Re: [Harp-L] Phosphor bronze vs Brass reeds

[Dan Hazen <bluesmandan76@xxxxxxxxx>]

Yeah, it is interesting. But I think the differences are small and don't
make too big a deal out of them, but be realistic.

For classical guitar I like a cedar top with rosewood back and sides. For
acoustic, I like spruce on mahogany or rosewood (though my current acoustic
is cedar on rosewood). For electric guitar I don't really think the wood
matters that much, and I also can't tell much of a difference in the
strings. Strings on acoustic matter, as a regular bronze string or phosphor
bronze string has more overtones and an airy ring to it than some others,
but I've been using nickel flats on my acoustics for a couple of years now,
because they last forever, whereas bronze strings lose their zip after a
few weeks of play.

On harmonica... I don't think the differences are huge by any stretch of
the imagination, especially if you're playing amped with distortion, I
don't think there's a difference at all. And I can't tell a difference
between coverplates and combs. But I can hear, acoustic, a difference
between brass and phosphor bronze. I think Seydel's steel reeds sound a lot
like phosphor bronze, though they have a little stronger sound.

You can argue this stuff ad infinitum/nauseum...  tube versus solid state,
analog versus digital, solid cabinet versus ply or mdf, 1/2" versus 5/8"
baffles, different kinds of mics, different kinds of pickups on guitar,
even one brand of cable over another, or the urethane versus lacquer
coating on a guitar, or the material that your guitar pick is made of. All
of this stuff is debated and I've read countless arguments on every side of
all of these. I suppose everything affects tone in some way, but I tend to
pay attention to the most immediate factors, at least as I judge them. But
I think I realize that the audience could care less and doesn't discern the
difference between a $125 Fender Squier and a $4000 Custom Shop job. Only a
musician who is really really in it all the time can hear and discern any
difference.


On Thu, Mar 20, 2014 at 9:22 AM, Mike Wilbur <mike@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

> I always enjoy these conversations about Wood- Plastic-metal and the
> passion that eventually
> Turns into a sword fight !
> Lots of fun really.
>
> Mike Wilbur
>
>
>
> On Mar 20, 2014, at 9:51 AM, Dan Hazen <bluesmandan76@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>
> > The difference is indeed very small, and when you play one, then the
> other,
> > then back again... you will likely hear a difference. I do. Would it
> stand
> > up to a blind test? Probably not. But there is a perceptible difference
> > nonetheless.
> >
> > I would equate it to the difference between guitar strings... flatwound,
> > pure nickel, nickelplated steel, roundwound... there is a difference, but
> > it is small. Or the difference between different woods used in
> guitars....
> > Rosewood, cedar, mahogany, ash, etc. They all have different
> > characteristics, but the difference is not huge. It's all very subtle,
> but
> > there IS a difference.
> >
> > I doubt any audience could hear it or care, but when one is playing an
> > instrument for hours on end, he picks up the subtle things, and it
> matters
> > to him.
> >
> > This is a topic that is endlessly debated... reed material, reedplate
> > material, comb material, combplate material. Some claim they can hear a
> > difference. Some claim there is none. When I play a Seydel Standard next
> to
> > a Bluesmaster, I can hear a slight difference.
>