Rick Davis
2955 posts
Feb 11, 2014
9:48 AM
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-Little Rick Davis
The Memphis Mini harp amp
The Blues Harp Amps Blog
The Mile High Blues Society
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blueswannabe
406 posts
Feb 11, 2014
7:10 PM
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Nice video. I wonder if this design will increase the longevity of the reeds as compared to a special 20.
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Greg Heumann
2601 posts
Feb 11, 2014
8:49 PM
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Looks like a nice harp, but I just can't get past the side vents. For playing acoustic they're great. For playing amplified they aren't. They make it much harder to get an airtight cup.
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***************************************************
/Greg
BlowsMeAway Productions
See my Customer Mics album on Facebook
BlueState - my band
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Leatherlips
229 posts
Feb 11, 2014
8:59 PM
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Big price hike for basically cosmetic changes. I do like the rounded edges and it's responsiveness plus the volume.
What I mean by 'cosmetic' is that there are no changes to the reeds or reed plates, just a slight increase in height and a different stamping of the cover plate.
I will be trying one though as soon as I flatten one of my Special 20's.
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HarpNinja
3760 posts
Feb 12, 2014
6:49 AM
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Even with YT compression, you can hear the difference in tone between models with what Ronnie is playing. The harp is also evidently louder.
And while they can be referred to as cosmetic, they would impact tone and playability. I am very anxious to try this out. I am hoping for something that plays like a XO but louder. No doubt it won't compete with a custom, but it is a great platform to work from, in theory.
I'd imagine a custom Rocket would run similar to a custom SP20 as the overhead is more even though the body work would be less...
Back on topic, there has been comments on the Rocket thread from people who work at Hohner that the reed profiles are the same as the XO.
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Mike
My Website
My Harmonica Effects Blog
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harpwrench
769 posts
Feb 12, 2014
7:19 AM
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Umm yeah, they're all the same as the x- over. Why would they go to the trouble of cutting and cataloging two different profiles when they can bring up quality across the board (as they have)? This is the answer I got multiple times when asking about differences in reeds in the past.
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HarpNinja
3761 posts
Feb 12, 2014
7:33 AM
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I get the first sentence, Joe, but I don't understand the last two.
I think profile was meant to refer to the attention to gapping of the OOTB harps. I know some of the harp related terms haven't been universally defined, but I do understand that some refer to profile as the reed as a result of production - length, width, material, size, etc. While others use the word profile to designate the arc and gapping.
What I inferred from the person I spoke to was that the tolerances/profiles or whatever - which I took to mean the gapping and arcing of the reedplates - had more attention than on some other models.
IMO, and I want to be clear that this is from my persepective and not what someone else has told me, is that all the hand made harps in current production have had an increase in quality in OOTB playability.
I wouldn't have said that when the XO first came out, but the Marine Bands, MBD's, SP20's, and GM's I've been getting play just as well, in general, as XO's.
If the Rocket is essentially a Sp20 with different cosmetics, which I would venture to say it is, it would still be great.
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Mike
My Website
My Harmonica Effects Blog
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HawkeyeKane
2327 posts
Feb 12, 2014
7:38 AM
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"What I mean by 'cosmetic' is that there are no changes to the reeds or reed plates, just a slight increase in height and a different stamping of the cover plate."
I could be wrong, but to me it looks like there is another difference between the cover plates (and the reedplates for that matter) in terms of their screwholes. The Rocket appears to have its holes mounted further forward, and they look like MS barrel nuts.
Kinda nixes any chance of putting SP20 covers (or any other Hohner covers for that matter) on it to compensate for the side vents when playing amplified as Greg points out.
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Hawkeye Kane
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HarpNinja
3762 posts
Feb 12, 2014
7:55 AM
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Please see the three page thread. The reedplates have holes for different covers. The Rocket covers aren't interchangeable, with a SP20, but it would appear a SP20 cover could fit on a Rocket.
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Mike
My Website
My Harmonica Effects Blog
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harpwrench
772 posts
Feb 12, 2014
7:56 AM
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I'm talking about the milled profiles not arcs. I don't think they're spending any time setting curves, that would take too long. The Crossover is said to have more attention in the gapping department by higher skilled workers in Germany though, while the lower priced ones are done by the workers in China. That's what was said publicly when the Crossover came out.
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HarpNinja
3763 posts
Feb 12, 2014
8:05 AM
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10-4, thanks.
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Mike
My Website
My Harmonica Effects Blog
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tmf714
2408 posts
Feb 12, 2014
9:31 AM
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The Rocket will accept Special 20 and Crossover cover plates-
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MP
3090 posts
Feb 12, 2014
12:57 PM
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harpwrench showed how to seal side vents in an MBH post a long time ago using black electrical tape applied on this inside of the cover plates.
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jiceblues
280 posts
Feb 12, 2014
2:57 PM
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It's not a big deal .If you don't like side vents , you can put SP20 coverplates on the Rocket .The possibility of swapping covers from a SP20 or a Xover is a good idea .
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capnj
191 posts
Feb 12, 2014
9:46 PM
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I think this rocket will fly well.Looks like hohner went after the suzuki manji,which is a brighter open harp with one screw in front.The vents give more versatility like breathing through getting that subtle hum,and good cuppers can have their way too.Strong chords,a little smaller hole spacing, could serve clumsy tbers like me well,and make legato runs very efficient ,after the small change is appreciated..Nice review from ronnie,who did like the manji a while back,if I recall.
