chromaticblues
483 posts
Jan 19, 2011
5:18 AM
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In the eighties Joe Filisko was trying to figure out how to make current production Marine Bands play as well as prewar MB's. He wasn't trying to reinvent the wheel.
In my earlier post I stated that I do not do full slot embossing. I mostly do 3/4 slot embossing. I do full slot embossing on some holes on some harps, but I'm not saying why and where. The slots on Crossovers are tighter than the prewar MB's already.
Many people consider Joe speirs to be one of the best customizers in the world. He recently stated he likes to play MB's that aren't embossed at all! He said he likes the tone of stock harps better. That sounds familiar! That validates my whole outlook on how I build harps. I build harps that are loud, easy to play and responsive. I build harps that are more responsive without taking away from the stock sound. That is the base harp I build. If someone wants an overblow harp well I emboss the whole thing and set the reeds a little lower. I don't like harps like that, but I can make them that way and make them work very well. I play with to much force to play harps that are so touchy and I believe most people do also.
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apskarp
394 posts
Jan 19, 2011
8:02 AM
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Sounds like a good approach, and your prices are reasonable for hobbyists too. I also like the name of your product! :)
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MP
1271 posts
Jan 19, 2011
10:38 AM
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i don't care for touchy harps either. -by the way, you set your reeds lower than i do, just sayin,-even so i can attack your harps without fear of puttering out on 4,5, or 6.
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MP
hibachi cook for the yakuza
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chromaticblues
490 posts
Jan 19, 2011
11:11 AM
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Yeah I set the reeds as close as I can without choking out. Then I back up just as little as possible. That way you get good volume and still be able to play overblows. Thats just what I try to do. Set them as close as I can without them sticking. There is such a small difference in a perfect setting for one person and a harp that cuts out when you are playing live. I think I've gotten so use to playing these harps I may set them a little close for some people. Everyone plays different Ya know! One thing I always do is if it isn't right for someone I'll take them back and change the gapps that anyone is having problems with. I like to send them out that way because maybe some people will learn to relaxe and play a little better. They are set up for maximum performance for my playing. Thats all I have to go by!
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MP
1273 posts
Jan 19, 2011
11:15 AM
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do you use a light box for embossing?
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MP
hibachi cook for the yakuza
doctor of semiotics
superhero emeritus
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chromaticblues
491 posts
Jan 19, 2011
11:47 AM
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No MP
A socket most of the time. I use a punch I modified to get close to the rivet. The socket method is all about getting the right size! Anyone doing embossing should look closely with a magnifying glass. If you do a neat job with a little slope it directs the air to the middle of the slot at the reed. People that design high performance parts for engines do the same thing. Air flow! Responsivness is all about air flow!
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MP
1277 posts
Jan 19, 2011
2:02 PM
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i see. i was wodering if i should get a light box but i'll probably just go with a magnifying glass. right now i have too much margin for error.
what do you think is a good socket size? 3/8, 7/16?
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MP
hibachi cook for the yakuza
doctor of semiotics
superhero emeritus
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jbone
478 posts
Jan 19, 2011
6:47 PM
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ok, so to beg the question (you seem to have hijacked your own post), how DID it come to be that people built custom harps?
i know that some of the vaudeville guys in the mid 20th century had to work on their hohner 270's but i have seen no reference to who or when customizing actually became a more common thing.
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isaacullah
1369 posts
Jan 19, 2011
9:33 PM
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I think "customizing" as we know it today (beyond gapping) might have started with Rick Epping, who started applying techniques from accordion makers to harps, but I'm not sure. I'm also not sure about the time frame. This info is all sort of second hand pieced together from a bunch of disparate Harp-L archive posts and various snippets from websites, and is all mashed in my memory, so could very well be wrong. I'd definitely be interested in hearing if that's true or if there's another story. I wouldn't be surprised to find out that it started with several folks in several different places...
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Kingley
1412 posts
Jan 19, 2011
9:57 PM
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I may be way off the mark on this, but here's my take on this thread.
The OP on this thread simply seems like an attempt at advertising "chromaticblues" services and not a comment on the title of the thread. Pretty much on the same level as spam in my opinion (just without the hyperlinks). It saddens me really because I'm sure a lot of people interested in custom harps would be clicking on this post to try and learn a few things.
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MP
1279 posts
Jan 19, 2011
10:02 PM
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was it rupert oysler in the '60s?
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MP
hibachi cook for the yakuza
doctor of semiotics
superhero emeritus
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chromaticblues
494 posts
Jan 20, 2011
6:58 AM
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Kingley if you have something to add. Feel free!
Jbone is technically right. I was talking about diatonics (even though I didn't state so)
I think customizing as we know it now stems back to Joe Filisko's work. I'm noe saying he was the first to get inside a harp. I honestly don't know who first took one completely apart to modify it. I do know that Rick Epping was the authority on the subject 20 to 25 years ago, but I don't know what he did with diatonic harps. I went thru alot of material a few years ago and everything documented is by Rick Epping. Your not going to find to much technical stuff from Joe filisko. You'll find his name over and over agian associated with Howard Levy. So to me that says he was making top notch customs 20 years ago. Or longer. I know he was doing it in the eighties. I don't how far along he was then?
If anyone else has any info on pre 90's custom harps I for one am interested in hearing about it.
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chromaticblues
499 posts
Jan 20, 2011
9:26 AM
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@ MP I'm soory I misunderstood what you were asking. No I don't use a light box. I've tried setting a lamp on the table with and without the shade. I didn't like it either way. Above our dinning room table is a ceilling fan/light. Its about three feet from my head. I don't know why, but that works well for me. I can't have the light to close I've noticed. And when I can't make heads or talls of why the damn reed is still hitting the slot I use the magnifying glass. I always put a reedplate up to the light before I start. Alot of reeds are not centered in the slot. Nor are they riveted in the right spot. That is a real pain in the ass!
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Kingley
1414 posts
Jan 20, 2011
11:26 AM
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Well in keeping with the thread title.
I'd say that harmonica players have always "fiddled" with their instruments for the purpose of maintenance and of course to improve playability. I'm not sure whether that falls under the category of what is considered to be "custom" today. Pretty much all of the old chromatic players knew how to work on their harmonicas. Simply because they had to, to keep working.
There have also been reports of Sonny Boy (Rice Miller) poking around inside his harmonica using a toothpick to work on it. Maybe he was gapping it, or maybe simply removing gunk. I guess we'll never know.
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chromaticblues
502 posts
Jan 20, 2011
11:49 AM
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Kingly I think of that as maintenance not customizing. Customizing (to me) is modifying a harp tp make it work better than a stock harp.
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Kingley
1416 posts
Jan 20, 2011
11:57 AM
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I'd agree. However those old chromatic guys knew about embossing, gapping, etc. If it's in the modern sense of customising harmonicas then I'd probably go for Joe Filisko.
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