howlin' madmart
7 posts
Mar 20, 2008
2:56 AM
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I recently purchased a Lee Oskar 'D' harp & I am very pleased with its 'playability'. All the notes are crisp & sharp & all the bends are easily achievable. However, when picking up my Lee Oskar 'A' harp I noticed how thick it felt. The playing of certain notes seemed fluffy - key of harp aside. I compared the thickness to the 'D' & 'C' harp & found that the lower steel cover on the 'A' harp is 2-2.5mm deeper & the top cover is about 0.5mm deeper... thus effecting my mouth position & seal around the hole. Is this correct ???? Are there different cover plate depths for different keys ???? Or did a rogue cover plate make it thro' quality control ???.
Dazed & confused.......Martin
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howlin' madmart
9 posts
Mar 20, 2008
8:47 AM
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I may have answerd my own question !. There is a replacement cover set from Lee Oskar.com & it appears that one size fits all. So why my covers are different heights must be down to manufacturing supplier used. I will try a replacement cover to match the other harps at a later day. I know it may be picky but these minor adjustments make playing more comfortable & uniform.
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Jeff
26 posts
Mar 20, 2008
10:33 AM
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People always talk about the comb material of the harp (after many tests, I personally think the specific material has a very marginal effect on tone). But it's the coverplate that plays a HUGE role with the tone of a harp. The thinner the metal, the more resonant, crunchy and loud the harp will be (even though it feels 'cheap'). This is why many Hohner's covers can bend so easily if you ever put them in your pocket without a case. Thicker covers sound mellow, sweet and will have a warmth.
And obviously, the more open the back is, the louder the projection is going to be. The unique sound of the MB relies heavily on the vents on the sides of the coverplate. Put Golden Melody covers on a MB and you'll see what a massive difference it makes without those vents.
Most stock harps don't have a wide opened back because I think the majority of harmonica players (that play folk, country, Irish, jazz, bluegrass, rock...) are after a sweet sound. It's only us blues guys that want a loud crunchy in your face tone with lots of attack. Because of this, blues players will continue to have to customize by opening up the backs of our harps on our own.
Last Edited by on Mar 25, 2008 11:22 PM
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genesis
3 posts
Mar 25, 2008
11:00 PM
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Comb thickness plays a huge part in response and tone. I have made over 400 combs in the last 10 years or so. I have experimented allot with different thicknesess. Most manufacturers combs are about 1/4", or 0.250. Marine bands are 0.230. Golden Melodys are 0.255. lee Oskars are 0.260.
You would be shocked to see the difference 0.025 makes. This is equal to 6 sheets of printer paper in thickness.
I make my custom Marine Bands 0.270. The extra thickness really helps response. To a degree. Very thin combs start to act like valved diatonics.That is, the bending range is narrowed and very easy to bend. But the trade off is lack of volume. And early reed death. Too thick of a comb reqiures allot of air to play, but with increased volume.
Give and take,like many things in life a gain means a sacrifice.
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genesis
5 posts
Mar 26, 2008
6:43 PM
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Oh!
I forgot.Lee Oskar increased the coverplate depth to address the issue of the #1 draw reed hitting the cover.
( The dreaded reed rattle)
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howlin' madmart
12 posts
Mar 27, 2008
3:36 AM
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That would explain the plate depth. Is that applicable to all keys tho' ?
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genesis
9 posts
Apr 12, 2008
1:47 PM
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C and under.
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