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Dirty-South Blues Harp forum: wail on! >
My latest Golden Melody with opened covers
My latest Golden Melody with opened covers
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Todd Parrott
713 posts
Sep 28, 2011
11:40 PM
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Randy Sandoval inspired me to open the covers this way on this harp. Randy builds the most radical looking harps on the planet and is seemingly always trying new and funky things with his custom harps.
I've always thought a Golden Melody would look cool with flared covers, similar to the look of Marine Band covers, so I gave it a shot. In your hands, this harp almost feels like a Marine Band with rounded corners. Adam mentioned in another thread that he finds it awkward to get a good grip on Golden Melodies, but the crease and the flared covers make this much easier. Randy told me once that the crease also makes the covers stronger, thus harder to crush. I would agree.
If a Golden Melody Deluxe is ever introduced, this would be the style of cover plates I'd like to see. No need for support beams either on this harp, unless you're a really hard squeezer. I'm thinking about opening all of my covers this way. This acrylic comb from Chris Reynolds is also awesome, and slightly thinner than his other combs, making the harp slightly more responsive and bright. Since these are now only $10, this would be a great and inexpensive way to upgrade your existing Golden Melody combs. I normally use them on lower keys, but decided to try one on this D harp. As a result, this is one LOUD harp, so I've jokingly nicknamed it The Green Screamer. :)
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Matzen
342 posts
Sep 28, 2011
11:46 PM
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Very nice!
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Stevelegh
302 posts
Sep 29, 2011
12:02 AM
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Very cool!
How did you get the ends turned up like that? I've just got some Tom Halchuck combs and I was thinking of opening the backs on my GM's, but didn't know what to use for supports. Looks like this is a great solution.
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harpdude61
1067 posts
Sep 29, 2011
2:56 AM
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Sweet! Can't wait for the GM deluxe!
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hvyj
1809 posts
Sep 29, 2011
5:04 AM
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Well, I suspect that the concept of a GM Deluxe is higher on Todd's wish list than it is on Hohner's to do list.
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Shredder
309 posts
Sep 29, 2011
5:06 AM
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Yeah Todd it really lets the harp sing. Iv'e got 4 Iv'e opened up and really like what it does. I didn't make the big lip on the back like you have.What you have looks well done.
I took a dermel and removed most of the metal that way and left one center post 1/8 wide for support.
I may get me some of those combs. I have a custom Harvy Harp that has a clear blue comb thats narrow and it plays very well.
Mike
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LIP RIPPER
501 posts
Sep 29, 2011
7:22 AM
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Goldenrad
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RyanMortos
1142 posts
Sep 29, 2011
7:32 AM
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I like it Todd! Are you passing out tips out how to do a similar setup? Golden melodys are still one of my most favorite make/model harmonicas ( at competition with 1847, manji, special 20).
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~Ryan
"I play the harmonica. The only way I can play is if I get my car going really fast, and stick it out the window." - Steven Wright
Pennsylvania - H.A.R.P. (Harmonica Association 'Round Philly)
See My Profile for contact info, etc.
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HarpNinja
1720 posts
Sep 29, 2011
7:33 AM
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I am expecting a detailed report of how you did that!
If you have a Dremel and the small sanding thing...the dark brown kind...it fits the crease of the the coverplates really well. You could use it with the harp in its current state to the edges at the end of the harp. I think it looks great now and the corners give you some support, probably, but you might like it cosmetically.
I'd maybe try to sand them completely straight, maybe, but probably wouldn't open them more as suggested above.
I am going to guess, but I am betting a hand reamer and hard rubber mallet were in play in doing this. You maybe used a rotary cutting tool to snip at the corners, but there are small hand tools that do the same thing. If I am at all close, you used something like electrical tape on the coverplates to keep them from getting scratched.
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Mike
Quicksilver Custom Harmonicas
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earlounge
367 posts
Sep 29, 2011
8:21 AM
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Todd, is this flush or rounded tines? Which do you like from Chris?
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HarpNinja
1722 posts
Sep 29, 2011
8:24 AM
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They aren't flush and they aren't rounded (see 2nd pic). They extend beyond the plates and appear to have angled corners...like a Crossover or MBD.
I could be wrong on them being round (doesn't appear to be, though), but the tines are protruding in the top pic.
Personally, I like when the screw holes are wide enough that you can try and make it flush if you want.
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Mike
Quicksilver Custom Harmonicas
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earlounge
368 posts
Sep 29, 2011
9:01 AM
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Yes, I agree. But his site has options for "flush" or "rounded", so I was curious what this one is.
