TheDude
1 post
Nov 01, 2011
11:04 PM
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I am new to playing harmonica and I was wondering if there is a preferred material to have for an upgraded comb? I am looking at either aluminum or acrylic but I don't know which is best. Thanks for the help guys.
-Andrew
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Steamrollin Stan
151 posts
Nov 02, 2011
1:54 AM
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Why not just buy a hohner srecial 20 in key of C, its a good harp and many geat players use them, to mess about with different combs and tunings is ok for some expierienced players but as your new i think keep to the basics in the early days/months/years..most folk here use them and they have plastic combs.
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Stickman
714 posts
Nov 02, 2011
2:41 AM
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Get what you like. There is some argument that the comb material does not affect the sound at all. As there is argument about it leads me to believe that if it does make a difference, that difference is minute or imperceptible to a listener.
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MrVerylongusername
2028 posts
Nov 02, 2011
4:12 AM
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Hi Andrew
I hope you don't mind me chipping in my 2p.
You say you are a beginner and you've posted a couple of questions about customising harmonicas.
My thoughts are you should spend a little time playing stock harmonicas before you worry about this stuff. The Blues Harp you mentioned in your other thread is a perfectly good harmonica as it is - its wooden comb is less prone to selling than a Marine Band Comb.
You haven't said WHY you want to change the comb.
If I look back to the time when I was where you are, I remember rejecting several harmonicas that I thought were faulty, or not as good as brand X or model Y. With the possible exception of some very cheap, budget harps - the actual 'fault' was my inexperience. If I were to pick one of those harps up now, I could make it sing as well as any other in my gig bag.
My advice - spend a little time working with stock harmonicas. Work out for yourself what you like and dislike by trying different models. Everyone is different. Everyone has a slightly different playing style. Polish your technique - then you'll know when the limiting factor is the harp and when the limiting factor is yourself.
Above all, take everything you read on forums with a pinch of salt. Just because player X swears that an after market comb is the dog's bollocks, it doesn't mean it is automatically what you need. I understand the urge to have the best instrument there is, but what so many players fail to understand is that the harp is actually only half an instrument, the other half is you: it's in your mouth and throat that the sound truly resonates.
As Stickman says - do not expect a night and day transformation in tone. If there is a difference it will be tiny compared to the difference in tone you can make simply by developing good embouchure and resonance in your throat.
Later down the line, when you've been playing long enough to know what you like and need, that's the time to decide if you need things like custom harps and combs.
Last Edited by on Nov 02, 2011 4:25 AM
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jimbo-G
35 posts
Nov 02, 2011
4:50 AM
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Very good advice here, when i first started playing around 2 years ago i kept thinking the more expensive the harp the better my playing but now i have settled on marine bands which is in the middle price range i dont like the more expensive seydels they just dont work for me i know people swear by them and i dont want to start a hohner vs. seydel thread here. IMO just get a sp20 if you dont like it try a sandwich style. Even know im still a little unsure what i like best i think i want to try a manji.
IN MY OPPINION the comb meterial has to effect the sound every meterial has a different resonance and although it would be a very small change in sound i think the player can feel it.
Last Edited by on Nov 02, 2011 4:52 AM
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jiceblues
25 posts
Nov 02, 2011
5:45 AM
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Put a custom woodcomb ( not an expensive one) on your BLUES HARP ( blues harp's combs are not airtight) and try a SP20 !
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Diggsblues
1079 posts
Nov 02, 2011
7:00 AM
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only you can determine what is best. Try the Florida trader he has good prices and variety.
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Emile "Diggs" D'Amico a Legend In His Own Mind
How you doin'
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chromaticblues
1042 posts
Nov 02, 2011
7:07 AM
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I too say try a Special 20. They are pretty good stock. In my opinion the best of the medium priced harps.
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Todd Parrott
767 posts
Nov 02, 2011
8:22 AM
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There are several reasons that I started using custom combs, but not because of tone. For one, I like different colors, which also makes is much faster to determine which key is which.
