Re: [Harp-L] The final word on Comb Materials

[David Payne <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

"If everyone knows the arguments, then those who claim that 
comb materials perceptibly affect tone must do so 
deliberately, disregarding both acoustic theory and 
empirical evidence to the contrary...
I was corrected on my statement, in passing, that diatonic 
harps have 'Richter tuning...' I assume that 
newbies look to Harp-l for correct information.  Should we 
not do our best to avoid misleading them?”
 
Well, yeah. I suppose I did not call you on that. The way I go about it, is I try to say “Richter note placement,” even thought that itself isn't technically accurate, but meanings of words change and when people think of Richter, they think of the note placement, not construction. Anymore, I just try to describe it that way, to set that example. In retrospect, I might have written you off list had I noticed it, because people do look up to you and respect you as they do, I do see where you feel a burden of personal accuracy. 
On the other hand, I've a similar crusade of sorts about sealed wood. My chromatics do not crack, regardless of what weather changes I put them through. My diatonics do not swell from playing. There was a time when somebody said “wood combs suck. They crack, etc.” I'd chip in something about the benefits of a good sealing, but eventually I figured out that I can't change the world and I backed off and went with a more “here's how to seal wood” approach. You can't change everybody's mind, regardless of how much evidence you've got. You should check out the flat earth society forum, theflatearthsociety.org it's hilarious and, with a billion times more research and facts confirming a round earth than difference in comb materials, it serves as the ultimate example of no matter how much is out there, you can't change every mind. They invite people to come in and argue round earth, people say "how come hurricanes rotate in a different direction south
 of the Equator." Ans: "It's a conspiracy." "Home come somebody can't just go to the edge of the earth and take a picture of the flat earth. This is an actual quote from the FAQ page: "The government prevents people from getting close enough to the Ice Wall to take a picture." I offer the society as an example only to illustrate how hard it is to change minds once they're made up.
As for me, I don't know. I truly do not know and don't consider it of monumental importance, just an interest. There's numerous variables at work, I notice differences in different harmonicas of the same model and construction. Why? I don't know.

“I cannot initiate a bend without constricting the air flow 
at or near the mouthpiece and drawing much harder.  However, 
I'm not going to state that as a fact because I have only my 
own subjective experience with no hard evidence or theory to 
support it.
Very true and it is not fact for every diatonic. When I evaluate a harp, a main difference to be between a good custom and stock is the ability to initiate a deep bend at minimal breath, actually at the minimal amount of breath it takes for the reed to vibrate. The reason it takes a harder draw is breath is wasted, whether by an imperfect mate of comb and reedplate, or via around the reeds themselves.
 
________________________________
www.elkriverharmonicas.com