The name of Neil Graham came up recently several times in this thread. I own three of Neil's "Deluxe Professional Custom Hybrid" (C, G and Ab), his top of the line model. They are among the best harps I own (Filiskos, Sleighs, Gordons, Moyers, Ramoses)! They are tight, very responsive, loud and, if nothing else, extremely fast to play. Why? Three reasons, IMHO.
1) The comb: machined with African blackwood a bit bigger than your average Hohner Marine Band, the air chambers are gently smoothed and burnished for improved airflow. The mouthpiece is slightly raised and the edges are rounded off. This gives a great feel, particularely when tongue blocking. Neils claims that his mouthpiece design is "an individual feature" of this custom built. Rightly so...
2) The reed plates: a lot has been said on this list on reed profile. Neil uses Meisterklasse 580 plates, known by customizers to be quite difficult to work on. Somehow, he managed to set the*** *offsets for maximum compression and instant response. Neil also states on his site that "stress points on reeds are diminished to ensure longer life and improved performance". I testify to that: during the three years I've owned these harps, not one single reed went out of tune (I opted for a compromise tuning when I ordered). I play mostly acoustic and am known to have little mercy for my instrument.
3) The cover plates: _*the Marine Band MS covers Neils uses*_ for his "hybrids" are said to be among the loudest (projection wise) on the market. Opened out and deepened to prevent reed rattle, these give the instrument a phenomenal dynamic range (great for acoustic blues!). Also, a smart little back brace prevents the harps from crushing (a feature also available on Brad's "B Radical").
Don't know why these beauties seem to be the best kept secret of the custom harmonica world.
May I add that Neil is charm to work with...
Usual disclaimer applies.
Sunnyside
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