Slimharp
54 posts
Nov 29, 2013
9:47 AM
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Could the old crystal elements be reproduced ? It seems with the demand ( maybe not enough to warrant )these could be grown again and reproduced. Anybody out there know much about this ?
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HawkeyeKane
2174 posts
Nov 29, 2013
2:00 PM
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I think the crystals themselves would be fairly inexpensive to grow. Hell, you can get crystal growing kits at hobby stores for cheap. I think the more costly bit would be the element housing fabrication and electronics installation. Gotta have an order of a certain number to be cost effective, and therein lies the demand problem.
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Hawkeye Kane
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1847
1343 posts
Nov 29, 2013
2:53 PM
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put me down for one. the crystal element is king in these parts.
mine still sounds fine,however it is weak.
i may only get 10 or 15 more years out of it.
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i get a lot of request when i play my harmonica
"but i play it anyway"
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Greg Heumann
2480 posts
Nov 29, 2013
3:08 PM
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It isn't just growing crystals. Cheap industrial crystals ARE still grown and used in cheap crystal elements which you can find in modern cheap crystal mics. You can buy those elements for a couple bucks. They just don't sound like the old crystals.
To make crystal elements like the ones we know and love, you need not only crystals but diaphragms and the tools to make them, housings and the tools to make them, and machines to help assemble them. The market is NOT big. Remember the market that drove those things originally was NEVER about harmonica - it was about making cheap general purpose microphones in very large quantities. The startup costs to build an old school microphone are astronomical compared to the promise of a market of harmonica players.
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***************************************************
/Greg
BlowsMeAway Productions
See my Customer Mics album on Facebook
BlueState - my band
Bluestate on iTunes
Last Edited by Greg Heumann on Nov 29, 2013 3:09 PM
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blueswannabe
362 posts
Nov 29, 2013
5:36 PM
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@ Greg, maybe a Chinese manufacturer?? No??
Any entrepreneurs out there willing to pursue this???
Last Edited by blueswannabe on Nov 29, 2013 5:37 PM
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Slimharp
55 posts
Nov 29, 2013
7:36 PM
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Thanks for the feedback. Thats what what I figured.
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Slimharp
58 posts
Nov 30, 2013
7:08 AM
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It would seem Hohner could do this, just put a good crystal in the junk Roadhouse. On the other hand that would probably be a crap shoot just like their harps. I play mostly Hohner. It is a sorry testament when a portion of the harps they sell are crap out of the box. MB's can be the worst. 20's have been out of tune. and I have gotten just a few MB Deluxe and Crossovers that have been sub standard, not sealed, and very breathy on some notes. Why - because they can. How many products would last long if you had to tear them apart and invest time and money to get them to function properly.You by the higher end harp ( much better ) and you still run into the same thing. With that product quality I doubt Hohner would create a quality Crystal Mic. I had to send back a brand new Super 64 X ( very pricey ). The new Hohner Crystal might work if you sent back every 6th or 7th one. Theres my rant.
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Kingley
3297 posts
Nov 30, 2013
7:24 AM
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Slimharp - If you're referring to the old Marine Bands with the black combs, then yes I agree they were generally pretty bad for a long time. These days though Hohner make some of the best out of the box harps going. Earlier this century they retooled and started using sealed combs on all the Marine Band range with wooden combs. The Marine Bands now are amongst the best harps Hohner has ever made. Their gapping and tuning is also far better than it's been for a very long time.
On the issue of crystal elements. A company like Hohner most likely will never bother to develop the manufacturing facilities to create those elements as it's not financially viable to do so. That's why Astatic stopped making them and also why companies like Shure will never bother making the CM/CR elements again. The market for harmonica mics is not very large at all. The profits made would certainly not be worth the investment the big companies would have to make to create those items. The best hope is that some small one man vendor will decide to make them, but that is also highly unlikely due to the issues raised by Greg
Last Edited by Kingley on Nov 30, 2013 7:24 AM
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Slimharp
60 posts
Nov 30, 2013
7:52 AM
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Kingly, I agree on the Crystal Mic deal. It would have to be a small operation by someone who loves the product. I must admit I have had one bad experience with the new MB's. I went to Sam Ash, needed a G in a hurry. Luckily I knew the sales person and he lets me play and return the harp right in front of him. I played 4 MB's in G ( all they had )and all 4 had severe 1 draw reed rattle, and I wasnt hitting them hard. Maybe just a bad batch. Maybe I should try them now. Just a little leary of them. I usually play 20's or Deluxes. My brand is Hohner. It just gets disheartening when you pay good bucks and you get a substandard harp, no matter what price range. As stated, I bought a Super 64 x a few years back for $350.00 and it wouldnt sound on 6 & 7 draw. I guess thats the nature of the game.
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