HarpNinja
1576 posts
Aug 11, 2011
2:50 PM
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Harpcombs.com now offers corian combs! I ordered a few immediately and should have them any day. I have tried corian a few times, "night sky" from Dick Sjoeberg, and find it a fantastic comb material (enough that I've asked for a stock of corian Sjoeberg combs).
I've had such good luck with Hetrick's combs, that I didn't even hesitate on picking them up. I also went ahead and got a purple dymonwood comb. It took forever to find someone ready to make purple so quickly (I asked all the usual suspects a year or so ago and was told it was difficult to find and expensive).
One of the huge benefits of corian is it is totally non-toxic and dishwasher safe. It also seems sturdier, IMO, than some of the other plastic-type combs out there. I am not in business with Hetrick, nor do I get special deals, etc...I've just really enjoyed their products and service.
As someone who uses a ton of after-market combs, I really appreciate all the options available! FWIW, I ONLY use Dick's combs on my top custom builds.
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Mike
Quicksilver Custom Harmonicas
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Cristal Lecter
92 posts
Aug 11, 2011
4:51 PM
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Hetrick harmonicas is doing a TERRIFIC job...Matthew Smart is very talented
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Never try to be as good as someone else, succeed to be the best player you can be!
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mandowhacker
78 posts
Aug 11, 2011
8:02 PM
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Mike,
I got home yesterday to find the LoF you made for me. Great job!!!!! It's fantastic. The first harp I have that has, I swear, a sustain. The reeds respond to almost nothing. Wonderful. Thanks.
Greg
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Just when I got a paddle, they added more water to the creek.
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Reed Triller
12 posts
Aug 11, 2011
8:15 PM
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Not sure about you but when I go to that website I see nothing but spam links for different kinds of wood.
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Bend it like Ricci - Me
(Formerly known as Big Daddy Ray)
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HarpNinja
1577 posts
Aug 11, 2011
9:08 PM
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http://www.harpcase.com/id27.html
Glad I could be of service, mandowhacker! It is a pretty sweet harp. I dig the red comb!!!
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Mike
Quicksilver Custom Harmonicas
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genesis
92 posts
Aug 11, 2011
10:25 PM
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Dont put Corian combs in the dishwasher. The heat WILL warp the hell out of them.
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MrVerylongusername
1836 posts
Aug 12, 2011
4:42 AM
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I just cannot fathom this obsession with putting harps in a dishwashers!
DISHWASHERS DO NOT STERILISE!
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Shoulders
68 posts
Aug 12, 2011
5:32 AM
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A good dishwasher will clean and disinfect.........although why the hell we are discussing this i don't know.....madness....we could all be arguing about the tonal quality of overblows
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MrVerylongusername
1837 posts
Aug 12, 2011
6:00 AM
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Domestic dishwashers barely hit 70 degrees centigrade. This is not high enough to kill most bacterial spores and some bacteria themselves.
Sterilisation requires sustained (10-15mins) in temperatures exceeding 125 degrees centigrade (only achievable under pressure in an autoclave)
Dishwashers do not sterilise. Of course this only matters if you are obsessive about sterility, in which case you'll probably want to wash your hands in disinfectant before you play and filter the air in the room through HEPA/UV filters.
Madness.
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HarpNinja
1579 posts
Aug 12, 2011
6:31 AM
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FWIW, I've never dishwashed anything harmonica related. I would obviously use a hydrasonic cleaner and mouth-piece cleanser, though.
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Mike
Quicksilver Custom Harmonicas
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nacoran
4439 posts
Aug 12, 2011
10:37 AM
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If I want Corian combs (and when I have money to play around with I want to try everything) I'll go to Genesis. Speaking of which, it looks like your link isn't working in your profile. It looks right, but when I click on it I get a 404 error.
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Nate
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genesis
93 posts
Aug 12, 2011
4:53 PM
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I dont know why its not working from here. The addy is right.
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nacoran
4441 posts
Aug 12, 2011
5:22 PM
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<a href="http://www.genesisharmonicas.net">Genesis Harmonicas</a>
Try cutting and pasting this into your profile and see if it helps. Sometimes the system is finicky over what HTML works and what doesn't.
