Re: [Harp-L] Little Walter & Lee Oscar

["Ralf K. Buschner" <r_buschner@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Am Freitag, 5. Januar 2007 00:09 schrieb Philharpn@xxxxxxx:
> As I recall -- I haven't checked recently -- that Lee Oskar harps are not
> only tuned "brighter" A 443+ (instead A 440 USA [Europe, A 445?]) but also
> "just" tuning instead of "equal" tuning with thinner reeds that also makes
> the Oskars easier to bend.

No, it's vice versa. Lee's are equally tempered tuning, MB's are a compromised 
just tuning today (the pre-80 MB's have been in just tuning).

> But the real reason they sound different is that the Lee Oskar has a
> plastic comb and the Marine Band has a wood comb. 

Here i differ - it's a long discussion, and there's nothing new in it. Some do  
believe the comb makes a difference in sound, some don't. In my humble 
opinion, the biggest influence on a harmonica's sound has a) the "tightness" 
of the reedslot and the reed during the reed closing the reed slot, and
b) the shape and size of the covers. For testing that, you could use a Hohner 
MS series harp, and use it with different covers. With each one you get a 
completely different instrument, while the comb has practically no influence 
on the sound, wether you're using plastic, wood, brass or glass. 

Ralf