[Harp-L] Brendan and Vern

[Steve Baker]

Thank you Tom for your clear and detailed statement on the discussion between Brendan and Vern, based as you say on extensive real world experience. Thanks also to Brendan for telling it like it is.

I’ve been a professional player for nearly 45 years, Hohner consultant for over 30 years, friend and supporter of harmonica customizers (and user of their products) ever since they first emerged in the early 1990s. I have not the slightest doubt that comb material can make a noticeable difference to the sound of a harmonica and that well executed customizing work unquestionably makes them play immeasurably better than stock instruments. I have verified these facts both personally and through my work with other players on countless occasions. I intend no disrespect to Vern, but claims to the contrary are in my experience mistaken. 

We conducted blind tests at Hohner in 2008, using bamboo, solid plastic and pearwood combs with Marine Band Deluxe reed plates. Howard Levy, Joe Filisko, Carlos del Junco, Michael Timler and myself all independently said that what turned out to be the bamboo comb sounded distinctly different to the others (the difference between solid plastic and pearwood was less marked). This comb was subsequently incorporated into the Marine Band Crossover, and later the Thunderbird. In 2011 I took part in a further blind test conducted by Hohner product manager Richard Weiss and was able to accurately identify and distinguish between bamboo and pearwood combs by their sound. Richard was astonished and later told me that prior to this he had not believed the material made any audible difference, so contrary to his expectations, this experiment changed his view on the subject.

Regarding the vexed question of cutting reed plates and reeds, you’re quite right. A right angle edge to the reed slot is essential and as you say, at present there doesn’t appear to be any way of achieving this using lasers, CNC milling and the other methods you mention. Hohner goes to a great deal of trouble to ensure a perfectly cylindrical slot while avoiding the punch-in and punch-out burring of the edges. Let’s hope Brendan’s dream of perfect reed plates out of the box will one day be realized, then we could spend less time fiddling around trying to fix up our harmonicas and more time making music...

Steve Baker
www.stevebaker.de
www.harmonica-masters.de