This may be a newby question,but do harmonics break in over the first few minutes or hours of playing?
I just wondered as lots of things break in or settle down once they’re being used as compared to our the box (e.g. guitar strings take a bit to settle when you put new ones on).
I am a newbie as well. As I understand it, a harmonica might need to acclimate to its environment, but this takes minutes. For example, cold car to body temp. As I saw in a Hohner harmonica factory tour, they tune their harmonicas by hand to give quality control out of the box. I would assume Lee Oscar or Seydel do this but am not sure. I highly down that budget options would be “refined” out of the box. All that typing to say that in my mind a harmonica should come broken in right out of the box. I found this video interesting. As a newbie, I can tell the difference between my Fender Blues Deluxe and Honner Special 20.
Mine will break in when my temper gets the best of me and the harp goes flying but I have broken that habit. As noted above let the warm as close to body temperature before playing. I keep mine inside in a controlled environment to keep the condensation level low.
Sounds like you are now broken in as well. 
Regards,
– Slim 
Slim
No way to get better unless you dislike but learn from mistakes. All my “breaks” resulted from repeating this same mistake over and over. Good thing about being 68 is you forget your mistakes sometimes. Only then did I consider myself somewhat broke. I played softball and loved it until I had a couple of bad trips to the plate. I never thought a person could bend an aluminum out of round by hitting the ground with it. I know for sure its true.
I also loved to play pocket billiards, although the time it takes to be good is time wasted or as my mom called it a misspent childhood. One night I was having a bad night and not to pleased with myself. The waitress came up to me and said there is only one person that can beat you. I ask who. She replied by saying its you when that temper gets the best of you.
I never forgot it as it made so much sense.
I guess at times we get in our own way.
Keep Well
Scott
Nope. I’ve talked to technicians and some do recommend blowing and drawing gently on a harmonica FOR THE VERY FIRST TIME out of the box before WAILING on it.
But others have told me even THAT is a myth. They’re metal. It’s not like guitar strings or a sax reed.
Hey Luke,
So are you saying that there’s no need to “break in” a harp? I was going to ask the forum the best way to do that and then I found this topic. I’ve ordered new reed plates for my Special 20 as well as a Seydel Session Steel, both arriving tomorrow and I’m wondering the best way (if required at all!?) to break them in and how long it takes.
Thanks!
Eric
Hello @ericfpiche ,
You don’t have to break in diatonic harps.
The only thing is that they should be about hand-warm. This is especially important in the cold season. When the package arrives, put the harps outside and the room temperature will regulate it in a few minutes.
The break-in only applies to chromatic harps. You should start slowly and carefully with these.
I’ve been doing this for almost three years and the harps I’ve bought one by one are all fine. Regardless of whether they’re made of wood or plastic.
Regards Astrid 
Ok. Good to know. Thanks for the reply, @AstridHandbikebee63!
Eric
Hey @ericfpiche welcome to the community! So glad you’ve joined us. I went and asked a couple of the world’s best customizers this question and here’s their response.
I asked them “Harmonicas don’t have to ‘break in’ do they?”
Joe Spiers: I don’t think so on a metallurgy level, but it can sorta feel like it. Some air leaks will seal up with deposits from breath moisture, and oxidation also forms on brass
Joe Filisko: Probably 95% correct. Probably a small amount of truth in it
Hope that helps!
Mine play the same. With the temper I had I never broke in a harp but came close to letting a couple fly and break something else. Instead I broke my bad temper and have yet to toss a harp. I was at the Kerrville Fold Festival and one of the teachers started playing when he was young years ago. He lost his temper and let one fly. His mom never looked up as it went through a window but said it sounded like a chromatic harp. A pretty witty and smooth response. I wish my father looked at things like this the same way
Thanks so much, Luke! Much appreciated. Good to know that there are no issues and I can start bending/playing as I would any harp I’ve had for a while… keeping in mind the temperature/warm-up needs mentioned by @AstridHandbikebee63 mentioned above. Thanks!