Re: Future of the Marine Band

[ah567@xxxxxxxxxxx (George W. Miklas)]

Kim Field wrote:
In the process of writing my
>book I talked with a slew of great chromatic players who came of age
>before World War II--fantastic players like Charles Leighton, Jerry Murad,
>Stan Harper, Blackie Schackner, and Pete Pedersen. None of these guys
>will go near a plastic-combed chromatic. They're all still hoarding and
>repairing their old 270s and 280s. Some might put this down to these guys
>being old stick-in-the-muds, but I don't buy it.

The above post contains an inaccuracy.

Anybody who knows Jerry Murad could attest that there is not a wooden
comb 280 in his bag.  In fact according to Jerry, he had the first
plastic comb 280 and tried to sell Hohner on the idea.  Again
according to Jerry, some 10 years later, Hohner stole the idea from
him with out any compensation.  He said that his dislike of the new 280
was not because of the plastic comb, but because of the alternating
holes.  He does have a couple old 280 plates and mouthpiece mounted to 
a new 280 comb and it sounds just fine.

Jerry is performing with the 14 hole, metal comb, Meisterclasse.  The only 
thing that he is doing differently to these models is modifying the 
mouthpiece.  The stock mouthpiece and slide is a three piece unit and the 
machining on the inside of the mouthpiece is crude and leaks very bad.  He 
is modifying (shortening) old 4-piece 280 mouthpieces to fit the 
Meisterclasse.  The tone is greatly improved.


George Miklas, bass harmonica
Jerry Murad's Harmonicats