Re: Hering Vintage 1923

["Bob Maglinte" <bbqbob917@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hi Gary,
Full just intonation in the most VERY technical terms is not entirely
correct, but what it IS referring to is what the correct term is 7 limit
just intonation. In this setup, every single note on the harmonica is
"justified" so that all the notes in every chord and double stop played is
smooth and doesn't waver or beat anywhere from top to bottom. The Hering
Vintage uses this particular just intonation as did the hand made Marine
Bands and Special 20's until 1985. The hand made Marine Bands and Special
20's uses what technically correct in terminology called 10 limit just,
which is more of a compromise between the original 7 limit just that Hohner
used and equal so that the chords and double stops are smoother, yet not
quite as smooth as the original 7 limit, but is a bit closer to equal. If
you play beyond the first 3 or 4 positions, and much of your phrasing is 99%
linear, this or equal may work better for you. If you are into the old blues
harp masters like both Walters and both Sonny Boys, the original 7 limit
just (to many this is full just), this is the tuning that was being used on
the harps they played, and they were (for diatonics) usually the hand made
Marine Bands, or the pre-1990 wood combed Old Standby (not the Chinese made
Special 20 knock off that's been in production for the last 10-13 years). In
fact, if you want to see the formula of the tuning, check out
http://www.harmonicalinks.com and there's an article written by Hohner
product manager Rick Epping. If you want to hear the difference between
equal and the original 7 limit just Hohner stopped using and what the Hering
Vintage Harps use, go to http://www.patmissin.com and he has some excellent
sound files there. The reason Hohner changed the type of just intonation
they used was mainly because of players using the diatonic in areas that
were once considered the exclusive realm of the chromatic with different
techniques like overblow/overdraw and use of bends in ways that hadn't been
done before, and a large number of these players had complained about the
tuning, and also partly because of the newer readily available chromatic
tuners (hardly anybody but a select few even knew what a strobe tuner was)
and many thought the harps were out of tune, but didn't know and/or
understand the nature of the tuning scheme. When I started out back in the
early 70's, Hohner's US market share was close to 95%, and until 1974-75
when the Golden Melody appeared with its equal tuning, ALL 10  hole
diatonics were tuned like the way the Hering Vintage is tuned to.

- ----- Original Messager ----- 
From: "gary" <garybond@xxxxxxx>
To: <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Friday, August 08, 2003 1:55 AM
Subject: Hering Vintage 1923


>
> The hering vintage 1923 is a "full just intonation" Can someone explain
the
> differences between this and a regular hohner marine band?
>
> Thanks
> Gary
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