Re: [Harp-L] Bell Metal Reeds?

[Joseph Leone <3n037@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

You are correct mr. Steve. Bell metal is a sales ploy. Just as German silver was a sales ploy. Inasmuch as German silver contains no silver at all. The truth is that most governments in the past had someone in charge of metals. Most of the brass in Europe has been smelted many many times with scrap mixed with virgin metals. Actually, instead of being a negative, this is a positive, as other trace metals (bronze, molybdenum, etc), find their way into the amalgum and tend to help the brass in different ways. Making it more malleable, more molecularly rigid, or more noble (resistant to corrosion), whatever the case may be. 

It was a known fact that during both WWi & WWII, Germany had a tendency to run out of strategic metals and would therefore 'liberate' bells from all over Europe. This generally wound up in shell casings and engine bearings. Ergo, I would expect that bell metal reeds may actually HAVE 'some' bell IN them. lol

Witness most of the ornamental brass work coming out of India. Most of this is made from war scrap and junked ships. The propellers, however, are usually saved if repairable, as they are usually of red brass, bronze, nickel, and other valuable mixtures. 

Hope this sheds some light.

smokey joe

  

On Nov 17, 2011, at 9:42 AM, Steve Shaw wrote:

> 
> The Echo tremolos have "Bell metal reeds" stamped on the covers. As the reeds appear to be regular brass, I assumed that bells are made of brass. ;-)  Perhaps some huge great cracked 34cwt brass bell got melted down by Hohner and refashioned into millions of reeds. I hope no-one will tell me the far more prosaic truth and spoil my reverie! 
> 
>> Some years back I was at the NAMM show in Atlanta, GA and the Hohner rep (Jack ??; at this moment I can't remember his last name) gave me 2 MBs and asked if I would provide feedback as they were some sort of prototype. Like John, I used to blow out harps like crazy back then. These 2 10 hole MBs played extremely well and the one that I used for a long time finally went flat. Back then the prices were relatively low and I just threw it out. Well the other day I found a box full of old harps and in the box was one of those 2 harps.
>> 
>> It's in the key of C and has a sticker on the box that says "MUSTER". I don't remember the exact year but it was about the time they started putting MBs in the plastic cases. I remember talking to the rep after using one of the harps for a while but he never told me what was different about the 2 (that I can remember). I suspect that they might have had bell metal reeds or were somehow more airtight.
>> 
>> I do not know how to tell bell metal from the regular production metal.
>> 
>> Question:  Does anyone out there know how I might discern if this harp has bell metal reeds...perhaps some stamp on the plates? or color or shade of the reeds and or plates. Also, are there any other 10 or 12 hole diatonic harps out there that are bell metal. Has anyone else tested MBs marked "MUSTER"?
>> 
>> Meantime I will clean it up, play it (I don't think I used it much) and take it apart and see what I find.
>> 
>> Buck
> 
>