groyster1
1868 posts
Apr 29, 2012
2:54 PM
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I just bid on a couple of NOS marine band 1896s....I have 1 in Bb that the shipping was more than the price.....and it sure does play well.....anybody try these?
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ElkRiverHarmonicas
906 posts
Apr 29, 2012
3:38 PM
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They pop up every now and again on Ebay. I used to sell prewar MBs and Old Standbys and stuff cleaned up, tuned, etc., so I was always shopping for those. They were a lot better than the new MBs at the time I was selling them. Those NOS would pop up occasionally, but it was often enough that I wondered where they were coming from ;)
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David
Elk River Harmonicas
Elk River Harmonicas on Facebook
"It's difficult to think anything but pleasant thoughts while eating a homegrown tomato." - Lewis Grizzard
"Also, drinking homemade beer." - David Payne
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arzajac
790 posts
Apr 29, 2012
4:14 PM
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The wood is probably dried out but they restore well. Very well.
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ElkRiverHarmonicas
907 posts
Apr 29, 2012
6:49 PM
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Its crazy how these things survive. My senior year of college, I noticed a harmonica display behind the counter at the Alderson-Broaddus College bookstore. Mind you, I had not noticed it in the previous four years. Blues harps and Special 20s. This was 1998, harps were like $25, but these were still priced at late 1960s prices, about three or four bucks. I bought them all... But those harps had sat in that store for more than 30 years unsold.
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David
Elk River Harmonicas
Elk River Harmonicas on Facebook
"It's difficult to think anything but pleasant thoughts while eating a homegrown tomato." - Lewis Grizzard
"Also, drinking homemade beer." - David Payne
Last Edited by on Apr 29, 2012 6:50 PM
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HarpNinja
2365 posts
Apr 29, 2012
7:21 PM
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I took out a Hicksville Era "A" MB this afternoon...7 nails per plate/blue ink on the box...more open back than current production...should be a good harp to tweak.
It is a 9.9 out of 10 visually. It plays ok. I have some other harps from that era, including a G, that play better OOTB.
Oddly enough, it wont' overdraw no matter how I gap it. Honestly, I spent like a minute on it, but for how it OB'ed, I was expecting at least some squeals.
At any rate, the Hicksville stuff in the blue boxes (not purple) are pretty sweet. On the A, the comb is in fantastic shape. Other than smelling old, it looks brand new.
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Mike
VHT Special 6 Mods
Quicksilver Custom Harmonicas - When it needs to come from the soul...
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ElkRiverHarmonicas
908 posts
Apr 29, 2012
7:57 PM
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I've got a C Old Standby Hicksville, that's my backup C.. I always carry me B-Rad C in my pocket, so the Old Standby is the C in my case. It has the prewar flower star on the back. It overblows like crazy. Great harp.
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David
Elk River Harmonicas
Elk River Harmonicas on Facebook
"It's difficult to think anything but pleasant thoughts while eating a homegrown tomato." - Lewis Grizzard
"Also, drinking homemade beer." - David Payne
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opendoor_harps
30 posts
Apr 30, 2012
12:47 AM
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I've had some good results with the Hickvilles era harps. Have a couple that are NOS (Marine Bands in Bb and F, and an Old Standby C).
@elkriver, did you do any mods to your Old Standby?
@harpninja: I am a bit color blind, but one of the boxes (Bb) has just the Hicksville address, and the other has the Hicksville, plus the Hohner Canada... Don Mills/ Ont. etc. (F) (Is this what you refer to as the "blue" box?
Mixed in with another batch of Hicksvilles I stumbled upon were some MB's with the two nails in the draw plate, still in paper box. These have been dissapointing. Wondering if you have had any success with them.
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arzajac
791 posts
Apr 30, 2012
5:31 AM
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I've found the harps with two nails on the draw side between the tines are predictably bad. I think it has to do with the slots being poorly made. They don't have a sharp edge nor a smooth surface on the inside of the slot. And embossing doesn't improve anything. The combs are usually less smooth, but that it perfectly fixable.
Still, I don't spend a lot of time on them when I get them. I haven't found any way to get them to play properly.
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HarpNinja
2366 posts
Apr 30, 2012
5:55 AM
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I don't have any in front of me, but the perimeter on some of the boxes is very purple compared to the blue ones. I'll have to check tonight.
The harps with two nails tend to be pretty poor in quality.
I have another Hicksville "A" that I have been working on here and there. I flat sanded and sealed the original comb, converted the reed plates to screws, removed all of the reeds on the blow plate, tapped the rivet holes, full slot embossed, and did flat sanded.
I also did the full range of my overbend mods to the plate, including something that guys like Gunter Bayer and Dick Sjoeberg do when working with clean reed plates (hence removing the reeds)...I have to put the reeds back on and work on the draw plate too. It'll be interesting to see how it turns out. If it sounds awful, that's ok too, lol. I figured I'd just try the blow plate first and see if it turns out.
I have some really nice tweaked NOS type harps, including some from Sleigh and Spiers. I find them to be brighter than current production harps after customizing, but if they are both set-up well, the playability is the same. Typically, the NOS harps can be gapped tighter before the reed chokes, IME.
Most of my non key of C NOS harps are Hicksville. I need to find some more prewar ones!
It took about an hour to do the work above, but will probably take another hour to fasten the reeds back on. I only work on side projects like that on Sunday nights, so it will be awhile until I get back to it.
FWIW, I've found the current production Hohner's to turnout at least as well as NOS. I still think the Crossover is even better, but I am not sure how. The Crossover plays and sounds a lot like the nice NOS stuff I've had (and not tweaked).
While I understand the old MB's can be had for relatively cheap on eBay, etc, the current lineup is still great.
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Mike
VHT Special 6 Mods
Quicksilver Custom Harmonicas - When it needs to come from the soul...
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chromaticblues
1220 posts
Apr 30, 2012
11:14 AM
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Heay George I play these. I bought a bunch of them about a year ago after playing a few for over a year.
I've found they have a mellower tone the new Hohner's. It's because the reeds were thicker then. Especially at the rivet end. This change a few things. One my harps seem to stay in tune longer. The overall harps seem to last longer.
Now for thedraw backs. They were made 50 years ago!
The qaulity control in factories 50 years ago is not what it is today! These harps vary alot! I have Db right now that is the best Db I've ever owned. I have others that I had to emboss just to be play them!
So when people say there is magic in those old Marine Bands. It's true there is something different! Not all of contain this magic though!
Now one cool thing about them is the new MB's Db up to F# are short slot harps. These are not not!
This is great for people that like Db's and D's. D is one of the harps I use alot and I like the old long slot version much better than current production.
I have about 50 of these Brand New never opened if any is interested. I sell these cheaper than you can buy a new one.
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HarpNinja
2374 posts
Apr 30, 2012
11:19 AM
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@chromaticblues
I'll bite on a couple of NOS harps. Shoot me an email at harpninja67 AT gmail DOT com with prices and keys.
Thanks!
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Mike
VHT Special 6 Mods
Quicksilver Custom Harmonicas - When it needs to come from the soul...
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chromaticblues
1221 posts
Apr 30, 2012
11:26 AM
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@ Harp Ninja I'll get back to you tonight after work. I don't have B, C or F#. I'm pretty sure I have all the other keys! I have alot of Db D Eb and E.
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HarpNinja
2375 posts
Apr 30, 2012
11:29 AM
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D, Eb, and F are probably the ones I need most...thanks!
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Mike
VHT Special 6 Mods
Quicksilver Custom Harmonicas - When it needs to come from the soul...
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opendoor_harps
31 posts
Apr 30, 2012
11:48 AM
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@ Harp Ninja. Sounds like a really fun side project. Great you can take all the reeds off and re tap so quickly. Keep posted how the results turn out.
I've tried to modify 3 of the two nail hole draw plate style MB's but will not waste any more time. No matter what I did, they just sound quiet, dull, and lifeless. Organ donars and crash test dummies are their fate now.
@chromaticblues: If you have any left after Harp Ninja snags a few, I may be interested in a D as well. A Hicksville D and Eb I modified for a player a while back really turned out nice and bright, and very responsive. I was sad to see them go. Maybe my imagination, but they had a bit of a warmer. If they are long slot, that's a plus too.
re: @groyster1's original post, the Bb NOS I have sounds really good out of the box too. The F, not so much.
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harpwrench
588 posts
Apr 30, 2012
11:59 AM
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Long slot D and Db's from the factory? That's a new one on me, please post pics.
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Spiers Harmonicas
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chromaticblues
1222 posts
Apr 30, 2012
12:00 PM
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@opendoor harps
No it's not your imagination. They do sound warmer!
Click on my user name for contact info.
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HarpNinja
2377 posts
Apr 30, 2012
12:16 PM
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It goes fast, but flattening the reed pads will be a b#tch. The reed pads warped more than on current production harps. Not a big issue, but added work. I also run the risk of needing to either deburr or re-emboss slots more than normal.
I have absolutely ZERO interest in doing this regularly or for customers, but figured I should at least try it a couple of times. It will be a long time until I get it done.
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Mike
VHT Special 6 Mods
Quicksilver Custom Harmonicas - When it needs to come from the soul...
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chromaticblues
1223 posts
Apr 30, 2012
4:58 PM
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Yes Mr. Goodwrench your correct!
That's what happens when you assume!
They play so different than the new harps I "assumed"!
I just measured a new one and old one and they are the same length. The reeds are different at the rivet end though. Must be that's the difference.
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harpwrench
589 posts
Apr 30, 2012
5:37 PM
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That's the yellow brass singing to ya chro.....it's my preference for tone, and overblow-friendliness, but the new stuff is more durable.
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Spiers Harmonicas
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opendoor_harps
33 posts
Apr 30, 2012
7:03 PM
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I'm putting a new Seydel 1847 in D into rotation for the first time at tonight's gig. (From the Elk River Optimizer machine- Thanks David!). I understand these are long slot so I'm looking forward to trying it out.
You go HarpNinja! That really sounds like a deep tweak project. Maybe it will allow you to hit the overbends with just a soft breath floated toward your harmonica across the room! Good luck!
I'll follow up with @chromaticblues via email.
I've finally worked through most of a set of used Hicksvilles that cleaned up pretty well from an old Music teacher's basement. The wet storage I think munged them up more than the student's amount of playing.
But I'm looking forward to modifying some from new stock on up. Without the problems and cleaning of an older used harp.
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ElkRiverHarmonicas
910 posts
Apr 30, 2012
7:10 PM
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Thanks Opendoor. all of the steel reeds are long slot. Even the Fs.
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David
Elk River Harmonicas
Elk River Harmonicas on Facebook
"It's difficult to think anything but pleasant thoughts while eating a homegrown tomato." - Lewis Grizzard
"Also, drinking homemade beer." - David Payne
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chromaticblues
1224 posts
May 01, 2012
5:26 AM
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@harpwrench "The yellow Brass singing to me". That's a good one!
Yeah I don't know what happened there. I know all the Db and above are short slots. That's what happens when your thinking about five things at once.
I know your suppose to stay away from the yellow snow, but the yellow brass too?
I haven't encounterted the durability problem yet, if anything so far it has been the other way around.
I haven't had a harmonica (other than a chromatic) go bad in over two years. So I can't comment on that, but I don't have to tune Hichsville harps as often as the new MB/SP 20/MBD/Crossover harps.
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