RE: I never hear Lee Oskar...

[HarmonicaB@xxxxxxx]

Jan 5, 1995 Bruce R. Macdonald <brucemac@xxxxxxx> posted:
>Just about all I ever hear mentioned are the various Hohner harps. 
>Doesn't anybody else swear by their Lee Oskars? 

I personally love my Lee Oskars. In my performance set, currently 44
harmonicas, 30 are Lee Oskar harps. Aside from the standard 10 hole major
diatonics, I enjoy the minor and harmonic-minor tunings. I'm glad Lee decided
to offer these as they add considerable repertoire possibilities.  In
particular, I like the responsiveness of the Lee Oskar harmonicas as well as
the overall tone (possibly the reed recipe, plus plastic combs plus my
embouchure).  

However, one problem that is especially pronounced on my favorite Lee Oskar
harmonicas...

On the major diatonic 3-hole draw, if I play long sustained notes bent down
in distinctive half-steps to the last half-step above the blow note, I get a
shrill overtone that sounds to my ear like 2 octaves above the fundamental
pitch I?m playing. I notice that, in some keys, if I play that same pitch as
part of any other sequence of notes, even a portamento down through the 1/2
steps, I can get a pure tone with no strange harmonic squeal.  But, coming
down to it in sustained, tuned half steps I almost always produce the problem
in all except the A and Ab Lee Oskar harmonicas (possibly the reed recipe,
plus plastic combs plus my embouchure).  

Example: on a 3-hole draw with an F harp... the notes E, Eb, and D all sound
purely, then when I play the Db... I get the overtone.

Is it...
A)   my mouth is weird 
B)   others have also experienced a similar problem? 
or
C)   both of the above 

By the way, although more quickly noticeable on my Lee Oskars, I also get
this problem on several other harmonica makes and models, but... NOT on
Hohner Golden Melodies. I greatly prefer the responsiveness and tone of Lee
Oskars so I?m looking for a solution that works with them.

Any suggestions?

-- Bob Miner