Golden Melody combs are very brittle and chip apart. Special 20 combs, and Special 20's in general look cheap and look like toys to me, and we already know about the problems associated with Marine Band or unsealed wooden combs.
Special 20's are fine, but put them on a custom comb and open the covers and they become a thing of beauty. The same is true of Golden Melodies.
Pro customizers and comb makers, like Spiers, Sleigh, Reynolds, Sandoval, etc., will tell you that the main thing that distinguishes a good comb from a bad one is the flatness. Flatness is especially important when setting up harps for overblows, etc.
As for comb materials, I like Corian, Fantasy Marble and acrylic. If you like a heavier comb, the aluminum ones are nice, as are brass combs.
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nacoran
4851 posts
Nov 02, 2011
9:14 AM
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I've got custom combs from Chris Reynolds and David Payne. They are both beautiful. I've also got an aluminum comb from Seydel. Plastic combs work well. They aren't nearly as pretty.
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jiceblues
27 posts
Nov 02, 2011
11:15 AM
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I agree with DIGGSBLUES and CHROMATICBLUES !
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florida-trader
65 posts
Nov 02, 2011
12:32 PM
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This post might fall under the category of, “sometimes it is best to just keep your mouth shut”, but here goes my two cents’ worth. As one who builds and sells replacement combs, any time I see a thread that even mentions the word “comb” I am drawn to it like a moth to a porch light. Put the words “comb” and “upgrade” together and I am positively salivating like Pavlov’s dog!
That said, I will put aside my salesman’s hat and offer a couple of thoughts. Even though I have been playing for nearly 40 years, prior to a few years ago I had never really been under the hood of a harmonica. Like most people, I thought when they stopped playing well you threw them in your junk drawer and got a new one. Over the past several years, thanks to the plethora of information available on sites like this, I have gotten a Master’s Degree through Correspondence School.
Dude, in all honesty, changing out the comb on your harp probably will not make the difference you are looking for. In my opinion, the one thing that will make the most difference in how your harp plays is the gaps between your reeds and the reed plate. If you are inclined to take apart your harps and work on them, watch some YouTube videos about gapping your reeds. You will be amazed at how an adjustment of a millimeter or two will change the way your harp plays. It’s like turning the knob on a telescope or a microscope to bring an image into focus. It starts out blurry and then it starts to get sharper and then – BINGO – it is crystal clear! It is a trial and error process. You’ll see.
The next thing to look at is how airtight is your harp? Look for gaps between the reed plates and the comb or the cover plates and the reed plates. Tighten things up if you can. Add a couple of screws if you are brave. Use micropore tape if you have to (look it up on YouTube). Out of the Box harmonicas often leak like sieves. Leaks rob you of the ability to direct your air flow where you want it most – on the reeds. Once again, you will be amazed at how closing a tiny leak will improve the playability of your harp. This is not Rocket Science. If you are really brave you might look at embossing your reed plates (see YouTube again). But I’m willing to bet that just by gapping and fixing the obvious leaks you can make significant improvements in the way your harps play and it won’t cost you a dime – just a little time.
So while guys like me would love to have your business, try the above suggestions first and see if that helps.
P.S. Diggs - thanks for the love.
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Last Edited by on Nov 02, 2011 12:33 PM
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JInx
118 posts
Nov 02, 2011
12:48 PM
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Is there a bisphenol A free plastic comb available?
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Joe_L
1588 posts
Nov 02, 2011
1:35 PM
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I've bought one of florida-trader's acrylic combs. I put it between a set of MS reed plates that I had been working on. I embossed the reed plates. I adjusted the gaps of the reeds. The only reason I went with one of the acrylic combs, I wanted to see if there was a difference when I had five screws securing the reedplates instead of two or three.
All of that work made a pretty significant difference in playability. I'll probably do some work on some of my other harps and check to see how much different the reed work makes before swapping out the comb.
FWIW, I really dig the clear acrylic comb. It's kind of cool looking.
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