Re: Hohner SBS tunings

[fjm <2738540@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Steve Baker Special is what the SBS stands for.  This is a tuning
innovated by Steve Baker, essentially a normal 10 hole diatonic with an
appended extra 3 holes at the bottom.  For the key of C the blow pattern
remains the same, repeating CEGCEGCEGCEGCE, the draw would be
DGBDGBDFABDFAB.  The first 3 draw and blow notes being a repeat of the
first 3 on a 10 hole diatonic but in a different octave.  With the C
tuning it's just dropped an octave.  For other keys like A the 10 hole
part is a raised octave with the repeating first 3 being like a normal
A.  Hohner did make some dropped A's and G's but they were limited
production.  These harmonicas are made on a 14 hole body because that's
what was available without making something new.  Hohner uses the
3365/14 Marine Band combs for the SBS's, they're even painted red.  This
tuning was made to resolve in 13 holes so the 14th hole is just the
logical extension of the top end.  Pretty much useless because that reed
set is so short.  They're really tough to tune or set up, hole 14 that
is.  

Very nice tuning as far as I'm concerned, it opens up a world of
possibilities.  Over the Rainbow works a lot better with the dropped
octave.  Folsum Prison Blues can't be easily played without those extra
3 notes, you get the guitar part intro with them.  Paul from Colorado
does something really clever with SBS's.  He uses them in pairs and
plays chorded lead alternating between harmonicas.  Pretty amazing. 
Paul does have a last name I just can't remember it at the moment. 
Sorry about that.  I guess a lot of traditional blues guys don't really
like SBS's, an answer to a question they're not asking but for anyone
else I think they can really open up some unexpected possibilities.  G
uses something he calls super SBS tuning, I'll leave that for him to
explain.  fjm