jdijk
4 posts
Jul 12, 2011
10:13 AM
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Wel, it is to me: I was reading through the new Hohner Catalogue when my eye caught the following text:
"The original Marine Band 1896 with its newly designed triple coated pear wood comb..."
Looking at the picture the new comb is brown all around instead of black. It seems the DeLuxe now uses this same comb (and a "improved cover front design" which it also seems to share with the crossover).
gr.
Jerry.
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Todd Parrott
554 posts
Jul 12, 2011
11:28 AM
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Interesting. I had a prototype like this that they gave me last year at SPAH, but I gave it away. Last I heard, they were also planning to start assembling the original Marine Band with screws instead of nails.
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hvyj
1538 posts
Jul 12, 2011
11:32 AM
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Sounds like Hohner is being dragged kicking and screaming into the 21st century.
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Seven.Oh.Three.
110 posts
Jul 12, 2011
11:58 AM
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So they'll release these new marine bands. Then the die hards will say it's not the same. Them they'll reintroduce the original marine band with nails.
Or
Perhaps this is a way to justify a price increase.
I'd be very surprised if they ever stop making the original marine band. It's the most famous harmonica ever made. It's tradition.
Btw, last time they did a major change to the base marine band howd that go over?
7.o.3.
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WinslowYerxa
19 posts
Jul 12, 2011
12:06 PM
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I wouldn't mind a screwed together Marine Band with a non-swelling comb. But I'd prefer the pre-2005 reed design and material.
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Todd Parrott
555 posts
Jul 12, 2011
12:11 PM
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You may have a point there, Seven, but a lot of Marine Band players seem to have them customized anyway, so I'm not sure how this change will be received. To me, it seems like a positive change, but then again, I'm not a Marine Band player.
But it does seem that many Marine Band players like the Deluxe and the Crossover from what I've heard.
Last Edited by on Jul 12, 2011 12:12 PM
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hvyj
1540 posts
Jul 12, 2011
12:17 PM
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Hey Todd, any idea when the Deluxe Golden Melody (or whatever Hohner is going to call it)is going to come out?
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Kingley
1554 posts
Jul 12, 2011
12:22 PM
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As a dyed in the wool Marine Band player. I'd welcome a Marine Band 1896 that was assembled with screws. It would also be great if they tuned it to 7 Limit JI like the old Marine Bands were.
The Crossover and the Deluxe are great harps, but the 1896 has a much browner tone to my ear.
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Todd Parrott
556 posts
Jul 12, 2011
12:58 PM
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@hvyj - I have no idea. Andy Garrigue was really on board with the idea, but he is no longer in the same position with Hohner. He's only working for them on a part-time basis at this point, handling articles, photos, etc.
But we NEED a Golden Melody Deluxe as far as I'm concerned, as well as deluxe model Special 20. If nothing else, opening the covers on the Special 20 would be an improvement. I've never understood why the Special 20 covers are so closed off.
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Icemaster
38 posts
Jul 12, 2011
2:22 PM
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So if deluxes are brighter than regular MBs, will this new sealed MB be brighter as well? And does this also mean that Rockin Ron will have a huge sale on the old ones? Lol.
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"A harmonica is not just a souped up kazoo" -Mo Rocca
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Todd Parrott
557 posts
Jul 12, 2011
3:18 PM
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I didn't notice any difference in brightness in the sealed Marine Band that I had.
In my opinion, they should be focusing on something other than sealed combs, like the reed tolerances, responsiveness, etc., especially if a sealed comb will raise the price. We can get custom combs these days pretty easily, but it takes more work and more money to get a harp to respond better. Besides, a lot of players will replace their combs anyway, sealed or not.
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Seven.Oh.Three.
111 posts
Jul 12, 2011
5:07 PM
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Don't get me wrong I'd buy it. Basically all I want out of my marine bands is to be crossovers with sealed pear wood combs with rounded tines. Because I think pear wood is better looking than bamboo. That's it.
In all reality this "new" marine band sounds like a great replacement for the Marine band deluxe. Finally they could justify the cost of the deluxe. You'd finally have a stepping stone style Marine Band line up, looking like this:
Marine Band- stays as is-$32.50
Marine Band Deluxe- sealed comb, rounded tines, open cover plates, screws and standard issue reed plates (tuned to what ever the standard marine band tuning is) but retains the mojo of the standard. $54.50
Marine Band Crossover- same as deluxe but with innovative bamboo comb and "fine tuned" reedplates -$60
Although the "deluxe" should be priced more in the middle.... Say $47. But then they'd have to improve a product and lower the price.
