sergiojl
7 posts
Jul 07, 2011
7:56 AM
|
I know many of yours have an harmonica customized by joe Filisko.
I was wondering about the modifications that he use to do to those harmonicas.
|
WinslowYerxa
14 posts
Jul 07, 2011
8:47 AM
|
A full treatment Filisko Method harmonica will have the covers re-shaped, the wood comb replaced by a milled, moisture-proof resin-impregnated wood laminate comb, the reedplates and covers secured with machine screws, and the reeds and slots finely adjusted for maximum response and efficient vibration, and finely tuned.
Tuning and response adjustment are individual to the player's preference. The reed profiling and adjustment are the most difficult part, and are the details that most customizers don't discuss in any detail, as this is the heart of their livelihood, and involves both understanding and skill that are hard won through long experience.
Last Edited by on Jul 07, 2011 8:48 AM
|
sergiojl
8 posts
Jul 07, 2011
9:37 AM
|
Thanks Mr. Yerxa for your answer.
I have recently seen Rupert Oysler's DVD about customization and I think that some of his techniques are pretty agressive, like the one where he bends the tip of the reed. I don't think I would dare to do that.
May be is the reason that is called radical reed modification.
|
HarpNinja
1500 posts
Jul 07, 2011
11:05 AM
|
His description of what happens via that method are pretty spot on. Personally, I don't prefer that method.
I have a theory that most players that customize their harps and have "great" overblow results that they consider "better" than some of the top customizers end up doing a version of this that dampens the reed (by either using a foreign substance or treating the rivet end like Rupert does in the video) to the point where it impacts the playability of the harp in a manner in which I would not prefer.
My point here is that regarding overblowing there are ways of making a harp overbend well while sacraficing the overall quality of the harp.
----------
Mike
Quicksilver Custom Harmonicas
|
sergiojl
11 posts
Jul 07, 2011
11:06 AM
|
Just thinking but, Don't you find curious this?
Customized harmonica:
- covers re-shaped.
- Wood comb replaced by a milled, moisture-proof resin-impregnated wood laminate comb,
- the reedplates and covers secured with machine screws.
- The reeds and slots finely adjusted for maximum response and efficient vibration.
Suzuki Manji:
-Perfect covers.
- Synthetic wood comb.
- Screws.
- Minimum tolerance reed-slot distance.
May be the half work is already done.
What is so special with Marine Bands?
|
jim
892 posts
Jul 07, 2011
12:09 PM
|
I totally agree with Mike (HarpNinja). I also never use any "hacks" that improve overblowing but degrade overall tone and playability.
Neither of those methods is bad by the way... Just different.
>>What is so special with Marine Bands?
They are CHEAP. And I bet they cost 1/2 less for big orders.
Let the holy war begin.
----------
Free Harp Learning Center
Last Edited by on Jul 07, 2011 12:12 PM
|
Kingley
1535 posts
Jul 07, 2011
12:21 PM
|
"What is so special with Marine Bands?"
A few things spring to mind.
A properly set up Marine Band is arguably the best harmonica you'll ever play.
The Marine Band tone is what made harmonica famous.
It's tone cannot be equaled by any other brand of harmonica out there in this players opinion.
For the vast majority of Pro players the Marine Band is the harmonica of choice.
The harmonicas from Suzuki, Seydels, Lee Oskar, etc are all very good harmonicas and of course are well suited for playing the same styles of music as the Marine Band. What they don't have though is "that tone". Fair enough an audience might not be able to tell the difference in tone, but to the experienced player with the harp in his hand "that tone" is immediately obvious.
|
HarpNinja
1503 posts
Jul 07, 2011
12:36 PM
|
"Suzuki Manji:
-Perfect covers.
- Synthetic wood comb.
- Screws.
- Minimum tolerance reed-slot distance."
Um, if you wanted a great Marine Band, why wouldn't you get a Crossover?
Perfect covers.
Bamboo wood comb.
Screws.
Same brass as a MB.
In all seriousness, though, a Manji is harder to work on because of the material it is made out of. Even with alteration, IMO, they don't over bend as well as MB's. You could start with any number of harps from any number of bands.
Basically, though, the whole Filisko thing started with players wanting a better MB. Now everyone wants to copy that.
----------
Mike
Quicksilver Custom Harmonicas
|
sergiojl
13 posts
Jul 07, 2011
1:33 PM
|
That's a very good new.
Marine Band reed plates are the same the Crossover has?
|
hvyj
1492 posts
Jul 07, 2011
1:39 PM
|
I don't know about Crossovers, but Golden Melody reed plates are the same as Marine Band reed plates except they are tuned to ET
|
jim
893 posts
Jul 07, 2011
2:01 PM
|
"MB tone" comes from the vented coverplates.
Suzuki sounds different due to (or thanks to??) phosphor bronze
----------
Free Harp Learning Center
|
nacoran
4295 posts
Jul 07, 2011
2:22 PM
|
The special thing about Marine Bands is the reed plates and front cover. By constantly cutting your lip up they slowly impregnate the harp with human blood, which, if you are a good player, summons the very essence of music into you.
:)
They do sound pretty. I wish Hohner would tweak their covers just enough so you could swap them between a couple different harps without having to drill new holes. You could swap SP20 covers with MB's and do all sorts of other neat tricks. I guess the last time they tried that they tweaked too many other things and ended up annoying people with MS Marine Bands, so I guess you have to be careful what you wish for.
----------
Nate
Facebook
Thread Organizer (A list of all sorts of useful threads)
|
hvyj
1494 posts
Jul 07, 2011
3:03 PM
|
"They do sound pretty."
Beauty is in the mind of the beholder. Personally, i don't like the sound of MBs. I recognize that this is probably a minority opinion. But their sound is certainly distinctive.
|
Sarge
58 posts
Jul 08, 2011
8:44 AM
|
Walter Tore plays MB and Delta Frost and he gets the same unique tone no matter which harp he plays.
----------
Wisdom does not always come with old age. Sometimes old age arrives alone.
|
