MP
1265 posts
Jan 18, 2011
11:58 AM
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first, i'd like to say that i've played stock harps since 1972. i've played just about everything that walked down the pike. i've seen hohners go from 7LJI to 19LJI to compromise to crossover tuning etc.. i got the SP/20s when they came out and the ET tuned GMS when they were assembled with escetcheon pins. i was stoked with these last two models.
yesterday i tried an out of box SP/20 someone wanted me to "improve". damn! this harp is great already. sure it's not a filisko, but man! purty damn good for non OB blues playing.
it's not the first stock harp i've seen lately that's good.
i've noticed (in general) hohner stuff plays better now than in the last 30 years.
anyone else notice a general improvement in stock harps?
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MP
hibachi cook for the yakuza
doctor of semiotics
superhero emeritus
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chromaticblues
481 posts
Jan 18, 2011
12:08 PM
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YES!
Much better. I hate it when someone sends me an older harp to work on because they don't come out as well because they aren't as good period!
I talked about this before. It doesn't make sense for people to spend big money to buy prewar MB's when new harps are so good. I've played MB's from the 50's and 60's and I'll take a new MB any day.
The Sp 20's made now are the best they have ever made!
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HarpNinja
997 posts
Jan 18, 2011
12:11 PM
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Yes. The blister packs or any GM with the new screws tend to be better. I would say it is due to the reed profiles and initial gaps.
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Mike
Quicksilver Custom Harmonicas
Updated 1/11/11
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Roverharp
6 posts
Jan 18, 2011
1:09 PM
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Probably should have started a new thread but...
is there a danger of messing up these new, good profiles by rutuning? I'm probably going to start using the Powerbender tuning which requires many reeds to be retuned. If Hohner puts a lot of R&D into the physics of a particular profile doesn't its performance get compromised when retuning by anything more than a semi-tone?
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HarpNinja
999 posts
Jan 18, 2011
1:15 PM
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You'll be fine. Just observe the gaps and arc of the reed and try to replicate it if anything were to move.
I am pretty anal about gapping and always check/redo/tweak/fix after tuning. I know it is oft suggested to set your gaps and then tune, but I always find myself double and triple checking after tuning.
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Mike
Quicksilver Custom Harmonicas
Updated 1/11/11
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sammyharp
75 posts
Jan 18, 2011
1:29 PM
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@ HarpNinja- I know what you mean. I always do my tuning after I've gapped, It sounds to me like the reeds change their tuning slightly when the gap has been changed. I end up redoing gapping a few times anyways, since everything moves around for the first few weeks. I do tend to be really picky about my gapping too, though.
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MP
1267 posts
Jan 18, 2011
7:55 PM
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i thought they are getting better and agree with mike that it's the profiles and gapping.
one thing i noticed on this SP was the bottom reed plate was flatter than i normally see. might be a fluke. they tend to be winged a bit.
i put the plate on a glass surface as a general test. of course the rivets are a wild card, but it was pretty flat over-all. nothing proper screw tension couldn't remedy.
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MP
hibachi cook for the yakuza
doctor of semiotics
superhero emeritus
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chromaticblues
485 posts
Jan 19, 2011
6:41 AM
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@MP and MIke
Its also the shape of the reed at the rivet end isn't the same and the materials used in make the breass has changed many times. The materials used will have an effect on the overtones of each note. Thats the reason prewar MB's have a warm tone. I like the sound of the new Marine Bands better myself, but I'm use to them also.
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MP
1270 posts
Jan 19, 2011
10:26 AM
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@chromatic,
shape of the reed at the rivet end? me no grok.
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MP
hibachi cook for the yakuza
doctor of semiotics
superhero emeritus
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chromaticblues
492 posts
Jan 19, 2011
11:50 AM
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Yeah I saw the thing that Hohner put out about it in 2005. I can't remember thier reasoning for doing it, but I'm guessing it was a good idea!
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