[Harp-L] Re: Numbers on MB plates ?

[Rick Epping <rickepping@xxxxxxxxx>]

Yes, the first two digits are the calendar week and the second two are the
year that the reedplate was stamped out.  The reeds would have been
attached sometime thereafter.

All Marine Band cover plate nails are steel with a thin plating of brass.
Perhaps the brass plating has worn off?

The only copper colored reeds I know of that have been used on the Marine
Bands are those from the current reed material, which is a type of phosphor
bronze like that used in the chromatics.  We tested a number of different
reed materials before the old ZA-5 reed brass became unavailable, but all
except the current material were of some type of yellow brass.

When a reed profile milling machine is being set up for a particular run of
reeds, a red mark is made at one end of a strip of reed material and a blue
mark is made at the other.  The strip is then milled for profile and the
reeds stamped out, there being a few dozen or so reeds per strip.  A blue
marked reed and a red marked reed are then picked out and tested for their
tuning.  If the tuning is not within tolerance, the milling machine is
readjusted and more samples are milled and stamped out.  Once the machine
is adjusted correctly, the production run of that particular reed can
commence.  A red or blue marked reed might be more likely to be found in a
prototype than in a harmonica from regular production.

Best regards,
Rick


>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Message: 1
> Date: Thu, 16 Oct 2014 00:25:28 -0500
> From: Buck Worley <boogalloo@xxxxxxx>
> Subject: RE: [Harp-L] Numbers on MB plates ?
> To: "harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx" <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx>
> Message-ID: <SNT152-W37F39BB55E7B5DC858BEFEA1AB0@xxxxxxx>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
>
> Oh...also the D harp has steel cover plate nails. A small detail but just
> adds to the mystery.I have cleaned the C harp but haven't re assembled and
> have not yet cleaned the D. Therefore I cant elaborate on sound, response
> etc. Buck
>
>
> > From: boogalloo@xxxxxxx
> > To: harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx
> > Date: Thu, 16 Oct 2014 00:09:49 -0500
> > Subject: [Harp-L] Numbers on MB plates ?
> >
> > List,
> > I found a box with a couple dozen old used harps that looked repairable
> on the surface. Assorted standard Marine Bands, 3 old type Old Standbys, a
> couple of Huangs and 2 Vest Pocket harps. I picked 6 MBs and began my
> restoration project.
> > Two of the MBs have numbers stamped on the plates. C harp, top plate has
> 0797, bottom plate has 0397.
> > D harp, top and bottom plates have 1106 stamped. On the bottom plate the
> #8 reed has red paint?? on about 2/3 the lenght of the reed. Also, the
> reeds on this harp have a copper tint.
> > A long time ago while at the NAMM show, the Hohner rep gave me 3 or 4
> prototypes to try out and provide feedback which I did. I just wonder if
> these may be prototypes.
> > I have never noticed anything stamped on reed plates before and never
> seen red reeds or copper colored reeds on a Marine Band. There were no
> other markings that I found.
> > I'm just curious. Can anyone tell me what these are?
> > Regards,Buck
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 2
> Date: Thu, 16 Oct 2014 07:21:49 -0700
> From: Winslow Yerxa <winslowyerxa@xxxxxxxxx>
> Subject: Re: [Harp-L] Numbers on MB plates ?
> To: Buck Worley <boogalloo@xxxxxxx>, "harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx"
>         <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx>
> Message-ID:
>         <1413469309.7885.YahooMailNeo@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
>
> The last two digits are the year. The first two are either the week or the
> month (not sure which, perhaps someone more knowledgeable can fill in this
> detail).
>
> Winslow Yerxa
> President, SPAH, the Society for the Preservation and Advancement of the
> Harmonica
> Producer, the Harmonica Collective
> Author, Harmonica For Dummies, ISBN 978-0-470-33729-5
>             Harmonica Basics For Dummies, ASIN B005KIYPFS
>             Blues Harmonica For Dummies, ISBN 978-1-1182-5269-7
> Resident Expert, bluesharmonica.com
> Instructor, Jazzschool Community Music School
>
>
> ________________________________
>  From: Buck Worley <boogalloo@xxxxxxx>
> To: "harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx" <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx>
> Sent: Wednesday, October 15, 2014 10:25 PM
> Subject: RE: [Harp-L] Numbers on MB plates ?
>
>
> Oh...also the D harp has steel cover plate nails. A small detail but just
> adds to the mystery.I have cleaned the C harp but haven't re assembled and
> have not yet cleaned the D. Therefore I cant elaborate on sound, response
> etc. Buck
>
>
>
>
>
> > From: boogalloo@xxxxxxx
> > To: harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx
> > Date: Thu, 16 Oct 2014 00:09:49 -0500
> > Subject: [Harp-L] Numbers on MB plates ?
> >
> > List,
> > I found a box with a couple dozen old used harps that looked repairable
> on the surface. Assorted standard Marine Bands, 3 old type Old Standbys, a
> couple of Huangs and 2 Vest Pocket harps. I picked 6 MBs and began my
> restoration project.
> > Two of the MBs have numbers stamped on the plates. C harp, top plate has
> 0797, bottom plate has 0397.
> > D harp, top and bottom plates have 1106 stamped. On the bottom plate the
> #8 reed has red paint?? on about 2/3 the lenght of the reed. Also, the
> reeds on this harp have a copper tint.
> > A long time ago while at the NAMM show, the Hohner rep gave me 3 or 4
> prototypes to try out and provide feedback which I did. I just wonder if
> these may be prototypes.
> > I have never noticed anything stamped on reed plates before and never
> seen red reeds or copper colored reeds on a Marine Band. There were no
> other markings that I found.
> > I'm just curious. Can anyone tell me what these are?
> > Regards,Buck
>
> ------------------------------
>
>