RE: Opinions, Big Rivers

["Keith Dunn" <keith@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

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Thanks very much to everyone who recently purchased =91Alone With The =
Blues.=92 Your support really helps. Don=92t stop=85and thanks for all =
of the kind words.
Because of the time difference here, I live in Holland, and the general =
hustle of music; it is not always possible to take part in Harp-L =
discussions. =20

I was asked a number of questions about Big River Harmonicas. See Hash =
Brown=92s posting: +Re: Keith Dunn for the correct answers to most of =
them (Thanks HB). I will attempt to answer the rest.

Jp=A0Pagan wrote:
<Keith, i have to ask -- what do you do to your harps?
<tune? gap? gasket?=20

I work on the tuning until I hear a sound that I like, and then work on =
the gap until the harmonica plays the way I want it to play.=20

What is a gasket, I=92m afraid I=92m not up on a lot of this talk?

Scorcher wrote:
<You certainly get an amazing tone out of them. Is it the slightly =
larger
<size of the comb/reeds as compared to the Handmade series?

I would say that tone comes from the hands, the mouth and the body and =
is then pushed thru the harmonica. Eddie =91Lockjaw=92 Davis said to try =
to bring the sound up from the bottom of your feet thru your instrument. =
Sound advice (couldn=92t help it).

I like the way BRs feel when you play them. You can really feel the tone =
and sound vibrating thru the harmonica. I like the fact that they are =
physically bigger than a lot of the harmonicas out there. =91Slightly=92 =
is the word here, however. They are slightly louder to the extent that =
only the trained ear of the person playing them can tell the difference. =
I don=92t think that you can hear that difference on a recording.

IMHO there is generally very little difference in =91commercial=92 =
harmonicas. It is more of a matter of personal taste. There was a time =
when you only had one harmonica to choose from, Hohner Marine Band, and =
everyone still sounded different.=20
I have never played a custom harmonica so I cannot offer an opinion.

also:
<is it easy to get Big Rivers in Holland? I was under the impression
<that BRs were a product for the American market.

No, you can get them over here.
Also:
<Micropore or some other gasket on the comb?

Maybe someone can explain this. If it is something that everyone knows =
except me =91off-list=92 it.

Thanks, keep playing, stay independent,
Keith Dunn=20