Re: Subject: Re: [Harp-L] comb material

[Zombor Kovacs <zrkovacs@xxxxxxxxx>]

> incentive for me to participate.  I find it vaguely
> embarrassing  (and not a bit 
> insulting, actually), 

Don't be too sensitive. If you have a very acute
hearing, it only means that you probably notice slight
differences, what others dont. This would only confirm
the fact (?) that different comb materials do not turn
the world around. I guess Vern is not speaking about
nothing, and his statements are based on tests. The
problem is that mine are too. But the purpose of my
tests were not to check the differences between comb
materials, it was just a "side effect". I just know
that there is a big difference in sound between the
first harp on my webpage (www.zovax.atw.hu) which has
the same Hering reedplates as the original with
plastic comb. The second harp also has the same
"metallic" sound. The plastic combed ones have a much
softer sound. The audience might not be able to tell
the difference just like that (it was not me who made
this statement), but the player will definitely feel
it. The Hering Vintage Harp has however a wooden comb,
but still has a similar "metallic" sound. So even
myself am not sure, but putting the same reedplates on
a metal comb makes the harp sound significantly
different, at least for the player.

The tuning fork issue. The tuning fork has
hundredfolds more mass than a reed, thus if you push a
vibrating fork against a table, it will "shake" the
table which would amplify sound. The same will happen
with a reed, but the mass is so much smaller. I don't
know if the amplification is percievable. It probably
is, at least in the overtone range. 

My question now is: what does then effect the sound of
the harmonica? 

Reed material? People say it doesnt.
Reedplate material? No.
Comb material? No.
Coverplate material? No.

Something must, because different harmonicas have a
different sound. According to what you are telling me,
no material effects the sound of the harp. This would
mean, that the harp could be made of plastic, it
doesn't matter. What does matter then?

Zombor




I believe that Vern is not speaking about nothing. He
is just saying that there is no significant
difference. Like changing the comb material will not
turn the world around. I have plastic combed harps,
metal combed harps and wooden combed harps. But now I
will make a harp comb made of soft sponge, just to try
an extremity. I 

  
>  A real, objective scientific study would surely
> resolve  the issue for once 
> and for all, wouldn't it?  Until then,  it's quite
> likely that folks are 
> simply tired of being harangued if  they express a
> contrary opinion, since at this 
> point it still is only  your opinion, isn't it,
> without real scientific back  
> up?   
>  
> Elizabeth
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ************************************** See what's
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