whiskey&harmonicas
24 posts
May 05, 2012
3:19 PM
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Seen on Rockin Ron's website he's now offering 1896/20 MBs with SEALED combs. Am I reading right? And if so, does anyone know who's sealing the combs? I love wooden combs over plastic, but I suffer alot of dental issues. So if a sealed wooden comb is really available, I'm gonna jump on it like a hot tip on a horse.
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Kingley
2000 posts
May 05, 2012
3:44 PM
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All the new Hohner Marine Band 1896 harps come with factory sealed combs as standard now.
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whiskey&harmonicas
25 posts
May 05, 2012
4:09 PM
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Awesome. Heck, shelling out an extra $3.50 for the sealing is a bargain. For me, a MB vs a SP20 (wood body vs plastic body) is comparing a Gibson SG to a Gibson Les Paul. Both classics, but the SG has a growl you can't get on a Les Paul. Same with MB vs SP20. MB has a sound not found on the SP20 or anything else. My opinion.
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jbone
894 posts
May 06, 2012
6:10 AM
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some years ago, before this was a big deal except for the very few customizers who were working at the time, i decided to seal, and drill out/screw together my mb's. which worked pretty well once i got the hang of it. BUT what i ended up with was nicely sealed harps whose reeds blew out much faster. admittedly partly due to my over the top bending but also due to the same old procedures and qc specs hohner had used for a century.
my question is, has hohner changed anything on the way they do their reeds and plates?
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groyster1
1879 posts
May 06, 2012
1:48 PM
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@whiskey
same sentiments re: mb1896 abandoned them at one time due to comb swelling and lower quality....love sp20s they are consisently tight but yes marine bands,with vented covers have that great soundIMHO
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arzajac
794 posts
May 06, 2012
1:59 PM
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I have yet to see one, but I reckon they are not as flat as they could be and I will need to sand them down anyway... So I am not excited about this.
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MP
2236 posts
May 06, 2012
3:18 PM
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arzajac,
you may be right. haven't seen the new 1896 but i've repaired the new sealed MBD.
as you would expect, there were water marks on the comb and plates indicating leakage.
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MP
affordable reed replacement and repairs.
"making the world a better place, one harmonica at a time"
click user name for info-
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jbone
896 posts
May 06, 2012
6:11 PM
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is it even a full seal or just on the contact areas of the face of the tines and inside?
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http://www.reverbnation.com/jawboneandjolene
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000386839482
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Kingley
2004 posts
May 07, 2012
3:48 AM
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They are fully sealed.
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HarpNinja
2395 posts
May 07, 2012
7:16 AM
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I've had quite a few of the new ones already. I usually scrap the comb right away, but have had an A harp sitting around that I've had no issues with.
A light test shows just the faintest bit of light on one draw and nowhere else.
In all honesty, they have played better than any other nailed MB's I've tried from pre-war to the last of the unsealed.
If I remember, I'll throw a new comb in with an old one, the new MBD comb, and a XO comb and see that happens.
If you can tap your own threads for screws, I don't see why you wouldn't go that route of a MBD. You save money and don't have to seal a comb. The reed plate edges always bother me more than a comb with edges.
Of the ones I've taken apart, the draw plate looks the same as any MB variant...not flat.
I guess I look at it this way based on the two major player types:
30min or less to take that stock MB and convert to screws/flat sand for a harp that will last months if not years at a smaller cost than a MBD.
or
Leave it stock and blow it out before the comb swells.
The combs are lacquered on all exposed sides. Honestly, I don't know how deeply that penetrates the wood, therefore, if you sand the comb down, you may need to lacquer it again?
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Mike
VHT Special 6 Mods
Quicksilver Custom Harmonicas - When it needs to come from the soul...
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