florida-trader
22 posts
Jul 22, 2011
10:44 AM
|
I know that the issue of determining the age of a Marine Band has been beat to death on this forum, but I do have a fresh take on this subject.
Almost all of what I have read about figuring out the age of MB's focuses on either the cover plates or the boxes. I am in the process of restoring 3 Marine Bands. As I cleaned the reed plates I noticed some numbers stamped on them and I can't help but think that they are dates. For example, on the first one, a C-harp, the blow plate has 0400 stamped on it and the draw plate has 0900. I take that as April, 2000 and September 2000. On the second one, a G-harp, both reed plates bear the identical numbers, 0603, which I take to mean June 2003. Am I wrong about this?
The third hard is a Bb and it has no numbers stamped on either reed plate. In addition, the reed plates have 3 holes on each side for the cover plates (even thought the cover plates only have two holes) and the nail pattern is entirely different from the other two. I am thinking that this harp is one that could have been used either on a Marine Band or a Blue Harp before the Blues Harp became part of the MS-Series.
Does that make sense? If so, does anyone know for certain when the MS-Series was introduced?
Thanks for your help.
Tom
|
Todd Parrott
576 posts
Jul 22, 2011
12:00 PM
|
Yes, the numbers represent dates, and you are correct, for example, that 0603 means June 2003. NOS reeds, which are the best for overblow/overdraw harps, are the ones from 1997-2003. Harpwrench can elaborate further on this I'm sure. I don't think they started dating plates until around 1997.
Not sure of the exact date that the MS series was introduced, but that was a sad day in my opinion. I think it was introduced in the late 80's according to Pat Missin's site, but I don't remember seeing MS harps here in the U.S. until the early 90's.
Last Edited by on Jul 22, 2011 12:07 PM
|
barbequebob
1692 posts
Jul 23, 2011
9:20 AM
|
Hohner started dating MB plates in 1996, the year they began retooling and went back to using a softer brass and long slot reeds after a period between 1980-1995, their absolute WORST quality years, when they were using much harder brasses, short slot reeds, and reed slot tolerances that were often too wide and sloppy.
----------
Sincerely,
Barbeque Bob Maglinte
Boston, MA
http://www.barbequebob.com
CD available at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/bbmaglinte
Last Edited by on Jul 25, 2011 7:51 AM
|
timeistight
108 posts
Jul 23, 2011
10:04 AM
|
Richard Sleigh has good info on dating MB reedplates. Check his site: www.rsliegh.com
|
MP
1774 posts
Jul 23, 2011
12:08 PM
|
florida,
you are correct about MB 1896 and pre-MS blues harp reedplates being inter-changable. but, guess what? the middle hole is for the plates to accept old standby covers which came w/ only one nail per side.
yesterday i pulled out an old G standby i had put 1896
covers on. sweet harp. the newer old standbys have very cheaply made reed plates.
----------
MP
doctor of semiotics and reed replacement.
"making the world a better place, one harmonica at a time"
|
groyster1
1199 posts
Jul 23, 2011
1:09 PM
|
was there any real difference in mb1896 and the old blues harp-they always sounded the same to me I still have 3 old blues harps with the awful nails
|
MP
1775 posts
Jul 23, 2011
1:34 PM
|
groyster, no difference except for the cover plates.
those pre-MS bluesharp covers were not vented, not very deep, and not very open in the back. i'm sure the covers make them a little less bright. indeed, i've put 1896 covers on a guys bluesharp (after i drilled and tapped sealed etc. - and it is a souped up marine band now.
----------
MP
doctor of semiotics and reed replacement.
"making the world a better place, one harmonica at a time"
|
nacoran
4360 posts
Jul 23, 2011
2:00 PM
|
BBQ, they started dating reed plates in 1006!!! Now that would be some antique harps. :)
More seriously though, if you are buying from a store with slow turn over (my local shop hasn't even heard of a MB Deluxe, let alone a Crossover) is there a way to date the harps on the fly without having to open them up? This place has been around for ever. With their turn over I'm half surprised they don't hand me something with Mickey Mouse ears.
----------
Nate
Facebook
Thread Organizer (A list of all sorts of useful threads)
|
florida-trader
23 posts
Jul 23, 2011
5:49 PM
|
MP. Thanks for the heads up. That is very good news indeed. A few months back I searched for "harmonica" on Craigslist.com and found a guy selling a complete set of Blues Harps - 12 harps - including the original case they came in. The price was right and I thought it was worth a shot. They are the older BH with nails. They are in great condition - hardly ever played. (The guy told me he bought them hoping to learn how to play the harp and then discovered he had no musical talent what-so-ever) It's one of those projects I will get to "one of these days". Based upon what you are telling me, they have some real potential to be good harps. Maybe I should move them up the priority list.
|
arzajac
584 posts
Jul 23, 2011
6:11 PM
|
The "Hoosier Boy" harp (Herb Shriner) is also a Marine band comb and reedplates. The coverplate is very much like and Old Standby.
