Re: [Harp-L] The comb materials debate

[Vern <jevern@xxxxxxx>]

On Sep 3, 2010, at 4:26 PM, H.T. wrote:

> Seems to be two fundamental questions in this debate:
> 
> 1. Does comb material affect tone?
> 2. If so, can the affect be heard by humans?
> 
> I'm not familiar with the previous comb tests done at SPAH, but the discussion has me wondering if there have been any tests using completely off-the-wall comb materials like styrofoam, rubber, paper, cardboard, or "Great Stuff" foam?  How about combs surfaced with a layer of felt inside the reed chamber? If a radical departure to materials that seem, on the face of it, to be completely inappropriate for harmonica combs demonstrates an audible affect on tone, then THAT question would be settled and the discussion could move on to just how much affect the various "normal" materials have rather than an argument about whether there's any at all. I would expect a styrofoam comb to sound like crap, but does it?..................
> 
In the 1997 test, we used combs of concrete, balsa wood, lead, pear wood, titanium, foam plastic and ABS. We compared CX12 covers of black plastic and solid brass.  We had the harps blown by a machine and by John Walden.     Thirty listeners could not discern any differences.

These were not tests to determine if there are minuscule differences in the comb spectrums. I assume that there are.  They were tests to find out if listeners could hear them. So far, no one has demonstrated that ability under controlled conditions.

Vern