Re: [Harp-L] Steve Baker Special

[fjm <bad_hat@xxxxxxxx>]

Dave Payne writes:

> It has the Steve-Baker-like tuning on the low octaves. 

And lacks the very crucial hole 13 which equates to hole 10 on a 10 
hole.  You can't resolve the scale on top.  I have a couple of Brendan 
Power grafted 13 holers that mimic the SBS tuning.  I call them Lucky 
13's.  These are very air tight on plastic combs with a compact layout 
and shorter hole spacings.  13 holes is actually the concept the 14th 
hole is simply because that's what Hohner had lying around for combs.

I can bend all of the low notes on any of the stock SBS tunings. I don't 
find the SBS particularly leaky.  A very innovative use for the SBS 
tuning is what Paul Davies does with them.  He uses 2 in concert and 
plays chords as lead flipping between the 2 harmonicas.  I play a lot of 
splits and chords and octaves the SBS tuning is particularly rewarding 
in this regard.  I tongue block virtually all of these effects.  The SBS 
tuning would be a lot less useful for me if I didn't tongue block.  For 
me the SBS tuning was an answer to a question I was asking.  I can see 
that it might not be an answer to a question that others are asking.  I 
admit a predisposition  to liking anything Steve Baker comes up with. 
His Harp Handbook now in its 3rd edition is by far the best harmonica 
reference I've ever seen.  I read the book then bought the tuning.

People seem to discount the role reed profile plays in how a harmonica 
plays.  For whatever reason Hohner really got it right with the original 
Marine Band reed profiles.  People talk about 90 year old trumpets well 
I have hundred plus year old harmonicas that play like new.  I have a 
patent applied for Marine Band with the plating almost completely 
missing from a lot of the front edges of the coverplates and it plays 
fine.  The entire 365 series uses different reeds than the short harps. 
 They're wider and longer and play differently.  Wider matters because 
there is more edge to leak air at than the same pitched reed in a 
smaller configuration.  Different reeds require different techniques to 
optomise.  This along the same lines as me saying if you want to have an 
inkling as to why Chicago Blues of a certain era sounds and is played a 
way then get yourself a hardcore JI 10 hole and live with it for a bit. 
 fjm