[Harp-L] Re: Nails in Combs



--- Snaruhn@xxxxxxx wrote:

<snip>
> 
> What the hell has caused you to favor nailed reedplates though
> they are generally considered dinosaurs. You wrote:
> 
> < The cheapeest of the cheap haprs made in China are held together
> with
> < screws - usually far more screws than a Special 20.
> 
> < So it's not a cost issue with the Marine Band and nails. >
> 
> What? It´s just the contrary. The manufacturing of nails is by far
> cheaper than to make screws, so, the MB nails are a cost issue,
> of course

I'm not favoring nails. I always replace them with screws myself.

However, the cheapest harps in the Hohner line are the Chinese ones,
and those have plastic combs and use more screws than a Special 20, yet
are sold at a fraction of the price. I sometimes find that once you
unscrew those cheap harps, the parts no longer fit back together,
probably due to poor management of plastic shrinkage after the piece
emerges from the mould. Nails could never keep such warped parts from
flying apart. Only screws could do the job, either by massive force
after the plastic hardens, or just beforehand when there is still some
pliability.

So, OK, Chinese labor and factory tooling and pollution controls (or
lack thereof) are cheaper than in Germany and that's what really makes
those screwed-together harps cheaper.

Or is that the whole story?

A screw uses more metal than a tiny nail, but more nails (about 16,
versus 3 to 5 screws) must be placed and hammered in on a
nailed-together diatonic harp. Can both reedplates be done at once from
both sides, or do you have to nail one side with nails pointing down
and using gravity, then flip it over and do the other?

Here is a comparison prices of some Hohner German-made diatonics at one
of the online US harmonica retailers:

Hohner Big River (MS series) 
$11.79 (plastic comb, screws)

Marine Band ("handmade", wood comb, nails) 
$18.39 

Special 20 ("handmade", plastic comb, screws)
$19.59 

Blues Harp (MS, wood comb, screws)
$20.79 

Golden Melody ("handmade", plastic comb, screws)
$21.29 

Marine Band Deluxe ("handmade", wood comb, screws)
$54.99 

Something tells me that neither screws nor comb material are not what
makes a significant difference in the pricing for sale. There may be a
higher factory cost going into reed adjustment as prices escalate
through the line, but I suspect it's more marketing than anything else.

Winslow


 
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