Re: [Harp-L] Hohner "Educator" harp?

[Bobbie Giordano <bogio@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hmm... meant to send long ago, but a recent storm blew out our lights for 
a bit, and I just noticed I never posted this.  Oh, well... BLTN! ;)

On 8/8/2006 12:11:08 PM, M. N. (mnessmith@xxxxxxxxxxx) wrote:
> Hohner once made an "Educator I" harp that was more or less a Golden
> Melodie chromatic without the button. Are they still making something
> like this?
> MN

Well, there is the Golden Melody 40 Tremolo with that shape:
http://www.hohner.eu/index.php?462

I've wondered how easily those could be converted to solo-tuned layout, 
and besides, it comes in C, F or G, and you'd have 20 pairs of reeds to 
work with!  But, I feel sure the walls between the holes are probably way 
too fragile anyway.

As Tim explained, the Educator I, had a chromatic layout without the 
button.  The one harmonica Hohner has like that today is actually a 
Marine Band, the 364 Soloist:
http://www.hohner.eu/index.php?462

Except, the Soloist is just like a normal solo-tuned chromatic layout, 
with each successive set of 4 holes containing one full octave, and only 
in key of C.  Unlike the Educator I, it doesn't start at low G on an 
otherwise C instrument.

Hohner later made a Golden Melody shaped Educator II, that was the same 
layout, but the slide and button were added.  These were the ones Doug 
Tate thought would be great for teaching in schools and he bought many of 
them [hundreds, as I recall] for use in his music classes.  They were 
reportedly pretty leaky, but reasonably air tight; however, they had one 
major unfortunate drawback... the covers would rust practically over 
night!!!  It was hard sometimes to cheerfully teach dozens of kids to 
play harmonica while they, and their parents, kept loudly complaining 
about the rust in the kids' mouths! ;)  He was forced to buy back many, 
many Educator II's from irate parents.

They were discontinued not long after, in the 70's, I think.  But, he 
always thought both Educators were lovely instruments that only suffered 
from poor material choices coupled with careless manufacturing 
processes.  See... as best I can remember, Doug said they were stamped 
with the numbers and the decorations added AFTER the covers were plated, 
[with nickel, I suppose.]  So, the plating was compromised, and the mild 
steel beneath was easily exposed to moisture and the elements!

There were just a few simple details to address or fix, and it probably 
would still be around today and selling at least as well or better than 
the Chrometta line.  Oh, well....

Of course, other solo-tuned instruments like the MB 364 Soloist are 
available... Hering and Huang have made them for some time.  Cham Ber 
Huang gave me 2 a couple years ago, but the Huang Cadet Soloists may no 
longer be around.  And, as Fernando pointed out, Hohner also has the 
solo-tuned Melody Star, but it truly is aimed at beginners with it's 
unusual mouth hole shapes and is only 8 holes.  As far as I can tell, 
Suzuki and Seydel don't yet offer 24-hole solo-tuned diatonics.  I've 
been meaning to check out the Hering Master Solo for some time... the 
comb is black plastic like the Cadet, not wood like the Hohners.

BTW, here's a rather decrepit Educator I, looking as I suspect many 
eventually did:
http://tinyurl.com/ookqv

Later y'all...
Bobbie