Danny Starwars
89 posts
Apr 06, 2015
7:45 PM
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A friend visiting from the States just gave me my first Manji. I was wondering if the more technical people here could answer a question: do the wood fibres in the resin affect the sound any or is that an attempt to appear to be giving the best of both worlds in comb composition?
And a secondary non-Manji (directly) question: I just heard James Harmon in an interview say that he doesn't care about harps and equipment mostly; he says whatever he plays with, it sounds like him. Do people obsess too much over equipment at times?
(PS: I really love the tone James has. He's one of my personal faves).
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Thievin' Heathen
516 posts
Apr 06, 2015
8:16 PM
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Yes, Yes & Yes.
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Komuso
531 posts
Apr 06, 2015
8:27 PM
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>>do the wood fibres in the resin affect the sound any or is that an attempt to appear to be giving the best of both worlds in comb composition?
See this article
+ "Manji’s comb material simulates the tiny cavities that occur in natural wood, but to realize the best resonance characteristics, SUZUKI avoided having cavities on the surface of the comb."
>>Do people obsess too much over equipment at times?
I think so. I just play OOTB myself, but that's because I'm a tightwad aussie;-) [or more accurately I have a really tight budget so make do]
There's a famous Japanese shakuhachi master who's practice was to play purely on "rough" instruments (including ones he made on the spot), his message being a real musician can get a sound out of anything. That's not to denigrate the value of fine (and usually very expensive) instruments, but he has a point (as does Zen BluesMaster Harman). There's really shit instruments, there's ones which are perfectly fine (and getting better due to manufacturing quality up and cost down - Manji being a case in point), and then there's the sky is the limit.
Up to you!
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Paul Cohen aka Komuso Tokugawa
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Last Edited by Komuso on Apr 06, 2015 8:54 PM
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jbone
1925 posts
Apr 06, 2015
9:38 PM
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I think Manji Suzuki- who designed the harp- did everything with the best intentions. The composite/wood comb is meant to give a resonance similar to actual wood without the swelling. It may also be less expensive to use than decent wood.
I also think Mr. Suzuki succeeded in the high 98+%.
Manji is what I reach for most usually although I do have a couple of decent MB customs which cost me pretty dear. I have played everything from the Cracker Barrel harmonica to Suzuki Pure and a few customs to boot. My opinion is that the Manji is the best deal for the best ootb harp available. I have tried some fairly high end harps but for a set, it has to be affordable for a blue collar guy like me. Admittedly I have yet to try Seydel models or the higher end MB's. I don't know if I ever will since Manji suits my needs very well. I have given Hering, Huang, Hohner, Lee Oskar, several tries, and have settled on Manji.
A note on James Harman: He has the market cornered on a particular Fender amp and runs a processor into his amp as a matter of course. He is one of the best West Coast Swing harp guys for all that and a helluva showman and writer to boot. I have seen him a few times but never got a look at his harps. He's probably telling the truth though.
During my formative years I definitely stressed about instruments and gear way too much, but that's how I learned what my own bad habits were and later, what harp worked best for me. I may have settled finally after many years and many many blown harps. My bad habits had to be unlearned first, and then I needed a harp I liked, trusted, and could afford.
Everyone is different. You may love or hate what I hate or love. The trick to me is, find what works for you!
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Harmlessonica
113 posts
Apr 07, 2015
4:05 AM
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I do like the character of the sound I get from my Manji, though how much of that is down to the comb material is debatable.
I think it's good to try as many models of harmonica as you can afford; try to avoid the marketing hype and make up your own mind.
The trickiest thing I find is over-salivation, as the comb looks far too much like delicious fudge to me!
