Re: Big Walter's Customized Harp

["Bob Maglinte" <bbqbob917@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

- ----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Mojo Red" <harplicks@xxxxxxxxx>
To: "Harp-L" <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Monday, September 22, 2003 11:39 AM
Subject: Big Walter's Customized Harp


>
> Hi,
> It is a ~deep~ pleasure to actually see so many of
> my lifetime blues heroes perform "live".
>
> Anyway, Walter Horton was featured playing his
> great harp intrumental "Shakey's Blues" (recorded
> elswhere as "Walter's Boogie"). At one point the
> camera comes in very close and he opens up his cup
> to play on the high end of the harp... and it was
> obvious that he (or someone) had opened up the back
> of his harp the same way customizers do today.
>
> Now, I have no idea how extensively Big Walter
> tweaked his harps, but there was no mistaking the
> opened up cover plates on that Marine Band. Made me
> very curious to learn if anyone has any further
> knowledge about Horton's customized harps.
>
> Harpiin' in Colorado,
> --Ken M.

Hi Ken,
Having personally met and hung out with Big Walter Horton, I seriously doubt
that he had ever tweaked any of his harps at all, as he pretty much played
them straight out of the box (they were considerably better back then,
though recent stock is dramatically improved from their horror show days
between 1981-1995) . The Marine Band cover plates have been steadily
shrinking in size, especially in the back of the cover plates since the late
60's. I have a few mid-70's Marine Bands (though not working particularly
well), and even these cover plates STOCK are considerably more wide open in
the back than they have been in the last 10-15 years. I do know for a fact
there is less metal being used on them since the late 70's. I have a few
pre-World War II Marine Bands, and the cover plates are CLEARLY larger, more
wide open in the back, and the metal is definitely heavier, and the
engraving on the cover plates is CONSIDERABLY deeper and more pronounced. I
have heard some stories of SBW II tweaking his a bit, but since I was too
young to actually see him play, I can't confirm that. In fact, until Joe
Filisko hit the scene, the only custom harps at that time were chromatics to
the best of my knowledge. Conclusion: The stock issue Marine Band covers
were more wide open OUT OF THE BOX than they are now. The covers had 1/8"
more metal, which doesn't seem like much, BUT it make a HUGE difference.

Sincerely,
Barbeque Bob Maglinte
Boston, MA