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Nate
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Reed Triller
14 posts
Aug 12, 2011
6:45 PM
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Randy,,,add http:// to the link
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Bend it like Ricci - Me
(Formerly known as Big Daddy Ray)
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Joe_L
1409 posts
Aug 12, 2011
10:00 PM
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Genesis Harmonicas
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The Blues Photo Gallery
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HarpNinja
2185 posts
Feb 21, 2012
7:05 AM
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Just an update that I got some more combs from Hetrick including Corian. The Corian combs now come in some solid colors like red and black as well. They are now polished and have a glossier finish. This is the result of several rounds of polishing as part of the finishing process.
I found the "new" combs to be even flatter from the shop and noted that there is an option of having MB combs with rounded tines that are pre-drilled for three screws.
The combs are $30 or less (most around $24) and come with a flattness guarantee. This, IMO, is a tremendous value. IME, they carry a lot of combs for immediate shipping, but if your order something they don't have in stock, they cut new combs on weekends and ship on Mondays.
I make ZERO money from plugging these combs. I am just a very satisfied customer who is very impressed with the turnaround and value of what I've ordered. I did pick up a black dymonwood comb, which is also great. I've had no problems with dymonwood, but realize that some people prefer a glossier looking comb comapred to their matte dymonwood finish.
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Mike
VHT Special 6 Mods
Quicksilver Custom Harmonicas - When it needs to come from the soul...
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jiceblues
76 posts
Feb 21, 2012
7:20 AM
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I ordered a "cobalt blue " corian comb from HETRICK .It really upgraded my D SP20 .
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stones
75 posts
Feb 21, 2012
7:34 AM
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been using hetrick combs for awhile, I love em, they work great right out of the box. I've replaced ALL of the factory combs on my LO's and SP20's with them and some of my MB's. as for washing I just soak the harps in warm water with a couple of squirts of antibacterial soap in a tupperwhare dish and let the stuff soak off, rinse them and thats it.
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Sausagescoffer
54 posts
Feb 21, 2012
3:06 PM
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Got my first Hetrick Corian combs yesterday. Hard as nails and flat as pancakes!
Can't wait to get them in some harps!
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groyster1
1772 posts
Feb 21, 2012
7:38 AM
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@HarpNinja
you are saying that the hetrick combs come flat and do not need flat sanding?the only sp20 I changed the comb to a hetrick did not work out so well though I love the look of the walnut comb-it was certainly easy enough to install
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MP
2023 posts
Feb 21, 2012
4:37 PM
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ah love 'em!
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MP
doctor of semiotics and reed replacement.
"making the world a better place, one harmonica at a time"
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groyster1
1773 posts
Feb 21, 2012
10:51 AM
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@MP
thanks for helping with one my attempt with sp20s-the hetrick comb is a gorgeous comb-would not mind changing more of my sp20s out-if I need to sand the comb flat I can surely do that as I can use a screwdriver-even if they dont improve the sound as todd said the sp20 combs do look like toys
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HarpNinja
2190 posts
Feb 21, 2012
9:59 PM
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I am saying they have a flatness guarantee on their site that suggests they put a very reasonable effort into shipping the combs read for direct replacement of stock combs.
The polished Corian I received was very impressive. The dymonwood was also great, but the finishing work is the same buffing/rogue it has always been. I prefer that to lacquered as lacquered will always chip/flake off over time.
IMO, if I want a glossy finish, the polished Corian is cool. If I want matte, the dymonwood is good to go.
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Mike
VHT Special 6 Mods
Quicksilver Custom Harmonicas - When it needs to come from the soul...
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timeistight
369 posts
Feb 22, 2012
12:01 PM
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Richard Sleigh is also selling Corian combs now. I believe these are the same combs as he and Joe Spiers are now using in their custom harps.
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Todd Parrott
849 posts
Feb 22, 2012
12:43 PM
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Yes, the combs from Richard Sleigh are the same combs that Joe Spiers is using also. They are really nice.
One material that's often overlooked is the fantasy marble that Chris Reynolds offers. It really is a beautiful swirled pattern if that's something you like.