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HarpNinja
1723 posts
Sep 29, 2011
9:03 AM
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I wonder if that means flat...like a stock MB comb? Rounded must mean it isn't flush, lol. Kinda confusing.
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Mike
Quicksilver Custom Harmonicas
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Todd Parrott
715 posts
Sep 29, 2011
9:46 AM
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@hvyj - Very true! :)
@harpdude61 - I hope we eventually see an upgrade to the Golden Melody. Through the years, it's never gotten the attention it deserves.
@Shredder - Thanks! Yeah, I really like those acrylic combs.
@earlounge - Yes, these are rounded tines, but I believe Chris rounds these by hand. This particular comb's tines aren't as rounded as some others I have, thus they don't protrude quite as far. I believe this is an older comb. But rounded -vs- flush? I actually like both. The rounded tines feel really nice once you get used to them, and have almost like an ergonomic feel to them. I also like flush tines, depending on the technique I'm using. I've been doing a lot of center note tongue blocking lately, so sometimes rounded tines are great for this, and sometimes flush if you plan to block the center note and then slide around on the harp.
@Stevelegh, HarpNinja and RyanMortos - I can't help but chuckle at your interest in how I opened these covers, because it was something I sort of stumbled upon by accident. I have no fancy tools, no dremel, no rubber mallet hammer, no fancy snips..... I wish I did have a dremel! It would make things easier I'm sure. Anyway, here's how this happened...
As some of you know, Randy Sandoval does some crazy, funky looking things with GM covers. All I set out to do was open the covers by folding under the lip on the GM cover, like Randy did on a GM he sent me.
I'd been practicing opening covers on Huang Silvertone Deluxes, using a hammer, and got similar looking results as I did on the Golden Melody above, as Huangs kind of have the flared covers to begin with. So, I decided to give the GM covers a try.
I used some miniature wire cutters (from Harbor Freight) to snip the corners, and once I snipped them I used the wire cutters to go ahead and bend in the corners a little bit.
I then used a wooden case from a Huang bass harp for a straight edge, and put some blue painter's tape on it, as not to scratch the covers. Turns out that the edge of the Huang case actually has a slight curve to it, so as I hammered out the covers, it placed the ducktail curve in the covers that you see in the pics. The hammering also caused a little bit of an arc in the covers.
To remove some of the arc, and to accent the flare on the covers, I taped up the edge of the cover and used a small set of sheet metal pliers to grip the back edge and gently bend it up, but not very much at all. Most of the ducktail, flare, lip, or whatever you wanna call it, was caused by the hammering. The sheet metal pliers just kind of put the finishing touches on the covers.
You can see my rough snips on the corners where I used wire cutters if you look closely at the pics, which is why a dremel would definitely help clean things up a bit. But not too bad of a job for a homemade tinkering project, huh? If you knew how much I am NOT inclined for projects like this, you'd probably be surprised... I think I even shocked myself on this one.
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harmonicanick
1315 posts
Sep 29, 2011
9:59 AM
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Todd,
Great job.
Like you, I am a GM user. I think you are a Hohner endorsee, sorry if I am wrong, but do you think Hohner will up-grade the GM in the near future? It is not fair that MB's get all the pr in my opinion.
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Todd Parrott
716 posts
Sep 29, 2011
10:14 AM
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Hi harmonicanick!
Yes, I am a Hohner endorsee, and have mentioned it the need for a Golden Melody Deluxe many times. I even talked with Clay, their president, about it at SPAH.
However, as much as it seems Hohner USA is in agreement with the need for an upgrade to the Golden Melody, especially the comb, it seems that this is ultimately up to Hohner Germany.
We'll just have to wait and see I suppose.....
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HarpNinja
1726 posts
Sep 29, 2011
10:38 AM
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You did a terrific job. Are your sheet metal pliers like a crimp? I have a couple pairs that were labeled reamers...like 3 1/2 inches or 4 inches wide. I haven't tried, but I wonder if that could get the initial bending started.
I've found that you can use this tool get start MB covers far enough that when you hammer, you don't send the metal in the wrong direction.
The difficulty, IMO, with the GM covers is the lip is so small, it is hard to manipulate and keep clean looking. Sp20's are the easiest to keep neat looking, even if you do a poor job crimping.
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Mike
Quicksilver Custom Harmonicas
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Todd Parrott
717 posts
Sep 29, 2011
11:54 AM
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Thanks Mike! I used a set like this, except mine are about 3 inches or so....
Not sure about using these initially, but it may work. I had pretty good luck with the hammer.
I really need to get some better tools. :)
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JInx
76 posts
Sep 29, 2011
5:53 PM
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A grean horn, you dont see them that often. It's a beauty.mttfpr
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