Re: Big Walter's Customized Harp - Mystery Solved!

[Howard Chandler <chandler@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Vindicated!!!

Now I'm not saying that I have any kind of golden ears or anything, but 
I really think the 364 harps have a unique characteristic signature.  
I'm not saying that this is soley responsible for giving Mr. Horton his 
famous deep, but brassy tone, but I would be curious to know how many of 
his beloved recordings were done using this harp.

Howard Chandler


Mojo Red wrote:

>Hi,
>
>Thanks to Howard Chandler and Bob Maglinte for
>suggesting that Big Walter's "mystery harp" could
>have been a bigger type of Marine Band rather than,
>as I conjectured, a customized short harp.
>
>I went back to the video in question and took a
>closer look - stopping it as BW opened up that cup
>to reveal the open-backed harp. Then, using the
>"zoom" function, got in for an even closer view
>(doncha just love modern technology). 
>
>Stopping the action revealed that the harp in
>question did indeed have "Marine Band" markings on
>the top cover. Walter was holding the harp in his
>right hand at that moment, working the high end of
>the harp, using his open left palm to tap it a bit.
>
>I compared the screen's image to what I looked like
>(in a mirror), first holding a regular Marine Band,
>then with one of my big 12-hole 364 Marine Bands.
>Upon careful comparison I could see that Walter's
>index finger only covered about half the harp
>leaving the entire word "Marine" clearly visible,
>while my finger (on a standard Marine Band) covered
>a bit more than half, partially obscuring the word
>"Marine." In addition, Walter was hitting the 9
>blow bend pretty hard just then and was not
>anywhere near the end of the harp. When I held my
>364 the same way and hit the 9 blow, the
>proportions were just right.
>
>Walter was in all likelyhood using a 12-hole 364
>Marine Band in the key of G on the vid. Walter's
>hands must have been pretty big, however, because
>he was able to pretty much bury that harp in his
>cup during most of the song.
>
>After solving the mystery I rewound a bit and once
>again enjoyed his wonderful playing, marveling at
>his sense of rhythm, and of course, that Big, Fat
>Tone.
>
>Harpin' in Colorado,
>--Ken M.
>
>  
>
>>>----- Original Message ----- 
>>>From: "Howard Chandler"
>>>
>>>Could it be that he was playing one of the big
>>>red MB's?
>>>      
>>>
>
>--- Bob Maglinte wrote:
>  
>
>>Hi Howard,
>>Actually, that makes sense, and I remember in the
>>mid-80's on a rehearsal with the Cambridge 
>>Harmonica Orchestra, I had a conversation with 
>>Chris Turner, and he mentioned that the 364/365 
>>Marine Bands actually came in all 12 keys at one 
>>time, so that could very well be true.
>>    
>>
>
>=====
>"When you speak of Walter Horton, the first thing you think of is his tone, that big, fat tone."
>---Li'l Ronnie Owens
>
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