Hello all, I have a particular issue, I play harmonica as drones (long exhalations) and other using a neck holder while bent over other instruments that I’m playing simultaneously, so the inclination of the harp of course means condensation on the reeds builds up, and when I do a draw, often (but not always) the first one sticks, and the flat note until free follows, so not idéal…
I’ve recently tried a valveless chromatic with largeur holes thinking problem solved, but not so much…
Any ideas or is my setup just going to have to deal with this?
Perhaps a holder that attaches to a mic stand, holding thé harp more horizontal…but haven’t really found much on them…
Hi Elwood.
Hope you get some ideas. Do you watch youtube videos of guys harmonica playing. Lots have custom made stuff to suit their one man banding style. You could take a look at Juzzie Smith
Well thank you Toogdog, so I checked Jussie Smith out, and yeah, his harmonica on his neck holder is similar to mine, meaning, downwardly inclinated… mine a bit more as I’m hovering over my instruments… and I didn’t mention something else, I sing long notes through it too… so lot’s of condensation… I guess, if anyone here has a suggestion on which harps resist that kind of condesation, I’m all ears…
I’ve tried (after my normal diatonic harps) the Forerunner chromatic 12 hole, as it is reported to not have valves, which I thought might make life easier, and less sticky, but I’m still getting some sticky inhales,
@Elwood - Welcome to the forum my friend! The Hoher Flexrack can go very high. You might be able to adjust that one so you’re looking up instead of down. You are correct in looking down will cause saliva to go into your mouth.
If you wanna try the Harp Lock or the Rackit2.0 with a stand mount, the key is to bolt a round based stand to a piece of plywood that you stand on to give the stand stability so that it doesn’t run away from you. That’s the key hack I believe. I haven’t tried it, but I saw Peter Madcat Ruth do it on his video on the Rackit2.0 page of the Blows Me Away website. Links to all that stuff here: