Re: [Harp-L] Brass vs Stainless Steel

["Vern Smith" <jevern@xxxxxxx>]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Joe and Cass Leone" <leone@xxxxxxxx>
To: "Vern Smith" <jevern@xxxxxxx>
Cc: <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Friday, September 05, 2008 5:33 PM
Subject: Re: [Harp-L] Brass vs Stainless Steel



> Not in the least trying to be argumentative here Vern and all you  other 
> fellows, and believe you me, I have no reason to doubt your  combined 
> expertise on these matters...TODAY. But something has been  bothering me 
> over the years. In fact several things. One of which is:
>
> Do you think the people/person/entity ? who originally came up with  the 
> harmonica considered ANY of these things?
> Me? 'I' think they looked at music boxes and trialed and errored  until 
> they came up with a workable prototype. MY suspicion is that  they copied 
> the Chinese.

Knowing some theory for designing a machine is like having a map for making 
a trip.  You may eventually get to your destination by trial-and-error 
journeying around but with gas over $4 per gallon, you may prefer to find 
the most direct route on your map.

> Another is: Does ANYONE think that this business about tuning was  really 
> as involved as everyone is making it out to BE?. Me? 'I' think  that they 
> originally tuned the same way an organ is tuned. What's  THAT tuning? I 
> don't know.

About 130 years ago, Hermann Helmholtz devoted a whole chapter (60 pages of 
fine print) of his book on musical acoustics, "On the Sensations of Tone" 
to temperaments.   He doesn't even mention a harmonica.

> I feel like the proverbial neanderthal Geico caveman sitting here on
> my lanai with my sabre toothed kitty, sipping on a Mojito. I mean,  you 
> guys are SO far over the rainbow in advanced thinking, I feel  like an 
> absolute dunce.

You bring a different but valuable point of view to the forum.  If we all 
knew the same things, we wouldn't have anything to discuss.

>  ................I mean, I  like explanations as well as the next guy, but 
> some of this stuff is  way deep and (frankly) over my head.

I suspect that it is lack of interest more than lack of ability to 
understand.  I once quizzed a failing high school student about a motorcycle 
that quickly passed through an intersection two blocks away.  He knew the 
make, model, engine displacement, drive train details, etc.  because 
motorcycles interested him and his schoolwork did not.

>  In fact, I have procedures that  still haven't been revealed.

IF they are not making you rich, this is the place and now is the time! 
;o

Vern
Visit my harmonica website www.Hands-Free-Chromatic.7p.com