[Harp-L] Re: Comb Test

["Brendan Power" <bren@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Vern wrote about our collaborative 2010 comb test of players' perception to
different comb materials:

"Only Michalek wrote in the same rating for every attribute of every comb.
This could have been an honest indication that he could not distinguish
differences. However, I interpreted it as contempt for the test. The other
panelists cheerfully cooperated with the test protocol."

 

And Dave Payne wrote about Chris Michalek:

"He definitely had contempt for that test - which I witnessed as a member of
the audience. He must have spent 5 minutes arguing before the test started
with stuff like "How do I rate them as sounding good? I mean, none of these
are going to sound as good as my customs. So, how can I possibly say if they
were good or not?" This went on for what seemed like forever."

 

First, a factual inaccuracy: Chris wasn't the only one to subvert the test.
Second, he had good reason to be contemptuous of it - because the test
harmonica was simply inadequate.

 

Despite a clever design and his best intentions, Vern created a test
harmonica that was very good at fast comb changes but very poor at getting a
tight seal between reedplates and comb. I spotted this on our pre-test
meeting. I could see air gaps when I looked from the rear of the comb into
the light. I reported it to Vern but there was no time to make changes.

 

So the test was flawed from the start. If the reedplates are not tightly
sealed to the comb, how can the effect of comb materials on the sound be
assessed? Chris Michalek was dead right to be contemptuous of the test, and
impart his opinion to his fellow testers. Perhaps he should have stood up
and said it openly at the start, but his way of expressing his contempt was
to give every harp the same score. At least one other tester did the same.

 

Because of the imperfect test harp, the 2010 test had absolutely no
validity. It proved nothing either way, and Vern is quite wrong to state
that did.

 

Brendan Power

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