ROBERT TEMPLE II
59 posts
Feb 27, 2019
3:27 PM
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Do the current Golden Melodys have tacs or screws holding the REEDPLATES onto comb? If screws are now the norm for GMs, when did the switch take place? I read a few months ago that the GM is going to be discontinued or radically changed in its design? Any truth to that?
Thanks one and all for your help. Cheers !
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hvyj
3684 posts
Feb 27, 2019
4:00 PM
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Current GMs have screws. My understanding is that Hohner is going to redesign/upgrade the GM. No idea what the timetable might be.
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ridge
755 posts
Feb 28, 2019
11:15 AM
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I'm not sure the date of the switch from nails to screws for the GM, but early on in my playing, maybe in the 2000-2003 range, I wound up with some Golden Melody harmonicas that had the reed plates fastened using nails. Looking back, these were probably old stock sitting from sometime in the 90's.
Of course, I didn't even realize they were nailed together until years later when I started pulling harmonicas apart. The ones assembled with nails played like utter garbage from day one. That was the least of the problems though, as many of mine had reeds riveted in off center from the slot or riveted in too far back which left a lot of space between the end of the slot and the reed.
Despite all that, I'm still a Golden Melody lover. It would be cool if Hohner does actually revamp it.
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Ridge's YouTube
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ROBERT TEMPLE II
60 posts
Feb 28, 2019
2:45 PM
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OH, I love my old, tacked GMs, they are the furthest thing from garbage, leaky, whatever. They do indeed ob easily, if you have the ob tech under your belt. One may then compare them to other harps for ob ease. I am interested to see/hear the revamped GMs. Thanks for the info, folks. Cheers !!!
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barbequebob
3567 posts
Mar 01, 2019
8:32 AM
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When they first came out in 1974 along with the Sp20's, they were both held together with escutcheon pins or aluminum nails until the mid 80's, and then replaced with screws and for a time went back to the nails before finally going back to screws again. If you're buying your harps in a brick and mortar retail store, harps could be in their stock for decades and it's wrong to assume they always have the newest possible stock and only in online harmonica specialist stores like Rockin' Ron's can you actually count on them to have current stock and most brick and mortar retail store sales personnel are as dumb as a bag of sand when it comes to ANYTHING harmonica related.
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Sincerely,
Barbeque Bob Maglinte
Boston, MA
http://www.barbequebob.com
CD available at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/bbmaglinte
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HarveyHarp
779 posts
Mar 01, 2019
11:47 PM
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Bob is right. I don't know the year exactly, but they first went to a 6 screw nail system, instead of the pins, which apparently did not satisfy their needs, so then they went back to pins in the 7 staggered pattern, and then went to the 7 screw system they have today. Tomorrow, Who knows.
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HarveyHarp
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CapnKen
67 posts
Mar 14, 2019
8:22 AM
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Im a fan of GM's and thats my go to harp. I was on ebay looking for a Rocket in a low key and came across a GM for $18 bucks so I couldn't resist. It was used so when I opened it up to clean it I was surprised to see nails. I've owned dozens of them but never had one with nails. I'll tell you it played great. The Progressives though are very hit an miss as far as out of the box playable.
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Littoral
1667 posts
Mar 14, 2019
12:02 PM
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I have a rare old Low F GM that Matthew Smart customized for me with screws and a Corian comb. Tuned compromised. I play it 2-3 times every Friday and Saturday night and the only thing I've done with it in about 8 years is clean it. It's a glorious thing. My only GM.
Last Edited by Littoral on Mar 14, 2019 12:03 PM
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