I'd buy a deluxe 100% of the time
Last Edited by on Jul 12, 2011 5:14 PM
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Blues13
118 posts
Jul 12, 2011
6:12 PM
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I don't really have a problem with the classic like it is, in fact I love them I can't see myself playing something esle. Mine(C,Bb) have never swollen, play great and I pay them 34$ plus tax, if you do all these changes to the classic it becomes a deluxe. It would be great to have all that done to the classic but a 50 something dollar I'd buy something else.
Now if you look at close competitor with sealed comb I immediately think of the Seydel Solist Pro. easy to play, easy to bend and they cost aroud 45$, The only problem with mine was that the 4 draw went flat in less than 2 months. You turn the Marine Band into somethig simillar at the same price now your in business.
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Violence is the last refuge of the incompetent.
Isaac Asimov
Last Edited by on Jul 12, 2011 6:38 PM
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eharp
1362 posts
Jul 12, 2011
7:36 PM
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blues13- you might wanna check out jeff silverman's site. i think it is called harpmart. hohner is raising prices and he is having a sale. well, he MIGHT be having a sale. i didnt read any of the many threads he starts pushing his wares. but his sales are usually a very good deal.
(gives you a chance to fill out your collection.)
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barbequebob
1687 posts
Jul 13, 2011
7:50 AM
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My question on the sealing is that is it 100% FULLY SEALED, as is the MB Crossover or the Seydel 1847 Classic, or is it partially sealed (only on the outer edges), which is how the MB Deluxe has been done, and it came out because the Hering 1923 Vintage Harp was the first 10 hole diatonic to have any sealing at all when it was introduced in 2003??
If it's fully sealed, it's about goddamned time because diatonic players have been busting Hohner's butts for years about that and they had always refused.
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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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Icemaster
39 posts
Jul 13, 2011
8:10 AM
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I looked at the catalog last night and it didn't say the comb won't swell. It said something like "very resistant to moisture" or minimizing something. What I'm getting at is they used words that make it sound like it still may swell eventually. I think that if it was totally sealed they would put that in big letters.
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"A harmonica is not just a souped up kazoo" -Mo Rocca
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clyde
121 posts
Jul 13, 2011
9:20 AM
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according to this fellow the entire comb is triple sealed...nothing is spit tight forever
http://www.bluesharmonica.com/new_hohner_catalog
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chromaticblues
928 posts
Jul 13, 2011
9:25 AM
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First a babmboo comb doesn't need to be fully sealed. It won't swell or warp.
MBD and Crossovers do sound brighter because they have different reedplates. The slots are more narrow. They are more like a custom harp! The thing I don't like about the MBD and Crossover is the coverplates give them a brighter sound also. I am going to put 1896 coverplates on a MBD to see if that makes a diffrence. I think a set SP 20 coverplates would make more of a difference, but I don't have an extra set right now.
I don't know why, but I like the sound of Marine Band and SP 20 reeds/reedplates embossed better than MBD and Crossovers embossed.
I'm going to put some SP 20 covers on some Crossovers and just set the reeds without embossing. I'm curious to hear what thats like!
I have been having vrey good luck lately setting up harps without embossing.
Last Edited by on Jul 13, 2011 9:27 AM
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Todd Parrott
558 posts
Jul 13, 2011
11:35 AM
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@barbequebob - Word from Hohner last year at SPAH was that these would be fully sealed, unlike the MBD. The prototype they gave me was put together with nails. They also gave me a Blues Harp that was fully sealed, but I sold it.
Btw, will you be at SPAH this year? Would be nice to meet you.
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barbequebob
1688 posts
Jul 14, 2011
9:49 AM
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Todd, I won't be at SPAH unfortunately, but finally they're doing something that's been begged of them for decades. Sealing a BH comb!! Hmmm. The reason they chose doussie for wood combs in the MS series was to avoid sealing the comb, which would add to production line costs, and it sounds like they may finally be getting away from that really brittle doussie comb and possibly using pearwood or maple, which would be an improvement, but until I see it......
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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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