[Harp-L] re: New Safira Harps

[Jonathan Ross <jross38@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Otto shares some links for Safira harmonicas from Hans Gockl.  I've  
seen these before, but don't remember if they've been talked about in  
this forum before.


http://www.safira-chromatica.de/blues-paerle/index.htm


Interesting looking thing.  I wonder why the three or four side- 
perforations.  I can think of two reasons.  The first, to allow for  
side egress of tone, similar to the MB's side-holes in the covers.   
The second, to allow for various depth of combs inside the plate.   
I'm assuming it's the first.  An interesting usage of the CX-12  
design as brought to the diatonic.  I'm not sure I see an advantage  
over, say, Turbodog's Turbolids, in terms of how they fit and all. *

The wood-bodied, wood-covered diatonic is rather similar to the  
Suzuki Pure Harp.  In both cases, the idea has been around for quite  
some time.  Still, it's nice to see people are still making them,  
both Suzuki and Gockl.

I wonder what he uses for reed-plates and such.  The comb in the  
"Elite Chicago Blues" (how about just "Elite", or maybe "Azure", or  
just "Model A", frankly) looks to be the same color as Suzuki's  
Bluesmaster.  Also, one of the combs in the wood-covered harps  
appears to be a Marine Band (from the black sides, for example).


http://www.safira-chromatica.de/eng/index.htm


I've seen this before--a few years ago, it seems.  It looks quite  
nice, but I wonder why there is no reference to the Hohner CX-12 from  
which he got the idea. Conversely, Siegfried Naruhn has been making  
his CB line for almost a decade, which also has metal covers and many  
similar features to this (including at least one potential flaw that  
I know of)--and he has always gone to pains to give the proper credit  
for the basic ideas of the design to Hohner.  Unless Gockls the guy  
who designed the CX-12 for Hohner, a bit of mention for where the  
basic (and radical) ideas came from would be nice.  Like others, he  
may have built a much better beast (as, say, the Polle is from the  
Silver Concerto or 270), but credit where credit is do.

I do like the red, and it does look quite nice (notably, if it's  
teflon-coated, again Siegfried got there first, as he's been doing  
teflon-coated CX derived custom harps for about a decade--credit  
where it's do and all.)



*On a side note, Siegfried also made a diatonic with a CX-like cover  
many years ago.  Not exactly like the "Elite", but not so  
dissimilar.  I said the same thing then--I think the CX design has  
some distinct advantages for chromatic, but I'm not convinced they  
translate to diatonic.  However, the Elite also shares some  
similarities with the overall shape of the All-American-Bakelite  
series from the 1940's (as did Siegfried's prototype).  It just goes  
to show, there are very few truly new ideas out there.  Which isn't  
bad--I liked Siegfried's prototype as well as the AAB (I need another  
one), the shape is very nice, IMO and I'd love to see it tried on a  
modern commercial product.


http://www.safira-chromatica.de/elite/index.htm


I've also seen this one.  Quite interesting, though the only really  
new thing is the sort of chamber that clamps on.  As I said, wood  
covers have been around for decades--though these do looke quite  
nicely done, and they of course have some interesting features  
(particularly, I see no screws or such holding them on).  I'd like to  
know what the intention behind the wood add-on bit.  I would think it  
would muffle the sound more than a bit.  I'll have to wait for the  
English website, I guess.


Overall, I'd like more specific information on the website (what he  
uses as the basis of his harps, reed-plate and comb wise, etc...),  
and also a bit more open-ness with regards to the fact that both the  
Elite and the first chromatic are derived from ideas first found on  
the CX-12.


Still, it's great to see people trying to create new(ish) designs and  
experimenting, particularly in the chromatic field.  I look forward  
to seeing what else he does, and also to maybe seeing what people who  
have actually played these think of them and so forth.





 ()()    JR "Bulldogge" Ross
()  ()   & Snuffy, too:)
`----'