Re: Bass Harps

>Hi Everyone, James here...
> Just wanted to say Hi and that I like the idea of a group thats 
>focused on "larger" harps. 
>
Greetings, and welcome!

>Being an aspiring bass harpist, I recently 
>aquired Hohner 265 bass (the double-reeded one).
> It's going to need quite a bit of restoring, mainly the old, wood 
>combs are very beat - small cracks, tiny, unusual holes in the wood 
>that are either worm-holes or nail/screw holes(?). Also, slight 
>warpage and a horrible taste. I'm planning on having new, acrylic 
>combs custom-made (unless I find them available commercially?).
>  
>
Sounds to me like you're doing it right.  If I were trying it I would 
first try to learn what grade of acrylic is being used in Suzuki tremolo 
harmonicas.  A really good plasticine chemist might be able to do the 
job for you with a sacrifice of a Suzuki :)  I do think that there will 
be significant difference in results between grades of acrylic.  Some 
will absorb sound more, some less.  Some will be more UV sensitive, some 
less.  Ditto heat sensitivity.  And especially ditto impact 
sensitivity...and over the long term, air-vibrations close by will 
probably have some of the same results as impacts.

I do think that it is a very good idea.  Find a good machinist who has 
the tools and equipment for work at that scale, and you're in.  If 
you're really fortunate, he will have electronic scanning to do much of 
the work automatically.  Remember, friendly people who have such toys 
are always itching to help people with them.  It's just that friendly 
people are sometimes a small minority :)

>There are some other issues as well, but for the most part it's all 
>there: reed plates & reeds seem to be fine, and the cover plates are 
>intact, with very little - if any - corrosion. 
>
Excellent.  There is a product made as a "gun lubricant" called G96 
which, if you spray it on corroded metal and seal it in a Ziplock for a 
week or so, will turn corrosion into dust.  I use it on all sorts of 
things, especially tools.  Be sure to wash it off afterwards, of course, 
probably with very light cooking oil.

-- 
Jonathan E. Brickman
http://joshuacorps.org



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