ElkRiverHarmonicas
678 posts
May 17, 2011
4:28 AM
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Has anybody tried experimenting with comb thickness for rack playing? I've been experimenting with thin combs for rack playing. It started with this really thin comb I had, its one of several thin American Chestnut combs I have, it was hard to play. But it was chestnut, so I wanted to use it and I wound up putting it in a harp and giving it to my dad who plays with a rack 100% of the time. Dad raved about it, I said "I don't know what you are talking about, it's crap."
Dad's the antithesis of BBQ Bob, he blows so hard he opens up the action to where it's so open, it gets leaky and I have to go reset the action. I was resetting the action on it and put it in a rack when I checked it. I was surprised at how easily it bended. Then, I took it out of the rack and it played like crap again. I found this interesting.
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David
Elk River Harmonicas
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Todd Parrott
491 posts
May 17, 2011
8:23 AM
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I haven't experimented with rack playing, but I have used harps with thinner combs and they do seem more responsive. Chris Reynolds' acrylic combs are just slightly thinner than other materials - they machine that way for some reason. I use them on lower keys like G and A and I love them.
Chris said he had a customer once who requested even thinner combs, which were even more responsive.
I had this conversation with Chris Michalek once also, and he agreed that comb thickness was a much bigger factor in tone and responsiveness than comb material. He also said that stock Golden Melody combs were slightly thicker than Marine Band combs? Can anyone verify this?
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waltertore
1347 posts
May 17, 2011
8:37 AM
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I been playing racked harp for almost 40 years. I use stock harps so have no idea how the thinner comb would be. I would like to try it someday. Walter
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oldwailer
1610 posts
May 17, 2011
1:17 PM
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Wow--I hadn't noticed that at all. I have several harps with combs that I made out of 1/4" cast acrylic (Plexiglass)--well, 1/4" acrylic ends up being just shy of a real quarter inch--kind of like lumber--and, surprisingly, it needs to be flat sanded for a good comb--so it gets a little thinner in that process. (A standard MB comb is 1/4" thick).
Buddha taught me to make combs a little bit thicker than stock. He told me they sound a bit better that way. I find this to be very true (for me) with lower tuned harps--from about A on down--but it's more comfortable for me to play the thinner ones.
With a harp set up the way I do them--I can't say that I've ever noticed a difference in playability or sound either with rack or not. I play about 50 percent of the time on a rack.
Of course, I don't play at the level that Todd, Walter Tore, and Dave play at--I'm just a music junkie who uses harp for a bit variety to accompany the guitar. . .
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Always be yourself--unless you suck. . .
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Last Edited by on May 17, 2011 1:19 PM
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Todd Parrott
494 posts
May 17, 2011
9:43 PM
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@oldwailer - You are correct about the tone of thicker combs. Chris and I also talked about that at SPAH when I showed him my purple gemstone comb. It's slightly thicker and does make a little difference in the the tone. I put a Golden Melody in B on this comb and I like the way it sounds.
Of course, if you're setting up your own harps as you do, or if you're playing a custom harp that's been set up well to begin with, the harp is gonna play great, regardless of the comb thickness.
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145nE
30 posts
May 18, 2011
7:03 AM
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Todd, Do you mind defining "setting up a harp". What are the things you do to set one up?
Thanks
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Todd Parrott
495 posts
May 18, 2011
11:57 AM
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@145nE - I'm not a customizer myself, but I was referring to the fact that oldwailer learned to customize his own harps from Chris Michalek, so in this instance I'm sure his harps all play great to begin with.
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harmonicanick
1183 posts
May 18, 2011
12:06 PM
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I have just got some 'thinner' acrylic combs for Golden M's
Put it on an A and C, and it was quite a bit quieter and less bright.
Could this be less space for the sound to develop?
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oldwailer
1611 posts
May 18, 2011
3:11 PM
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@145nE - I think "setting up" a harp means different things for different players. Adam made a good video in his early lessons somewhere on how he sets them up in a really straightforward and simple way--obviously, that works for him.
For me, set up includes making a new comb, lightly embossing, setting the reed offsets, setting the gaps, and tuning (Not necessarily in that order). I'm really into tuning as a great way to make a harp sound really right, so I might spend more time on that than anything else. I can't OB worth a crap so, in my own set up, I don't need heavy embossing or really close gaps. Other players would do it differently.
The best reference I know of for setting up your harps is Richard Sleigh's fine book "How to Turbocharge Your Harmonica." If you want to really get into this subject, you need to read this book and keep it handy for constant reference.
@harmonicanick - I recently found a source for 3/8" cast acrylic--I don't have the link handy--and I haven't tried it yet--but I should soon be making some combs that are built to Buddha specs in acrylic--I think they might sound better. . .
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Always be yourself--unless you suck. . .
-Joss Whedon
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harmonicanick
1185 posts
May 18, 2011
3:20 PM
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My man in Florida is sending me some wood combs now OW, because he is serching for customer ecstacy!
Bring it on, how I love your American customer services!!
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