Re: Chris Pierce questions

[Dick Anderson <anderson@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hi Chris, I have some answers for you.

Which (Lee Oskar) album would be the best?
I have "Before the Rain" and although some songs are soothing, some are
kind of annoying disco like stuff.  (circa 1978 so what do I expect?)

Harp Handbook by Steve Baker:  I ordered this from Hohner last year.  And I
recently read in the AHN that there was a Harp Handbook II with lots more
stuff.  Baker is a consultant to Hohner, (He designed the Steve Baker
Special), so I would think that they have just replaced the original one
with the 2nd and better version.  Give em' a call and let us know,  I'd
like to get the 2nd version.

Hohner's Golden Melody harp?    I really like the Golden Melody for its
curved covers.  The mouthpiece is straight, but the back is curved and my
hands fit around it.  The reeds inside are the same as those in the marine
band or Special 20, but I get a much better closure for a nice soft muffled
sound and a great contrast when I open my hands and make it say WAH.
It works for the overblow without the screechy sounds you get when you try
to overblow a Lee Oskar or Huang.  But, I met someone this Summer who
played Special 20 and had no trouble with the overblow.

I also heard that the Golden Melody is "Equal Tempered" which means that each
note is tuned the same as the piano so that it can be played in many keys
and not be way out of tune in any one of them.  In contrast, the Marine
Band is tuned exactly for the key that the harp is built for.  You can
tell the difference by comparing to the draw chord 1234 on a Golden Melody
to the draw chord 1234 on the Marine Band.  The Marine Band sounds more "in
tune" with itself, but would not sound as good when played in keys further
and further away from the key of the harp.  This is another reason I am
told that Howard Levy plays Golden Melody since he is also a fine pianist.

Commercial for "Heartland Harmonica"?  Wow! A Harmonica Commercial?
I am never suprised by the strange things which Hohner does.  I'd like to
see it.  Was it on a network or Cable channel?  Who does the tape? Marcos?
Butterfield/Sebastian, Gindick?  Let us know if you can get a copy of the
commercial on your vcr.  In general I think Hohner is pretty un-hip when it
comes to promoting their product.  And, they have too many products with
very little distinction.  Did you ever look really closely at a Pocket Pal
($5.95 made in China) and the Special 20 ($24.95 made in Germany)  As far
as I can tell, the writing on the covers is the only difference. (And the
fact that they only offer the Pocket Pal in "C".

If only I could make the Lee Oskar overblow sound better I would probably
switch to all Lee Oskar.

Love to talk harps

dick....


--

Dick Anderson  CCMO New Matls Engineering        Telnet                 229-3110
Hewlett Packard                                  Direct Dial      1-303-229-3110
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