[Harp-L] Factory Tuning

[Dr. George Miklas]

Steve Baker, thank you for providing a most excellent explanation. The only
harp that is significantly closer in tune is a fully customized harp. Even
then, the tuning remains subject to the air pressure, delivery, and support
of the player.
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*Dr. George Miklas <http://www.georgemiklas.com/>, **Harmonica Specialist
- **Scholar, **Educator, **Performer*
*Harmonica Gallery Sales Repair & Studio <http://www.harmonicagallery.com/>*


On Tue, Oct 26, 2021 at 11:59 AM Steve Baker <booking at xxxxx> wrote:

> Laurent wrote:
> Jerome Peyrelevade told me when he studied a bunch of Hohner harps in
> terms of tuning, factory harps are apparently far from being well tuned. If
> confirmed, it would make this Just Vs Equal temperament advertisement a bit
> fake.
>
> Steve replies:
> it’s true that harmonicas from all manufacturers show variations in
> factory tuning. For that reason, I fine-tune every harp before I play it.
> Hohner is more accurate than most in this respect. But it’s not correct to
> suggest that the distinction between models tuned to a compromise system
> (hardly any manufacturers use Just Intonatiion today) and those supposedly
> tuned to 12TET is in any way fake. Players who make frequent use of chords
> will certainly sound better on a Marine Band or Special 20 than on a Golden
> Melody, for example, because the fine tuning is designed to produce smooth
> sounding chords without interference beats. Even when there is some degree
> of deviation from the intended tuning, this difference can clearly be heard
> and the distinction serves a clear purpose.
>
> As anyone who has spent any amount of time tuning harmonicas is aware, it
> isn’t an exact science. It’s virtually impossible to tune a free reed to an
> exact pitch, because the pitch changes with air pressure, length of air
> column and type of embouchure. It’s a matter of finding a viable compromise
> which works for most people, and that’s what harmonica manufacturers (with
> greater and lesser degrees of success) endeavour to do.
>
> Steve Baker
> www.stevebaker.de
> www.harmonica-masters.de
>
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