Re: [Harp-L] Re: Combs
Steve,
It goes to show, that harmonica player's who have mastered the instrument,
can tell the difference, when harmonica's from different comb materials are
played.
Click on the Delta Groove link below, view Video's Bio's and so on.
Bill and I are in the search for representation, any thoughts about that.
Stay tuned!
Mark
Mark Lavoie
4849 Bristol Rd
Bristol, VT 05443
802-236-5665
http://www.deltagrooveproductions.com/music/artists/billsimmarlavoie/main.html
www.myspace.com/theharmonicaman
www.middlebury.net/lavoie
----- Original Message -----
From: "Steve Baker" <steve@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: "Harp-L" <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Thursday, September 18, 2008 2:46 AM
Subject: [Harp-L] Re: Combs
At the risk of provoking the scorn of those with a divergent opinion I'd
like to sketch my own experience with combs made of different materials:
During the last couple of years in the course of my work for Hohner I've
made fairly exhaustive tests comparing combs made of various woods and
other materials, using Marine Band Deluxe reed plates and covers due to
the ease of assembling and disassembling them. I not only compared
identical instruments fitted with different combs, but also swopped the
reed plates so I could hear the same comb with a different set of plates
in order to eliminate possible differences in reedplate quality. In
addition I regularly play many of these instruments on stage, often
swopping harps in mid song to see if there's a difference or to switch to
one whose sound and playing feel I prefer. I hear and perceive distinct
differences not only between different woods but also between wood and
plastic, and also between woods treated with different finishes. I
haven't been able to conduct tests using identical reedplates and covers
with metal combs, but my experiences with various harps fitted with metal
combs lead me to believe there is definitely a difference. A Hohner
Meisterklasse MS will sound slightly different with a wooden or plastic
comb and it will certainly feel different. Try it yourseof - the parts
are compatible after all. These tests have led me to clear personal
preferences. It's true that the outside listener might not notice any
difference, because we're talking about nuances here, but I certainly
notice enough difference to make me switch from one to another in the
middle of a song in order to make my music sound the way I want it to
sound to me. It's a moot point whether even a knowledgeable listener will
be able to hear the difference between a Stradivarius and a medium priced
violin, but believe me someone like Nigel Kennedy can, and that's why top
violinists are prepared to pay astronomical prices in order to get one.
Elizabeth's point about possible toxicity is something I can only agree
with. Many woods can cause allergic reactions and there are harmonicas on
the market that I will not play for this reason,
Steve
Steve Baker
steve@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
www.stevebaker.de
www.bluesculture.com
www.youtube.com/stevebakerbluesharp
_______________________________________________
Harp-L is sponsored by SPAH, http://www.spah.org
Harp-L@xxxxxxxxxx
http://harp-l.org/mailman/listinfo/harp-l
This archive was generated by a fusion of
Pipermail 0.09 (Mailman edition) and
MHonArc 2.6.8.