I’ve noticed that running some water into the harp will often help bending, especially on older or mediocre instruments. Will this cause any damage to a brass/plastic harp? Nothing to rust - but -?
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No if you let it dry by a fan, and those no water people? Take your harp apart and notice all the dried spittle on your brass.
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No, brass and plastic harps without wood are fine to get wet, but you won’t get the effect your looking for.
On old harps, the water would swell the wood comb, affecting playability. This also damages the harp over time.
New harmonicas have plastic combs, and personally I find a wet Harmonica to be annoying because the reeds tend to stick.
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Hey @ByterBit welcome to the forum! No problem running your harp under water, and warm water is better at cleaning than cold. You can even use a tiny tiny bit of dish soap just make sure to rinse it really well.
DEFINITELY washing an old harp will clear out debris and make it more responsive and more bendable.
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When I saw Bruce Springsteen do his solo acoustic show he had a huge tray of harmonicas and a bucket of water next to them to rinse them off! So I’m guessing water is OK!
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