Florida - How many nails do those Blues Harps have in between the reeds on the draw side? If there are three, then they come from a good era. If there are two (or if they come in a plastic case) then they come from the era that BBQBob describes as the worst.
I sure love those pre-MS Hohner Blues Harps. I have found a few on Ebay. They seem to be well played, but still in great shape. Kind of like they were bought by people who played them but didn't wreck them - and never got rid of them.
I like the coverplates. The tone may not be the best, but they sure feel good. And sometimes you need a harp that is bright but not too loud.
Not kidding - I keep one in my bathroom. Really.
----------
Last Edited by on Jul 23, 2011 6:13 PM
|
groyster1
1200 posts
Jul 23, 2011
7:07 PM
|
@arzajac
the 3 blues harps I have there are 4 nails on top and 4 on the bottom I estimate they are 25-30 years old
|
florida-trader
24 posts
Jul 23, 2011
8:14 PM
|
OK. Maybe not so promising after all. These have 3 nails on the blow plate between the reeds and two on either end near the cover plate holes (total of 7 nails on top). The draw plate has 2 nails between the reeds and again 2 nails on either side near the cover plate holes (total 6 nails on the bottom). There are 3 holes on either side for cover plate nails. Based upon what you are telling me, these harps are a bunch of lemons. If that's the case, I guess I'll clean 'em up and let the kids play them. They gotta learn on something.
Last Edited by on Jul 23, 2011 8:16 PM
|
HarveyHarp
285 posts
Jul 23, 2011
9:12 PM
|
No Tom, Not necessarily the case. Some of those actually turn out all right, Especially the real old ones that have the round rivet heads.
And while we are at it, can you tell if the Marine Band Rivets that you dissolved were round, or had a cross hatch on them? Just curious.
----------
HarveyHarp
|
florida-trader
25 posts
Jul 24, 2011
8:16 AM
|
Actually Harvey, those were Golden Melody reed plate rivets. Probably a moot point. However, out of the batch of combs that I soaked in the vinegar, the rivets that survived have the cross hatching.
And re: the older Blues Harps. These things are practically brand new. I have only opened up a couple of them and there is zero tarnishing on the reed plates. So, even though a purist might consider them from a sub-par era, I'm optimistic about their potential (perhaps naively so).
|
MP
1779 posts
Jul 24, 2011
11:29 AM
|
florida,
i've had good luck and bad w/ the 2 nails in the bottom reed plate harps. i imagine they are a batch of the same vintage. you could tweak one and see what happens. if it's a bust, well...oh well, not too much time wasted. if it's good, how cool is that?
----------
MP
doctor of semiotics and reed replacement.
"making the world a better place, one harmonica at a time"
|
florida-trader
26 posts
Jul 24, 2011
12:08 PM
|
MP - I just finished remaking a Bb Marine Band with what seems like the identical reed plate and I was pretty well pleased with the way it came out. However, I may not have quite the sophisticated palate that many have. We'll see if the same holds true for this collection of Blues Harps. Thanks for the encouragement.
|
MP
1780 posts
Jul 24, 2011
12:16 PM
|
florida,
sophisticated palate? brother,i have nooo palate. i enjoy mcdonalds mcdouble as much as Kobe beef. i do draw the line at domestic beer though. can't take it:)
----------
MP
doctor of semiotics and reed replacement.
"making the world a better place, one harmonica at a time"
|
MP
1782 posts
Jul 24, 2011
12:26 PM
|
good man! as you were.
----------
MP
doctor of semiotics and reed replacement.
"making the world a better place, one harmonica at a time"
|
barbequebob
1694 posts
Jul 25, 2011
7:52 AM
|
@Nzarcoran --- I redited my post due to my crappy typing skills to properly say 1996.
----------
Sincerely,
Barbeque Bob Maglinte
Boston, MA
http://www.barbequebob.com
CD available at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/bbmaglinte
|
barbequebob
1695 posts
Jul 25, 2011
7:55 AM
|
@Nzarcoran --- I redited my post due to my crappy typing skills to properly say 1996.
----------
Sincerely,
Barbeque Bob Maglinte
Boston, MA
http://www.barbequebob.com
CD available at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/bbmaglinte
|
nacoran
4370 posts
Jul 25, 2011
11:49 AM
|
Well played BBQ. It's too bad. A harp from 1006 would have been an important cultural find. :)
----------
Nate
Facebook
Thread Organizer (A list of all sorts of useful threads)
|
MP
1783 posts
Jul 25, 2011
12:48 PM
|
bobs right but so is nac. they didn't start dating them till two years after the fourth crusade and sack of Constantinople.
----------
MP
doctor of semiotics and reed replacement.
"making the world a better place, one harmonica at a time"
|
