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Dirty-South Blues Harp forum: wail on! > New Harmonica - Chemical smell/taste
New Harmonica - Chemical smell/taste
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dantana
5 posts
Apr 05, 2017
12:56 PM
Hello everyone,

Recently found a good deal on eBay for Manjis. Bought two new Manji's shipped from Japan for $35 each.

However, both of them give me a taste/smell that is like maple syrup when I play them. I tool them apart and ran the reedplates and comb undere luke warm water but this made no difference. I am just wondering if I am inhaling some kind of chemical? Or if my saliva is reacting with the comb? (I noticed on all my Manji's the front part of the comb is darker from my mouth neing on it.) Funny because my other Manji's never gave me this taste/smell.
SuperBee
4609 posts
Apr 06, 2017
3:34 AM
Interesting. I've encountered seydel wood comb harps that have that issue. I find the taste/smell not particularly unpleasant but I dunno what it is. I haven't bothered investigating because I don't want to play those harps anyway. I have a seydel solist pro still but it's not in the rotation
florida-trader
1118 posts
Apr 06, 2017
5:24 AM
Two thoughts come to mind.

First, there have been a lot of warnings about counterfeit Suzuki harmonicas. I have been somewhat skeptical of these claims but perhaps there is something to it and perhaps you have come into possession of one. The Manji comb is a composite wood/resin comb so it is possible that the imitation comb is not quite right. If the reed plates are OK you might look into installing a custom comb.

Second, I bought a few Lee Oskars about 7-8 years ago. The combs on those harps tasted like the bottom of an ash tray. (You know the old expression, "Kissing a girl who smokes is like licking the bottom of an ash tray.") I took the harps apart, scrubbed them clean and rinsed them with minty mouth wash. They were OK for a day or two but then the odor/taste returned. My guess is that there was something in the plastic comb that was just seeping out. I have some other Lee Oskas that I have not had that problem with. Just the first 3 I bought.
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Tom Halchak
www.BlueMoonHarmonicas.com
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dantana
6 posts
Apr 06, 2017
10:55 AM
Interesting that you replied Tom because I was already on your site checking out combs. The smell is definitely coming from the comb. Just ordered an aluminum comb.

I though of the possibility of these Manji's being fake but I checked them against my other Manji's and they're not. I do have a theory that maybe they are factory seconds or rejects that this guy in Japan gets for cheap.
florida-trader
1119 posts
Apr 06, 2017
5:50 PM
dantana - Cool. I did not connect the dots. Thanks for the order. Your comb went out in this afternoon's mail. Hope you like it.
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Tom Halchak
www.BlueMoonHarmonicas.com
 photo BMH Banner resized for email signature_zpseilpcgeo.jpg
Philosofy
808 posts
Apr 06, 2017
10:12 PM
Tom, I have to correct you. The joke is: "Kissing a smoker is like licking an ashtray. Which is a good thing to know if you're lonely." :)
mlefree
832 posts
Apr 07, 2017
12:29 AM
Chinese manufacturers have an uncanny ability to knock off near-perfect counterfeit copies of legitimate designs. They aren't like cheap Times Square Rolexes of days gone by any more. It's a question of how detailed the counterfeit must be to fool even experts. Details such as bar codes and perfect copies of boxes and serial numbers are commonplace.

I wouldn't bet much on simple visual inspection to spot a counterfeit. You'd very likely need a microscope and a number of copies of legitimate harps to tell the difference. Even then, comparing tiny details like the depth, direction and arc of tuning scratches would probably be necessary.

I have Chinese knock off of a higher-end American made folding knife. Quite honestly, it looks ~identical~ and actually out-performs the real thing in many respects. I got it on DHGate, a Chinese Amazon, for less than 10% of the cost of the original. Mostly I got it to see if I liked the design well enough to shell out for a real one. I haven't felt the need it's so good. An unscrupulous person could easily fool an unsuspecting buyer on ebay.

I personally believe that Suzuki is more than likely well justified in their concerns about counterfeit harmonicas.

Michelle

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SilverWing Leather - Custom leather creations for musicians and other eccentrics.

Last Edited by mlefree on Apr 07, 2017 12:33 AM
6SN7
698 posts
Apr 07, 2017
4:19 AM
They are fakes. Copy harps. There have warnings about these fake Suzukis on eBay coming from Japan for years. I agree with miefree, the knockoffs look just like the real deal and I doubt you can tell the differences. Oh yeah, you did, the combs, probably loaded with MEK or some other nice chemical. Cheap harps are cheap harps, not good buys.
nowmon
116 posts
Apr 07, 2017
5:44 AM
And a tin sandwich can always taste good, mostly when you bite into it and it honks.....
dantana
7 posts
Apr 07, 2017
11:37 AM
Now I am wondering. If these are fakes they did an incredibly good job. Please take a look at these pics of the reedplates. Also the last pic shows the paper they came with. The white one is what came with the suspected fakes.

https://i.imgur.com/O7F8Ypi.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/bjCkhAw.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/pl2KTpF.jpg
TBird
224 posts
Apr 11, 2017
6:18 AM
Sorry to dig this back up, but I'm curious what the general consensus on this is. Like the OP said, I see that there are a handful of Manjis on Ebay that ship from Japan for about $35. Is it agreed upon that they are fake?

T.Bird

(Edit: I just received a set of Manji reed plates from Japan that I ordered off ebay for cheap. After reading this, I now assume that they are fake, but that makes the effort that they put into their very official looking packaging all the more impressive!)
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Be humble for you are made of earth.
Be noble for you are made of stars.

Last Edited by TBird on Apr 11, 2017 6:29 AM
dantana
8 posts
Apr 11, 2017
2:07 PM
To be honest, I'd be willing to bet that the Manji's I got are not fake. If they are then they did an incredible job copying them. I think if anything they could be rejects from the factory that this guy in Japan got for cheap. The only issue really is the strange smell from the combs. I believe the warning about fakes on Suzuki site is because they can sell them for more in the U.S. and therefore don't them selling from Japan to the U.S. for cheaper. Even so I don't plan to buy any more from Japan. It's not worth the risk. And if there is a warranty issue with a harmonica I bought from Japan I would be out of luck.


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