bluemoon
10 posts
Dec 25, 2009
8:31 PM
|
From time to time I read about someone putting Special 20 cover plates on Marine Bands to give them a "warmer" sound. I can clearly understand that changing the cover plates would change the sound, what I don't understand is why not just use a Special 20 harmonica? Is their a problam with the rest of the Special 20 harmonica that makes only their cover plates desireable?
Just curious.
Thanks
|
shanester
26 posts
Dec 25, 2009
8:39 PM
|
I certainly don't think there is anything wrong with Spec20's, although I cut the plastic sprue out of the holes. I personally think that nonvented covers like the spec20s have a more penetrating sound, while vented covers like MBs have a fuzzier sound. A guitar analogy would be nonvented are like a strat or telecaster, and vented more like a Les Paul.
They might like the wood comb on the MB better. Some think that makes a tonal difference.
So maybe they want to combine a wood comb with a nonvented cover for whatever reason.
|
jonsparrow
1493 posts
Dec 25, 2009
8:54 PM
|
i might be wrong but i think sp20's are tuned differently then marine bands.
|
shanester
27 posts
Dec 25, 2009
9:09 PM
|
They are tuned fairly similarly, in a compromise between just and equal. The Golden Melody and MS series (Big River) are tuned in equal.
|
Pimpinella
4 posts
Dec 26, 2009
12:51 AM
|
Hi
With the construction of the Sp20, especially considering the mouthpiece, the reeds are settled deeper in the harmonica. This changes the way it plays compared to a MB. Especially overbends are somewhat easier to play on MB harmonicas than on the SP20. (well, thats at least my experence and many others agree).
OK, then there are players who want that "pearwood sound"... well, i'm a non believer when it comes to sound influence of comb materials.
|
harmonicanick
493 posts
Dec 26, 2009
1:00 AM
|
happy new year
'sound' or 'tone' is 98% personal technique
|
Pimpinella
6 posts
Dec 26, 2009
2:44 AM
|
that leaves 2% to argue about ;)
|
mickil
759 posts
Dec 26, 2009
5:41 AM
|
Just a quick note about the tuning: I'm pretty sure that all Hohner diatonics, except the GM, use the same relative, compromised tuning. Despite the A440 stamped on the covers, I think they kick in at around A442.
As far as I can remember, Pat Missin's website is a pretty good place to check out a lot of this stuff. BBQBOB sometimes mentions a list of tunings, but I couldn't find it with the search criteria he gave.
----------
YouTube SlimHarpMick a.k.a. HarmonicaMick
|
shanester
29 posts
Dec 26, 2009
7:59 AM
|
Yeah that's accurate, they are in the 442 to 443 range to compensate for hard breath slightly flattening the tone. Missin's site is definitely the best launching point for tuning and intonation that I've found. Definitely one to bookmark.
There is also a link in the Hohner site, called like "letter from the tech" or something like that that gives Hohner's statement on their tunings.
|
barbequebob
247 posts
Dec 26, 2009
9:57 AM
|
For those of you who still are having trouble finding the info, here's two links that I have them on, the first one below is on the Delta Frost Forum:
http://www.deltafrost.com/diatonic-harmonica-tunings-an-update_topic6473.html?KW=Diatonic+Harmonica+tunings
The second place that it's on is on Harmonica Space.com and the link is below:
http://www.harmonicaspace.com/viewtopic.php?topic=688
The tuning charts are listed in cents, and the minus sign before the number (-) means that many cents flatter than 0 cents (meaning Equal Tuning) and the plus sign (+) meaning sharper than 0 cents (again, 0 cents meaning Equal Tuning).
Read ALL of the notes there VERY CAREFULLY so you have the correct information (don't do like too many people do with short attention spans, just give quick glance and never truly undrstanding and learning it).
Cover plates and even more so, the reed material as well as it's actual profile have the most to do with the harmonica's sound. The comb has a little, but not as much as you think.
The harp sound and tone is 98% of the time the player's technique more than anything else and bad technique equals bad everything.
The vent holes on the sides when they were first placed on the harp covers were there to serve two main purposes:
a.) to make the harp sound spread out over a wider area, and make it more sensitive to how you hold the instrument, and;
b.) increase the instrument's volume and brightness.
With the side vents, you actually hear much more of the harp's actual sound that the audience hears, and too many players think incorrectly that this is an air leak.
The tuning chart covers Hohner harps and others and any harp you do not see listed there is tuned to equal temperament.
Outside of a chromatic (with the exception of the Koch and Slide harp models), the only German made Hohner that is tuned to equal temperament is the Golden Melody. If they tuned all of their diatonics to ET, they would lose a boatload of sales to players who play music where chording and double stops are heavily involved and they'd really take a big loss in the US market with the traditional blues players, and if you hand them a harp tuned to Just Intonation, which is what ALL of the great old masters played, they'd switch in a heartbeat.
Most Asian made harmonicas use short slot reeds and only two Asian harps use long slot reeds, which have a deeper, fatter tone preferred by traditonal blues players and do bettwer with overblows, and Suzuki makes the only two, the Manji and the just intonation version of the Fabulous.
----------
Sincerely,
Barbeque Bob Maglinte
Boston, MA
http://www.barbequebob.com
CD available at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/bbmaglinte
|
shanester
31 posts
Dec 26, 2009
10:18 AM
|
Thanks for that awsome info, barbeque! I've been wanting a resource like that for tuning my harps!
|
barbequebob
248 posts
Dec 26, 2009
1:02 PM
|
When tuning them, it is VERY IMPORTANT that you do NOT totally rely on the tuner alone because your biggest and most important tool is your ears.
----------
Sincerely,
Barbeque Bob Maglinte
Boston, MA
http://www.barbequebob.com
CD available at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/bbmaglinte
|
