[Harp-L] re: Replacement reed plates vs replacing reeds



Luciano wrote:

"This is a great harmonica colection:

http://www.g6pje.fsnet.co.uk/";


Yes, and a nice website with a lot of pictures. Thanks for posting the link; some interesting beasties to be seen there.



"And here we can find an example of reeds with individual reed plates:


http://www.g6pje.fsnet.co.uk/DIATONICS__OTHER_.html

Is it what you´ve mentioned? it seems to be an old one..."


It is what I mentioned, and they are old. That website shows the system quite well. It really is a brilliant design, with so many differences from the standard that it's no wonder it didn't succeed. Still, I wish it had at least carved out a part of the market, as it is a very, very versatile format. In many ways it is a truly "modular" harmonica design. If you do get one, be careful--bakelite can crack and split very easily, especially if you overtighten the mouthpiece screws (which is quite easy to do).



Searching around I thought this was fascinating:


http://www.g6pje.fsnet.co.uk/Electronic_Harmonicas.html


I'd never heard of the "Elemonica" before (I have heard of and need to try the Harmonix sooner rather than later), even from sources who usually know of these things. I wonder what an electro-magnetic amplified steel-reed harmonica would sound like. I've heard and played Turbodog's prototype electric harp (not an amplified one like the Harmonix, but one which uses pic-ups for the reeds) and it was very interesting indeed. But that was a much different system (optical or piezo, IIRC) and so would probably give a significantly different sound.


It's also another example of idiosyncratic usage of steel reeds for harmonicas. This and the Harmonetta were both designs where steel reeds made sense from the perspective of the design itself, rather than as an aesthetic choice, but in both cases that didn't trickle down to more standard models. I wonder what other idiosyncratic designs are out there which might be successfully adapted to more standard-style harps the way Seydel did with steel reeds in their 1847 line. Hmmm...



 ()()    JR "Bulldogge" Ross
()  ()
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