Note that he says the Hammond works great out of the box for overblows. I've read before in two different threads here that people thought they weren't great for overblows...not as good as the Firebreath was one comment and they squeeked a bit was another. I can see Todd doing overblows with his and he says he didn't tweak it yet. He's said to me off-line that the reed profile on these Hammonds are such that you can't do a overblow and then bend it up though like you can on custom harps...I've seen it done on a Jon Sparrow B-Radical review as well.
I agree that the hammond for overblows out of the box is really hit or miss which is true for any harp out of the box. I have one that I gapped ( key of C ) and it squeals. I also have Manjis and the key of C and D both OB nicely while the lower keys like A squeal.
This video was made before I really got more heavily into overblow and overdraw bends, for which this harp isn't the greatest. It does overblow and overdraw, but when you try and bend them upward, they are likely to squeal because of the reed profiles. However, it is possible. In my video about Major vs. Minor harmonicas, I played the Hammond in D and bent the 7 overdraw up a couple of times during my jam at the end. To me, the Hammonds do have a nice tone and are beautiful harps right out of the box. The higher keys like F sound really good too. I haven't tried customizing them, so I don't know how well they would work as a custom harp, but I think most customizers wouldn't even go through the trouble to set them up for overblows, again, because of the reed profiles. This is really a shame, because this is a great harp. While some say it's virtually the same harp as the ProMaster, I have heard that the combs used for the Hammonds are made differently and are much flatter than the ProMaster combs, making the Hammond a little more responsive. This came from a reliable source, but I'm sure Suzuki may deny this if questioned. And for some reason, the Firebreath really does work better for overblows, though I believe they have the same reed profiles. I guess I can't understand why a harmonica manufacturer would even use a reed profile that doesn't lend itself well to overblows and overdraws, but at least they are listening, because we now have the Manji.
Im seriously considering getting a Hammond now. I have a Promaster in A and to be honest i wasn't that impressed with it. The 3 draw wasn't great even after gapping it but i do love the look of the Hammond. After hearing Todd play the Hammond i think im Gona try one out. Roll on Pay day!!! ----------
@528hemi: dang. I bought just on Manji to test it and it's in A (I can confirm the squealing).
As far as the Hammond goes and OB qualities of harps in general: one thing I have noticed is that changing embouchure and air pressure slightly can make a big difference. Harps with low reed slot tollerances require softer playing. OBs on the Hammond can be improved quite a bit that way. As the rerquired adjustment is practically impossible to explain you'll need to experiment with it.
The Hammond and ProMaster combs are the same except for the anodizing colour, and the reed profiles are the same too. Todd is right to say that the reed profiles of the older Suzukis are the same too, not optimised for overblowing.
However, the Manji and Fabulous have the new high-precision reedplates, with longer, narrower reeds and tighter reed-slot tolerances (the closest ever achieved in a manufactured harp, according to Suzuki). But the new reedplates can be fitted to any other Suzuki diatonic comb.
If you like the look of the Hammond comb and covers but want better overbend ability, a nice combination is to fit Manji reedplates in place of the stock ones. I've done that with a Promaster comb/covers, and it sounds great; the top octave in particular is fantastic.
Brendan Power WEBSITE: http://www.brendan-power.com YOUTUBE: http://www.youtube.com/BrendanPowerMusic
Brendan: When Os Leguisimo was with Suzuki customer service, he also told me that Promasters and Hammonds were made to the same specs. But, for whatever reason , my experience is that Hammonds play and sound better than Prmasters and I'm not the only experienced player who thinks so. Todd Parrott's video and his follow up post express the same opinion.
I've speculated that the black anodized combs for some reason turn out better than the Promaster combs, but I don't really know for sure. But I do find the Hammonds to be a superior instrument compared to the Promasters. i've got a set of each, and I use the Hammonds for performance.
Last Edited by on Apr 28, 2010 7:21 AM
There isn't a Suzuki harp I love more than the Hammond, so Brendan may be onto something with his suggestion to use Manji of Fabulous reedplates. I think the black painted cover plates do darken the tone of the Hammond a bit, which I really like, especially on the higher keys. If Hohner ever stopped making Golden Melodies, I believe the Hammond would be my new primary harp. I still say they play better than any Promaster I've owned, though I'm not 100% sure why they do.
A correction to my last post, for Todd and others: although the Firebreath (MR500) and Pure Harp (MR550) have short slot reeds, their reed profiles are different to the Hammond, Promaster, Bluesmaster, Harpmaster etc. They have been engineered at the factory for a thicker sound and better overblow/overdraws.
To answer HVYJ, the reedplates inside the Hammond and ProMaster are the same. However, if you and Todd experience a better tone with the Hammond, then who am I to argue? I do believe that players are the best judge of sound because they are in intimate contact with the instrument. It could be that the lacquered cover finish does give subtly different tonalities to a chrome finish. The look of the Hammond is nice too :)
Brendan Power WEBSITE: http://www.brendan-power.com YOUTUBE: http://www.youtube.com/BrendanPowerMusic
Yes, I agree that the painted covers and comb of the Hammond do darken the tone a bit. Thanks for the good info about the reed profiles!
Is there a reason why Suzuki would not change the reed profiles in the Promaster and Hammond to make them more suitable for overblows? Would the different reed profiles affect the tone of these harps? Or what about the option to purchase a Hammond from the factory with Firebreath reed plates for example?
I wouldn't think a change to the Hammond in this regard would upset a great population of harmonica players (like it would if Hohner changed the Marine Band), especially since a change to the reed profiles would be for the better.
