jefe46@xxxxxxxxxxxxx writes:
I posted in another thread on the Vintage 1923 that I had
purchased a few of them as well as a couple Bushman Delta Frost.
...
The Vintage 1923 plates stick out in front beyond the covers .
After 15 minutes of playing the 1923
my lips are sore from contact with the plates. Though I like the
tone and playability, this is a nuisance.
And unless I can find away around this, or remove the covers and
smooth them out somehow, they will
remain in their cases. Too bad, great tone and playability.
...
Contact with the edges may not be an issue with other players and
if not, the Vintage 1923 is an excellent harp.
If anyone has any suggestions or comments about the 1923 plate
contact and a way around this I would like to hear it.. a shame
to put way 6 otherwise fine harmonicas.
I can't comment on Bushmans yet, Jeff, so I read your and other's comments
about them with interest. I do have a number of Hering 1923's and they have
become my favorite harps to play over my SP-20's, though they still tug at
my heartstrings, too. At first I did find that the 1923's tended to make my
lips a tad sore if I played them for any length of time, but after adjusting
the combs to conform better to the front edge of the reedplates, ala Sam and
Tim, they become signifacntly more lip-friendly. Tim's suggestion of a
little extra-fine steel wool also polishes the reedplate front edges up
nicely. After playing the "adusted" 1923's regularly for a few days, my lip
tenderness was a thing of the past. My lips were evidently "softies" having
been spoiled by the smooth plastic "lipping surface" of the Special 20's.
(I should mention for reference sake that I find unmodified Marine Bands far
more unfriendly to my lips than factory assembled 1932's.)
At any rate, the 1923's are so expressive and delightful to hold and play
that they are the harps I grab first to practice on and the ones I take to
acoustic gigs. I love that 7TET tuning, too, for playing octaves and
chords. I generally reserve my SP-20's for amplified play, excluding the
delightful low-tuned ones (low-D, low-E, and low-F) which may be my favorite
10-holers of all.
I am admittedly splitting hairs, though, as both SP-20s and Hering 1923's
are terrific instruments and play beautifully when adjusted properly. And,
based on the uniformly positive comments from you and others I should
probably lay in a couple of those Bushmans so I can see what I've been
missing. It'd be nice to have another superb line of instruments to choose
from, especially with good support like Bushman seems to be providing.
Michelle
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