So now for Corian, we have the choice of:
Randy Sandoval
Chris Reynolds (for Chromatics)
Hetrick
Tom Halchak
Joe Spiers/Richard Sleigh
Am I leaving anyone out?
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nacoran
5280 posts
Feb 22, 2012
7:33 AM
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The other question would be who makes what for what models and brands.
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Nate
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timeistight
371 posts
Feb 22, 2012
7:58 AM
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Richard's are for the Hohner Marine Band Deluxe, Crossover and screw-converted 1896.
Spiers also has Golden Melody Corian combs for his customs but he doesn't seem to be making them available separately.
Last Edited by on Feb 22, 2012 12:48 PM
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Chinn
59 posts
Feb 22, 2012
11:42 AM
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Harpninja, is there an appreciable difference between Corian combs and acrylic combs?
I'm very familiar with the two materials, but not the production methods used...
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logansays
72 posts
Feb 22, 2012
12:14 PM
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@Todd ur leaving out DIck Sjoeberg..he makes some of the finest combs I have ever seen.. A lot of people had issues with the brass piping( never a problem to me)..I did get a few without the brass piping and . saves some $$...
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nacoran
5281 posts
Feb 22, 2012
2:02 PM
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Customizers-
http://www.modernbluesharmonica.com/board/board_topic/5560960/599452.htm
I'm not sure which customizer do comb work. I know David Payne has made some funky shaped and beautiful shaped combs. Some of the customizers would almost certainly be doing some comb work. Take a look at Bluexlabs in particular. There are links that all seem to dead end, for combs from Mark Lavjoi (Sp) who cut's combs from titanium (no one makes harmonica reeds from titanium, but at least one saxophone guru makes sax reeds from titanium.) For shear style, those Bluexlabs ones are the prettiest I've seen, but I've never seen one up close. If we could get Dick Sjoeberg's inovative designs, combined with Chris Reynolds awesome color, mixed with Bluexlabs designs,...
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Nate
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logansays
73 posts
Feb 22, 2012
3:31 PM
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yes Todd..he does corian..and Dymondwood..not sure if he does tone woods anymore..I m sure he does more colours than those listed on his site..
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HarpNinja
2199 posts
Feb 23, 2012
1:58 AM
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Dick has offered Corian since 2010 as made evident in this article. http://harmonicasessions.com/?p=91
The Night Sky comb pictured in the article is an example.
My understanding is he is still offering dymonwood on a limited basis, but has moved to larger scale manufacturing of his combs in Corian (red and black, I believe). I have not received any of the new Corian combs, nor do I have any dymonwood currently in stock. There have been several delays in getting caught up, but it would appear he is seeing the light at the end of the tunnel, so I am told.
Regarding wood, I don't think he has used real wood for some time (at least the last year). I know he's milled combs out of different laminates (see the two toned combs in above link), pink ivory, bamboo (which didn't work out) and yet a different laminate (which he ultimately didn't post publically, but has used with the Harp Tuner).
None of the current combs have the lip on the back which was just for looks. Some have the silver piping and some have brass. The dymonwood are lacquered with at least three layers on the dymonwood, but I am not sure if the Corian will be or not. My understanding is that it is polished, but I could be wrong on that.
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Mike
VHT Special 6 Mods
Quicksilver Custom Harmonicas - When it needs to come from the soul...
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HarpNinja
2200 posts
Feb 23, 2012
2:03 AM
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@nacoran
Currently, the Sjoeberg combs come as GM or MB (univeral) designs. I know he is working models for other harp types, though. I would be surprised if they weren't released this year.
@Chinn
Corian has an acrylic base and is the copyrighted name of a material from DuPount. It is generally described as a higher quality material compared to acrylic.
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Mike
VHT Special 6 Mods
Quicksilver Custom Harmonicas - When it needs to come from the soul...
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jaymcc28
361 posts
Feb 23, 2012
2:23 AM
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This may be a "stupid question" but...I have a couple of MB 1896's that I'd like to replace the wood comb with something else, possibly Corian. Since these harps are held together with nails, would I need to do any drilling of the reed plates so that I can install them with screws? Also, I would assume I have to buy the screws for them separately, correct?
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"Doo-Bee-Doo-Bee-Doo"-F. Sinatra
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Libertad
41 posts
Feb 23, 2012
3:35 AM
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@jaymcc28 there is a good thread here: http://www.modernbluesharmonica.com/board/board_topic/5560960/551829.htm
The thread is a bit US centrick, if you are in Europe bolt sizes are metric, I use M2.5 x 10mm for the cover plates and either M2 or M1.6 x 8mm for the reed plate bolts. I get my Posi headed bolts from eBay. You will also need drills and taps (3 holes in each reed plate)
I have just ordered a couple of Hetrick combs but they haven't arrived yet. The Bluemoon acrylic combs are great, I love the clear one!
I am new to this, but if you need any more help let me know.
Martin
Last Edited by on Feb 23, 2012 3:44 AM
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nacoran
5291 posts
Feb 23, 2012
1:14 PM
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Clear combs look awesome with black covers, and even better with gold lettering. Too bad Piedmont covers muffle the sound and the paint wears off after a couple days.
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Nate
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jaymcc28
362 posts
Feb 23, 2012
1:35 PM
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@Libertad: Thanks for your response. I'm in the U.S. so I will understand the sizing...
I'll take a look and decide if it's worth my effort.
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"Doo-Bee-Doo-Bee-Doo"-F. Sinatra
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STME58
81 posts
Feb 23, 2012
9:21 PM
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Corian is used in place of Granite or Marble. Has anyone tried natural stone combs? Is would take a unique skill set to create one. Any stone masons into harmonica?
It is not too far fetched, I have seen jade flutes.
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The Stick
24 posts
Feb 09, 2013
8:24 AM
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Guys, Hetrick no longer sells Corian combs unless you are ordering a custom harp or one that is "optimized". Chris Reynolds is at about 2 months of wait time, and his Corian choices are at 4 colors. Blue Moon Tom Halchak has some great stuff, but not in all the options yet that Hetrick used to offer.
Can someone post the actual links of current sellers who can supply (for example) GM Corian combs in the vast array of colors we have come to love and appreciate????
Or are we now stuck to trying to pick straws from ebay when they chance to come up????
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nacoran
6486 posts
Feb 09, 2013
9:39 AM
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Stick, I'm not sure who offers what, but if you click the 'Thread Organizer' link it will take you to a thread that lists a bunch of other threads I've created with lists, including a list of customizers.
The other people I know who are in the comb game are Randy Sandoval
http://www.genesisharmonicas.net/
and
Bluexlab (I think they are in Europe)
http://www.bluexlab.com/WP/?p=613
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Nate
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florida-trader
239 posts
Feb 09, 2013
12:56 PM
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I was at my CNC machine shop for about 3 hours this morning. We are putting the finishing touches on a fresh batch of combs. I will have all the Hohner diatonic models covered - 5 colors of Corian, 3 colors of anodized aluminum, several new acrylic colors that I am very excited about and finally, at last - BRASS! I'm pumped! I will also have Suzuki combs in Corain and Brass. I'm also putting the finishing touches on a new website which will be a big improvement. I am transitioning my business from dealing with refurbished used harps to handling strictly new harmonicas and vintage pre-wars. New harps are being delivered every day but I'm still back-ordered on some. 2013 is shaping up to be a very good year. I'll be keeping you posted.
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Tom Halchak
www.BlueMoonHarmonicas.com
Last Edited by florida-trader on Feb 09, 2013 12:57 PM
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tmf714
1484 posts
Feb 09, 2013
1:16 PM
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Functioning link to Richard Sleigh's "Black Magic" lifetime harmonica combs- http://rsleigh.com/lifetimeharmonica-combs/
Last Edited by tmf714 on Feb 09, 2013 1:25 PM
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Goldbrick
60 posts
Feb 09, 2013
6:12 PM
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@ Tom
Just ordered that blue cover plated blues harp-hope it sounds as good as it looks
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florida-trader
240 posts
Feb 09, 2013
7:49 PM
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Thanks Alan. I'll get it out to you right away.