Last Edited by capnj on Feb 12, 2014 10:06 PM
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groyster1
2526 posts
Feb 12, 2014
9:53 PM
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it appears from ronnies review that this harp is loud...encouraging less wind....its my way....the less breath force,the better the toneIMHO
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Brendan Power
416 posts
Feb 13, 2014
2:43 AM
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I heard Ronnie and Howard playing the Rocket at NAMM, sounded nice.
As capnj says, there is a big Manji influence in the coverplates: they look very similar. But then again, the Manji covers were essentially updated Marine Band style, so it all goes round and round!
Folks comment on the volume, but any harp with side vents will sound louder, to the player at least.
The bigger mouthpiece holes are said to give extra power/volume too, but I'd need to see the comb before passing judgement. If the bigger holes narrow down to an aperture the same size as the S20 when they hit the reedplate I can't see there would be any effect. However, if the comb chambers inside are wider it gives a greater chamber volume, and that could have an effect on tone/projection. Can anyone send a photo of the comb to check on this?
With any lipped comb there is an extra hole restriction, because of the 0.5mm deep strip on top and bottom comb surfaces running under the front of the reedplates. This constricts the hole substantially over a traditional sandwich comb of the same thickness and hole width. Thus a 6mm comb ends up having 5mm hole depth on a lipped comb. But maybe Hohner have counteracted that with a wider slot all the way back to the rear of the chamber - it will be interesting to see in the photo.
On mouthpiece hole sizes in general, personally I prefer a wider comb tine at the front separating the holes. I find it is better for accuracy when playing fast. I think the 1896 Marine Band had it just right.
Last Edited by Brendan Power on Feb 13, 2014 6:15 AM
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tmf714
2414 posts
Feb 13, 2014
6:21 AM
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Slimharp
197 posts
Feb 13, 2014
7:12 AM
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Who is the presenter in this video ? Carlos DeJunco ?
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arzajac
1284 posts
Feb 13, 2014
7:21 AM
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That's Ronnie Shellist.
 <---> 
I think Carlos looks more like Gussow than Shellist...
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Custom overblow harps. Harmonica service and repair.
Last Edited by arzajac on Feb 13, 2014 7:25 AM
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Rick Davis
2959 posts
Feb 13, 2014
7:37 AM
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The presenter in the video is Denver harp player Ronnie Shellist.
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-Little Rick Davis
The Memphis Mini harp amp
The Blues Harp Amps Blog
The Mile High Blues Society
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Brendan Power
417 posts
Feb 13, 2014
7:58 AM
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Thanks tmf714! The reedplates look pretty much identical to Special 20.
Can you accurately measure the comb chamber widths vs a Special 20? With digital callipers if possible.
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Todd Parrott
1201 posts
Feb 15, 2014
9:00 PM
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Just got home and got mine in the mail - Bb! Wow! This is a great harp, and plays even better than the prototype I tried in the beginning. Finally, a new stock harp I can get excited about.
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robbert
282 posts
Feb 15, 2014
9:34 PM
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Todd,
You have probably tried and forgotten about more harps than I currently possess, but that being said, I have Sp. 20s, Xovers, and many others.
Some are modified extensively, some hardly. They all play quite well(well, the pro mods...really well!)that is, they can endure regular playing, and some ob/od pretty well.
But... we all know that a harmonica player is always looking for the ootb Holy Grail of Harmonicas...does the Rocket come closer than a Xover, say?
I'm on a tight budget, but do I owe it to my harp playin' self to invest in one of these guys?
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Todd Parrott
1202 posts
Feb 15, 2014
11:07 PM
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Robbert, I'd say it's the Special 20 equivalent of the Crossover, but since I don't have many Crossovers I'm probably not the best person to answer that question. It's also hard to evaluate it fairly because I am so spoiled by custom harps. Perhaps Mike Fugazzi can chime in, since he ordered a couple of Rockets. He is probably a better person to comment since he is not only a Crossover player, but owns many Special 20's and is also a customizer.
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rbeetsme
1495 posts
Feb 16, 2014
4:55 AM
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Rick, that Mini amp sure sounds like a vintage Champ. Chimey, like most Fenders. Ronnie does it justice.
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HarpNinja
3770 posts
Feb 16, 2014
7:07 AM
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I got billed on the 12th,, so I am expecting Rockets this week. I am working on a way to demo with other models.
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Mike
My Website
My Harmonica Effects Blog
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Rick Davis
2964 posts
Feb 16, 2014
7:19 AM
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Rick, yeah, I'm pretty damn happy with the way the MM amp turned out. Classic tone in an affordable amp. Ronnie is an amazing player and a good friend.
BTW... the MM amp does have a negative feedback circuit like most vintage Fender amps. That is where some of that chime comes from.
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-Little Rick Davis
The Memphis Mini harp amp
The Blues Harp Amps Blog
The Mile High Blues Society
Last Edited by Rick Davis on Feb 16, 2014 7:22 AM
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robbert
283 posts
Feb 16, 2014
7:37 AM
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Mike,
I look forward to any comparison videos that may emerge. They are always extremely helpful.
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jnorem
32 posts
Feb 18, 2014
8:44 PM
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To me it sounds like a harmonica. I pick up one of my humble out-of-the-box SP20s, cup it to my JT30 microphone and play it through my Super Reverb, and it sounds great. And yes, it's loud! So what more do I need?
Perhaps I'm missing something, but to me it just sounds like a harp, mate.
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Call me J
Last Edited by jnorem on Feb 18, 2014 8:47 PM
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HarpNinja
3775 posts
Feb 19, 2014
3:38 AM
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Mike
My Website
My Harmonica Effects Blog
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