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SuperBee
2524 posts
Apr 07, 2015
5:21 AM
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i only have a sample size of 1. the harp was fine, i guess. it played ok but i didnt really like the 'feel' of the reeds. its hard to explain. i dont know that its 'worse' than a hohner, i think its just different and i never really became used to it because everything else i played was a hohner.
and the comb...i didnt like it at all. i play with my tongue on the comb by default, and it felt like an unlacquered wood comb to me. i recently gave that harp away and i tried it again when i found it before i sent it off. i didnt hate the comb as much as i remembered, but still, not my favourite.
i'm off topic, sorry. the comb..meh, i dunno, i really dont think the material of the comb matters much, except brass and aluminium does seem to make a noticeable difference. i think the wood/resin pitch is just a marketing spin.
and of course we make too much of it. its part of the deal though...thats what enthusiasts do in just about every field i can think of. it ok i think, we're all heading for a long dirt sleep, it doesn't matter how a person distracts themself
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Raven
33 posts
Apr 07, 2015
6:45 AM
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I agree 100% with jbone. Unless you dislike the brighter sound of a Manji, I have found them to be the best OOTB option for quality, durability and needing the least amount of maintenance. And Suzuki keeps expanding the line to include lows, minors, country tunings and Maj7. My 2nd choice is SP20 with LO in third. At least for me, Seydel has been the most problemic.
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STME58
1267 posts
Apr 07, 2015
9:03 AM
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Plus for Manji, good warranty.
Minus for Manji, welded reed plates are hard to replace.
Plus for Manji, new reed plates are reasonably priced.
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1847
2271 posts
Apr 07, 2015
11:07 AM
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james harman at one time was very particular about the gear he used
always a marine band harmonica a jt 30 with a crystal element
in to a vibroverb with a a 15 inch speaker. he would say he couldn't get his tone with a bassman.
heck he use to fabricate his own speakers from the ground up.
from what i understand, all of his equipment was stolen. "don't qoute me on that" not sure
perhaps that is what lead him to quilter amps and the realization that he still sounded like james.
most of the real blues guys have pretty simple set ups if you think about it.
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Gnarly
1301 posts
Apr 07, 2015
12:42 PM
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The Manjis ARE bright, but the Olive is darker (even if you put the Manji coverplates back on so that it's ferromagnetic).
Even the new lower octave Manjis are pretty bright, I think that's why I like them so much.
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jbone
1929 posts
Apr 07, 2015
8:17 PM
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They are not just a bit bright. They put out more volume. I have busked with them many times and they just do the energizer bunny thing. I have seen people notice us from across the street and passing cars, all acoustic. Not so with most ootb harps I've used.
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arzajac
1629 posts
Apr 08, 2015
8:42 AM
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I think the tuning is a big factor in the sound of the harp. Manji's are compromise tuned, but they lean more to ET than JI. The Phosphor Bronze reeds have a different tonal quality than brass - more sassy. The reeds are long and feel smooth to play, though.
The stock comb is usually not flat, but the good news is that you can flat-sand it yourself (if you are into that kind of thing) without having to worry about sealing it afterwards like a wooden comb. I find the tips of the tines scratchy and the comb is smaller than the reed plates.
But other than that, a great harp!
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blueswannabe
561 posts
Apr 08, 2015
6:21 PM
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did they fix the cover plates and make them less pliable?
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Danny Starwars
94 posts
Apr 08, 2015
9:42 PM
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The one I have seems rigid enough, but I've never liked the branding graphic on it. Could be Marine Band snobbery from way back, though.
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harpwrench
1008 posts
Apr 09, 2015
9:09 AM
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Reed material doesn't have a tonal quality, sound comes from chopping of the air.
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The Black Pit
29 posts
Apr 09, 2015
8:10 PM
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My experience with the Manji was disappointing. I was kind of expecting Suzuki's version of a Marine Band, ie: MB tone with Suzuki air-tightness and response. What I received was a leaky harp with reeds that looked like Freddy Krueger tried to tune it. And cover plates that bent if you looked at them wrong.
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"The blues are the roots of all American music. As long as American music survives, so will the blues."...Willie Dixon
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