chromaticblues
409 posts
Dec 16, 2010
3:37 PM
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@Todd Yes I think your right about the tuning of GM's. I remember trying one about 20 years ago and I thought it was terrible. It was terrible! I'm sure they are better now, but its just a pain in the butt getting them air tight.
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barbequebob
1463 posts
Dec 17, 2010
7:56 AM
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@Todd Parrott --- Whether they know the tuning or not, the vast majority of traditional blues players tend to shy away from both the GM as well as Lee Oskars and nearly all Asian made harps because of ET tuning, which when you play chords and double stops, often sounds horrible. OF the traditional players who you may see on occasion with a GM as only one of their harps in their case, it's usually because there was nothing else available in the key they wanted in the store on that day and didn't have the time to shop around with a gig happening probably later that night.
On an ET tuned harp, I'd rather not have a more wide open back because the more enclosed covers tend to mellow out the harshness of the ET tuned chords and the one harp cover design that does this best IMO are the ones on the Delta Frosts.
The GM's are still tuned to ET tuning.
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Sincerely,
Barbeque Bob Maglinte
Boston, MA
http://www.barbequebob.com
CD available at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/bbmaglinte
Last Edited by on Dec 17, 2010 7:57 AM
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Todd Parrott
233 posts
Dec 17, 2010
9:41 AM
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@barbequebob - I mentioned earlier that if a Golden Melody Deluxe was introduced, it would be nice if they were available in both ET and Just tunings, or maybe even a compromised tuning.
If this became an option, do you think the blues players who like the smoother chords would be likely to give the GM another shot?
And as for opened covers, I think this is more for looks than anything else, as many of my custom GM's are opened in the back with side vents, and I don't notice a huge difference, if any. I do seem to notice a difference on models like the Special 20 though, so I can see what you're saying about the Delta Frost.
Last Edited by on Dec 17, 2010 9:43 AM
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chromaticblues
413 posts
Dec 17, 2010
10:40 AM
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@ Todd Yeah your right about the SP 20. After doing the reed work then putting Marine Band covers on it. It sounds like a different harp.
A perfectly flat GM comb that uses Crossover reedplates thay retains the covers the way they are. Thats how I would revamp the GM. I think the covers are what makes them unique!
Having both tunings would be a great option, but hell they don't do that with anything now! But it would be nice!!
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harpwrench
382 posts
Dec 17, 2010
10:51 AM
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Black covers, bamboo comb, crossover reeds, leave it in ET
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barbequebob
1464 posts
Dec 18, 2010
7:48 AM
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Todd, the back of the covers on a GM doesn't have the lip on the back, so opening it up a bit more will not make anywhere near as dramatic a difference as it does with the MB or Sp20. On the latter two, once the air and sound hits that lip, the sound dies and the instrument loses a pretty fair amount of volume and they began doing this on the MB in 1980, and I always thought that was a realy dumb move. It's always been that way with the lip ever since the Sp20's were introduced together with the GM back in 1974. Once the lip is eithr removed or angled farther away (or set up on the MB like it was prior to 1980, and more so like the pre-WWII ones), the harp will play much louder.
I really don't think that having it available in both ET and JI may have that make it more popular with traditional blues players and for a number of players like myself, I tend to find the shape of the GM a bit uncomfortable for my hands.
For a harp playing friend of mine who passed away about 10 years ago, I retuned an entire set of GM's to 7LJI for him and he felt it was more MB like, but it still sounds like a GM despite the retuning.
I mentioned it before, but if you get a Huang Star Performer when it was introduced in 1982, they were essentially GM's tuned to 19LJI.
No matter what, not every model is going to appeal to everyone because of tastes, needs, as well as comfort so, in reality, there is no truly perfect instrument in a one size fits all deal.
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Sincerely,
Barbeque Bob Maglinte
Boston, MA
http://www.barbequebob.com
CD available at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/bbmaglinte
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chromaticblues
416 posts
Dec 18, 2010
12:08 PM
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@Todd Joe's idea of black covers a good one I hadn't thought of, but thats actually a good mod for any ET harp because it cuts down the high frequency overtones mellowing out the rough chords and double stops.
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Todd Parrott
241 posts
Dec 18, 2010
9:55 PM
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I mentioned black covers earlier in the post, but also with black combs. Not sure how black covers would look on a bamboo comb, but it may actually be pretty cool now that I think about it. I think the painted covers darken the tone nicely, whether ET or Just tuned.
I think chrome plated reed plates would look really sharp, though I have no idea if this would make it more or less difficult to customize, or if this has any affect at all.
It seems that this is becoming more of an option, as we're seeing models like the Manji and the 1847 with chrome plated reed plates.
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jim
576 posts
Dec 18, 2010
11:30 PM
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1847 has german silver reedplates. A different material.
Painted covers chip off.
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www.truechromatic.com
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MP
1152 posts
Dec 18, 2010
11:40 PM
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-especially where the screws attatch the covers.---------
MP
hibachi cook for the yakuza
doctor of semiotics
superhero emeritus
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Todd Parrott
243 posts
Dec 19, 2010
11:22 AM
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@jim & MP: Yes, I realize that black paint can chip off, but the 2 Hammonds I have don't really have this problem, though they have been played literally to death. The logo and numbers eventually wore off, but the paint is still perfectly in tact. At any rate, there are other ways to make black cover plates, such as powder coating, though I'm not sure how well that holds up either. Regardless of what one does to a cover plate, I've never seen cover plates that are invincible. After awhile, they all start to look dingy and need replacing.
As for my reference to chrome plated reed plates, I was speaking more aesthetically than technically. In other words, I realize that the 1847 uses silver (hence the name), but I guess when I said chrome I was referring to the color, not the actual material, if that makes sense.
Not sure what the Hammond uses, but it really is one of the most beautiful harps in my opinion. I've never liked the look of brass reed plates against black. I think even the B-Radical would look better with chrome colored reed plates.
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HarveyHarp
162 posts
Dec 19, 2010
11:57 AM
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@Harpwrench. Are crossover reeds different than GM, MB, MBD? I have only seen one, and I did not notice.
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harpwrench
383 posts
Dec 19, 2010
1:03 PM
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Harvey, they look the same but seem to consistently behave and sound better than the others, including the MBD. Not as good as Harrison reeds though:)
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groyster1
590 posts
Dec 19, 2010
1:12 PM
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I have sp20s with the back opened up I wish hohner would realize how much better the sp20 are after this
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