want to prevent the comb from expanding....

[FatJim]

The problem is that the wood is so porous. To do any good you have to completely seal it, which means full immersion in the wax. Compounding that problem is the fact that Marine Bands are held together by nails, not screws, so all kinds of extra hassles arise, like having to drill the plates and source bolts etc... it becomes a huge task.

Did I mention I don't play Marine Bands?... there's a reason!

Plastic bodied harps are just so much easier to care for and tonally I don't think anyone can show a real difference between a plastic comb and a wood one. The comb isn't like a guitar body, it doesn't resonate; it is literally a channel for the air flow. There is no physical reason why one comb material should sound any different to another.

Of course that won't stop Marine Band die-hards telling you that wood combs sound mellower.

[Dauber]

I will say this...remember my prior post in which I couldn't play single notes on my Marine Band but I could on a Special 20? Well...somehow that's reversed now -- now I'm having trouble playing clean singles on my Special 20 harps, but not with my Marine Band! ughghh.....

And I do know that the Marine Band's comb has narrower gabs between teeth than the Special 20's plastic comb...

Anyhoo, I definitely believe the die-hards...not necessarily for SOUNDING, but for ease of playing....

[Dauber]

Okay...I checked with my instructor, just asked him what kind of varnish he uses. He said it's not really a varnish but a shellac, as shellac is contains all natural ingredients ("I haven't died yet from it!"), and because "polyurethane tastes like s**t, and the taste will NEVER go away."

I told him about that link to the beeswaxing instructions. He laughed and said, "Beeswax doesn't work."

heh...you just never know whom to believe. It's like shopping for car insurance via consumer web sites -- no matter what provider it is, it's the same thing: half of the comments say they suck, half say they're wonderful. Airlines too.