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Tom Halchak
www.BlueMoonHarmonicas.com
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Rubes
663 posts
Feb 10, 2013
1:08 AM
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How's the 'Evanwood' supply going?
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One of Rubes's bands, DadsinSpace-MySpace
Old Man Rubes at Reverbnation
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cliffy
25 posts
Feb 10, 2013
8:23 AM
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Tom, can you please explain the differences between the different comb materials? is it just "mouth feel"? I have a few Corian combs and they definitely seemed to make a difference in how my Big River harps played.
Thanks,
Bill (cliffy)
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florida-trader
242 posts
Feb 10, 2013
10:15 AM
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Cliffy. I gotta be honest with you. That is such a subjective question. I’ve gotten pretty good at making combs but that does not necessarily make me an expert how different materials affect tone, etc. My opinion should carry no more weight than any other experienced player. You probably know that the harmonica world is sharply divided between those who believe that comb material makes a huge difference and those who believe it makes no difference what-so-ever. Of course I have tried every comb I make and stock (over 150 different varieties – sorry – shameless plug) but I also have the advantage of having received feedback from hundreds of customers. The “funny” thing is that, generally speaking, they use the same adjectives to describe all the different materials. They say things like “brighter, more responsive, easier to bend, better tone, louder”. Regardless of the material – the choice of language is the same.
Here’s my take. Feel free to disagree if you like. Harps with wood combs are not as “bright” as aluminum or Corian. You might call them “warmer” or “darker” in tone. Aluminum and Corain are brighter and louder. Some people don’t like the tone because they say the tone is “thinner”. Brass is in a class all by itself. Harps with brass combs produce a very rich tone. It’s hard to explain. There’s just something about it.
I do believe that it pretty much agreed that custom combs make a positive difference for the following reasons:
1.They tend to be flatter. Flatter combs help create more air-tight harps because they make it easier to seal leaks between the reed plates and comb. That’s not to say that you couldn’t just as easily flat sand a Marine Band comb and make your Marine band play better. You could. But you can’t flat sand the comb on a Special 20, a Golden Melody or, in the case of your comment, a Big River. They, along with other models, all have injection molded plastic combs. I’m not saying they are all junk. But if they are leaky, how would you fix them?
2. Waterproof. Virtually all after-market wood combs are sealed to eliminate the issue with warping and swelling (which can lead to leaks and other problems). And of course, materials such as Corian, acrylic, aluminum, brass and other composite materials are impervious to moisture.
3. Comfort. Custom combs are generally made with more rounded corners and edges so they are gentler on the lips and hands.
Eye appeal won’t make your harps sound better but they sure make them look better. Comb makers sure don’t go out of their way to make ugly combs. There are some beautiful after-market combs out there that really make your harps look great.
Hope this helps.
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Tom Halchak
www.BlueMoonHarmonicas.com
Last Edited by florida-trader on Feb 10, 2013 10:16 AM
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cliffy
26 posts
Feb 11, 2013
9:41 AM
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Tom, you gave a good answer. Thanks for your perspective on the topic.
I know that what we --the player-- hear as a difference in tone is often not percieveable (spelling?) by another listener. I've always thought that the player's hearing the harmonica through the bones in our head in addition to hearing it with our ears complicates things for us when oustide ears might not hear the differences.
I have six corian combs and three acrylic combs as well. With both types of aftermarket combs, there is definitely a big difference in responsiveness when compared to the Big River ABS injected comb with all of its hollowed out spots and chambers, etc. But I prefer the way the corian combs feel in my mouth compared to the acrylic. Tonally I don't hear much difference, I guess it's because the material feels different on the tongue (and the acrylic doesn't feel much different from the stock ABS comb).
I also imagine that playing through a mic and amp reduces the differences in tone, that the differences will be most perceptible when playing acoustically?
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Rubes
664 posts
Feb 11, 2013
1:07 PM
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Still my fave so far is the EVANWOOD!. Anybody know how availability is now on this lovely stuff!!????
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One of Rubes's bands, DadsinSpace-MySpace
Old Man Rubes at Reverbnation
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Goldbrick
66 posts
Feb 14, 2013
12:01 PM
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@Tom
harp arrived and plays great.
Thanks
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