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Dirty-South Blues Harp forum: wail on! >
Metal or wood aftermarket combs for Golden Melody
Metal or wood aftermarket combs for Golden Melody
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Matzen
215 posts
Aug 19, 2011
1:33 PM
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My Golden Melody combs are starting to chip and crumble. Looks like it's time for replacements. I'd like to get some input on the pros and cons of metal combs. The last harp I played with a metal comb was a Suzuki Promaster many years ago when they first came out, so I don't really remember if I liked the comb or not? Is the sound all that different between a metal and a wood comb? Are metal combs easier on the tongue? I'm trying to figure out if I should order wood or metal combs? I was also wondering if anyone opens up the backs on thier GMs?
Thanks,
-Ryan
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nacoran
4476 posts
Aug 19, 2011
2:18 PM
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I've got a Seydel Blues Favorite with two combs, one a custom chestnut comb, the other the aluminum comb it came with. They are both great combs. I don't hear any sound difference. They both had distinct tastes when I first got them but they have both faded. The chestnut one looks nicer, although the aluminum one is nice looking too (it's not shiny or anything, more of a matte finish). There are a few small things you notice. The aluminum one feels colder when you first start playing it. It warms up pretty quickly though. The aluminum comb has a lot of weight to it. I like the way it feels in the hands. That said, I only have one of them. If I had a whole bag of aluminum combed harps the weight could add up (I have two 7 pack cases for harps and I can tell them apart by weight because the Seydel is in the one.)
Rounded tines and corners, having everything sanded flat, that makes a big difference.
Now, if you are getting a bunch, consider a mix. Having harps that you can tell apart at a glance is great.
Plastic, Corian, Dymondwood, Brass, Aluminum, Wood, Acrylic, there are tons of choices. I've personally got top notch combs from Dave Payne and Chris Reynolds. Randy Sandoval makes nice looking combs and Florida Trader has nice looking combs too.
I haven't opened up my lone Golden Melody, but I've opened up some other harps. You get a brighter tone. I'm still undecided on the issue. I suspect most of the warmth you lose can be recovered by a good hand cup.
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Nate
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harmonicanick
1269 posts
Aug 19, 2011
2:48 PM
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@Matzen
You may be gripping too tight and forcing the plates into the comb.
Or, maybe you have dropped the harp onto a hard floor (like me!)
I have found that playing and handling the harp (GM's) very gently pays dividends.
I have some different combs, wood and acrylic, and they are good but above all the GM needs to be customised for tuning, spacing etc and that is what you should do, either do it yourself, and there are hundreds of lessons, or pay someone to do it, and that is what I do.
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Todd Parrott
642 posts
Aug 19, 2011
3:52 PM
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Though I love Golden Melodies, their stock, red plastic combs are simply the worst combs on the market. All of mine chipped and crumbled, and I'm not a hard squeezer.
I've played just about every type of comb material there is, and there is very, very little (if any), difference in the tone between materials. Thickness makes a difference more than material. If you are debating about an aluminum comb, I'd say for $15, an aluminum comb from Chris Reynolds is worth a shot at such a great price. And, his aluminum combs are very shiny. I have some and I like them.
I don't like wooden combs that much, but I do like dymondwood, which is also moisture resistant. You can even wash it at the sink with dish soap and it won't swell. Plus, it comes in zillions of colors. Chris has them for $20. If you have the cash to spare, I would say buy one of each and compare. you could always sell a comb here on MBH later if you don't like it.
Last Edited by on Aug 19, 2011 3:53 PM
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Matzen
216 posts
Aug 19, 2011
4:32 PM
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Oh crap! I must have some old GM's. I just opened them up and realized that they are nailed together! Does anyone know what size tap, what size screws I need to get?
Thanks for the comments! I think I will get 1 aluminum and one dymondwood to try. I've never really been to fond of wood myself. Although I was never very fond of Golden Melodys (or protruding reed plates) until recently. It's kind of funny... I stashed GM's around the house, in the car and in my pocket as practice harps 'cuz I didn't care so much if I wrecked one. Now that I've been playing them more, I am starting to like GM's and protruding reed plates quite a bit!
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Last Edited by on Aug 19, 2011 4:36 PM
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arzajac
606 posts
Aug 19, 2011
7:33 PM
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"Oh crap! I must have some old GM's. I just opened them up and realized that they are nailed together! Does anyone know what size tap, what size screws I need to get?"
I use M 1.6 screws and tap. 10mm.
But I'm sure you can use imperial if you are starting from scratch. Like 0-80.
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HarpNinja
1589 posts
Aug 19, 2011
7:40 PM
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Check out the pics here: http://www.masterharp.com/Sjoeberg-Custom-GM.html
What I do with the coverplates is that. Well, there is more too it than that, but you can see the important part - rounded cover plates.
Those are pics of Dick Sjoeberg's work, and he taught me how to do that amongst other GM cover mods. If I want it to be open backed, which I actually worked on tonight, I grind down the rest of the lip to meet the curves in the support and modded curve on what is usually the crimped, squared opening.
I dislike the crimped backs that go all the way across. I also don't like cutting the lip and bending it into the cover. It looks sloppy. I tired doing that and then rounding the coverplates and it was just more work than grinding.
I did some not so scientific tests - just my hands - and found the coverplates aren't any more likely to bend or warp regardless of crimping or grinding so long as the support is still there.
I can add side vents, but I have a hard time making them look totally symetric.
My phone is dead, but I will try and post a pic of what I mean. You can easily do the rounding with the smallest Dremel sanding bit. It helps to have some sanding blocks, files, or other such tools to smooth them out and tweak them. I know Dick is much more scientific and better at it than I am, but I get symetrical and clean results eventually, lol. It is pretty time consuming in relation to other mods.
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Mike
Quicksilver Custom Harmonicas
Last Edited by on Aug 19, 2011 7:42 PM
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HarpNinja
1590 posts
Aug 19, 2011
7:53 PM
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Oh yeah, I'd go with a corian comb from harpcases.com. I just got three in the mail today. They are AWESOME! I got a purple dymonwood too. While I love dymonwood, the corian and red aluminum are visually attractive to me on GM's. I like the look of dymonwood most, but corian is a fantastic material for combs.
On Marine Bands, everything looks good!
This is assuming you aren't using a Sjoeberg comb and looking at spending $20ish. ;) Those are by far my first pick. They are works of art for sure. I also feel the design makes the harp play better. While I don't hear a change in tone with material, I do feel a difference in how a comb plays. The resonant points and aerodynamics make a difference. I know I work with Dick to use these combs on my customs, but I have chosen to not sell them individually at this point. So I don't make any coin off of him selling them, FWIW.
The ONLY wood I'd ever use is bamboo.
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Mike
Quicksilver Custom Harmonicas
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