Re: [Harp-L] Harmonicas available today

[Joe and Cass Leone <leone@xxxxxxxx>]

On Mar 26, 2009, at 12:07 PM, Abner Galdos wrote:
> 1) what Brands and Model do you like and why ?

There was a time when you didn't have a choice. It was a Hohner or  
nothing. Oh, there were other brands, but in the era before mail  
ordering, no one carried those brands. The usual starter diatonic was  
a Hohner Marine Band. There were at least 6-7 cheaper models, but WE  
play them the WRONG WAY, so, a Marine Band handled more stress.
  1... My favorite brand..........Hohner
  2... My favorite model..........Spl-20 (which IS a Marine Band sub- 
model)
 (3)..For chromo....................Hering/Hohner 12 hole models

Why? The reedplates sit IN the plastic comb. They are relatively in  
tune, bendable out of the box. My only regret? The plastic comb has  
many hollowed out portions and they don't have the 'solid sound' I  
would prefer. It isn't the material. Vern says that doesn't matter.  
Well it DOES when the comb is a light hollow piece. It doesn't have  
that 'solid sound' that I (personally) would prefer.

> 2) What to look for in a Brand and Model ?

  1...Bendability
  2...Tone
  3...ability to hold tune
  4...be IN tune
  5...be easy on the lips
(for chromos.....excellent slide)

> 3) what keys should I get, in what order ?

Guitar accompaniment keys. D, A, C, G, Bb    (for chromo, a C and a G)

> 4) When ordering from an on line site, what kind of warranty should  
> we look for?

Don't expect warranties. We play diatonics the wrong way. Over the  
eons they (the famous 'they') have paid inventors and engineers  
billions of dollars/euros to develop items that do a specific job.  
Then, along comes Joe Schmutalatz and thinks he can improve it by  
doing this or that change. Harps are meant to be played in first  
position. In that regard, they can be warrantied. BUT (a very big  
but), we (the famous catch all..we) play them in 11 OTHER positions.  
So, even if you leave out overblows, you can't expect a constructor  
to finance your Frankenstein experiments.
Oh, and I almost forgot to add: If you persist in playing harps and  
harmonicas the wrong way..don't complain when they break.

> 5) Combs: wood,plastic,marble,gold,silver,paper,leather,bone,skin,  
> how do they change the sound or do they ?

I happen to have a pourous bronze comb I like it a lot. It is very  
solid and metal gives a nice echo (or maybe an overtone) on the  
inhale notes. Bouncing off the walls of the channels?. I dunno? But I  
don't think it changes the blow notes? But I'm not a sound engineer  
and don't have a voice print analysis instrument.

For the general public, I recommend plastic. Milled SOLID plastic not  
moulded (with voids) plastic.

> 6) Reeds: Brass,steel,aluminum,plastic, paper, how does the  
> material change the sound ?

Any spring metal will work. I have heard plastic also works, but I  
didn't like the sound. I have made reeds from Gillette super blue  
(steel), Schick copper clad (steel) and Wilkinson sword (stainless  
steel). But any temperable metal can be annealed into springs. Metals  
I would avoid? Sodium, Irridium, Uranium.

> 7) Screws on reeds: the more the better and if so why?

Rivets are fine for manufacturing. For repairs, I think screws are  
the better/easier avenue. As for the screws in the reedplates, number  
doesn't matter. It's where they are PLACED.

> 8) Reed cover: Nails that look like screws  making one  a fool  
> trying to unscrew them, screws I have seen 2 or

ALL screws should be slotted. Phillips can strip, Forstners require a  
special driver. Who needs that aggravation.
> 9) Cover Plate: Material will this make a difference ?

It should. I had a friend who had ventilated white cow horn covers.  
The sound was dull. I prefer metal. I have made covers from several  
materials. They were all dull.
>
 sMO-JOe  (the man who took the harm out of harmonica)

> abner (Blueyes, still asking, still confused)