RE: [Harp-L] Re: votes on the Special 20

["Kent Angelos" <kmangelos@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

I recently purchased a couple of replacement Sp20 harps and one of them is
the new stock.

The only difference is upper cover plate just says "Special 20" and the word
"Progressive" centered
below it with the words "M. Hohner" and "Made in Germany" on either side of
the "Progressive".  

The lower cover plate has the old M. Hohner traditional emblems (I call it
the old "coat of arms" insignia). 

The old SP20's had the more plain simple lower cover plate design.

I can't tell anything else has changed, reed plates seem identical.

kma

-----Original Message-----
From: harp-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxx [mailto:harp-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf
Of Steve Baker
Sent: Monday, December 01, 2014 6:17 AM
To: Michael Rubin; Harp-L
Subject: [Harp-L] Re: votes on the Special 20

Michael Rubin wrote:
I have not purchased a progressive Special 20, but I can see the cover
plates are different and apparently the reed plates are too.  I am worried
because 20's are my go to harp.

Does it sound different?

Does it feel different in your hands?

Does it feel different in your lips?

Steve responds:
The only difference is that the stamp on the covers has been changed. The
covers themselves are made on the same tool as previously and are no
different in height or profile. The reason is because Hohner wanted to get
rid of the misleading "Marine Band" stamp on the old covers. A Marine Band
is a sandwich construction harp with a wood or bamboo comb. As you're
obviously aware, the Special 20 is constructed according to a different
principle and we wanted the covers to reflect this fact.

The Special 20 reed plates have now been fitted with 2 additional holes for
cover plate screws, enabling them to fit the Rocket and also making them
compatible with Marine Band style combs. These have no bearing on sound or
response and the reed plates are otherwise identical to how they were before
this change.

So to answer your questions, as far as I can tell: 

It doesn't sound noticeably different

It doesn't feel noticeably different in your hands

It doesn't feel noticeably different in your lips

I would point out that there will always be individual differences between
instruments from different batches. Harmonicas are made by hand, so this is
impossible to eliminate completely. Also the stamps used to imprint the hole
numbers wear out in time and need to be replaced regularly, especially with
instruments like the Special 20 which are manufactured in very large
numbers. At the beginning of their lifespan they cut the numbers deeper than
later on, when the stamp becomes worn down. This kind of variation is normal
and players have lived with it for generations.

Steve Baker
www.stevebaker.de
www.european-music-workshops.com
www.harmonica-masters.de