HarpNinja
75 posts
Jan 20, 2010
10:27 AM
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Bob (who knows a lot about harps!) and forum,
Big Rivers - these are like Marine Bands with plastic combs? They are a part of the MS series of reed plates. Is it correct that the reeds are the same as those found in a Special 20 or Golden Melody?
There are a couple of keys I almost never play, and I don't have reliable back ups for. These seem like they might be a good investment.
Thanks!
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Mike Fugazzi
http://www.myspace.com/niterailband
http://www.youtube.com/user/NiteRail
http://www.twitter.com/NiteRail
http://www.facebook.com/mike.fugazzi
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Tuckster
358 posts
Jan 20, 2010
10:38 AM
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I like Big Rivers. Cheap and with a bit of tweaking,very playable. There was a period when Blues Harps in D were really bad. The Big Rivers in D played much better. Same reedplates,don't know why this was so. I don't know if the reeds are the same as a GM or Sp20.
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belfast_harper
99 posts
Jan 20, 2010
10:39 AM
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As far as I know, the classic hohners (the special 20, GM, MB and crossover) use the same reeds.
I think the MS reeds and the cheaper hohner diatonic harmonica reeds are all made in china and are of poorer quality.
Last Edited by on Jan 20, 2010 10:40 AM
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HarpNinja
77 posts
Jan 20, 2010
10:40 AM
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I think you're right. It was the Sp20 and GM that had the same reeds...the Sp20 is not part of the MS family.
Good call.
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Mike Fugazzi
http://www.myspace.com/niterailband
http://www.youtube.com/user/NiteRail
http://www.twitter.com/NiteRail
http://www.facebook.com/mike.fugazzi
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barbequebob
345 posts
Jan 20, 2010
12:28 PM
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The MS series reed plates are NOT compatible with the "hand made" models Marine Band/Special 20/Golden Melody at all. If you're an overblower, they're the only German or Brazillian made harmonica type that is NOT good for OB'ers at all, partly because they use a wider reed and also because the reeds are placed much further away from the player than any other being made and when they introduced the MS series in 1992, they had to tighten the slot tolerances because of this reason and they originally were short slot reeds then.
The MS series is not made in China at all and were the first harps made by Hohner that wasn't in its old Trossingen factory in Germany, but in a brand new factory in Germany and used much more robotics in its manufacture.
Mike, I know you're an OB'er, and you'd be very unhappy with these for that style regardless of the tweaking to be done. I'd rather get a Seydel 1847 for that style before I'd get the Hohner MS series.
The Big Rivers, as I stated in another thread, are basically the MS Marine Band (that was only issued in Europe) with the same reed plate and comb as the MS Blues Harp but with a different inscription on the top cover plate.
BTW, the Sp20's were also supposed to be part of the MS series that were issued in Europe around the same time, and the MS Pro Harp, before it was part of the MS series, was once essentially a Sp20 with a black matte coating on the cover plate.
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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 Jan 20, 2010 1:00 PM
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mr_so&so
262 posts
Jan 20, 2010
2:04 PM
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I'm a BR fan myself. Some are crappy and some are great. I have an A harp that overblows on 4, 5, 6, with only minor gapping. I have a G harp that is unplayable. But they are cheap and sound good.
Thanks BBQBob for the manufacturing details. I will probably go with Marine Bands when I get more into overblowing.
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GermanHarpist
1002 posts
Jan 20, 2010
2:08 PM
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Damn it,... we need a Harmonica Wiki for exactly stuff like that..
Imagine a detailed description of every harp, incl. fotos, all measurements, manufacturing info, history, etc. etc... anyway...
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germanharpist on YT. =;-) - Resonance is KEY!
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toddlgreene
538 posts
Jan 20, 2010
2:13 PM
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While you're at it, GH, make a Beer Wiki!
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Todd L. Greene, V.P.
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GermanHarpist
1003 posts
Jan 20, 2010
2:43 PM
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Done.
Now, harmonica wiki...
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germanharpist on YT. =;-) - Resonance is KEY!
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toddlgreene
539 posts
Jan 20, 2010
2:47 PM
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wow, GH, you operate with trademark German efficiency;-)
Cool stuff. I too would like to see a be all, end all wiki of harmonica, but so much of it is subjective;it would be difficult to be non-biased with it.
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Todd L. Greene, V.P.
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GermanHarpist
1004 posts
Jan 20, 2010
3:14 PM
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lol.
"but so much of it is subjective;it would be difficult to be non-biased with it."
That's why it would have to be somehow twofold.
There should be a subjective part where people can post methods of learning bends, obs, maybe even oppinions on harps, etc. - and there would be some kind of rating system through voting.
And then there should be a purely fact based objective part. Where the info is gathered as mentioned above.
That would be a good way of gathering all the harp information pretty unbiased and comprehensible. And let's be truthful, there isn't thaaat much information around. Difinitely do-able,... but well... we'll see.
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germanharpist on YT. =;-) - Resonance is KEY!
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nacoran
840 posts
Jan 20, 2010
3:55 PM
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GH- There are a couple really good info sites, but I can never find them in the tons of bookmarks I have. Pat Missin, Overblow.com, there is even one that just tries to maintain links to harmonica sites. I've thought about trying to do just a chart that shows the cover, comb, and reed materials with the tunings. I've made a huge list of harmonica manufacturers. It get's overwhelming pretty quick!
Here is a question for anyone who knows computers- I have a huge lists of bookmarks (in both Firefox and Chrome) just about harmonica. Does anyone know good software for sharing bookmarks?
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GermanHarpist
1008 posts
Jan 20, 2010
4:56 PM
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delicious.com
and google offer online bookmark managers.
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germanharpist on YT. =;-) - Resonance is KEY!
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GermanHarpist
1009 posts
Jan 20, 2010
5:04 PM
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And, oh yeah, "It get's overwhelming pretty quick!"... well obviously a harmonica wiki would be worth gold. But the time is prob. note quite ripe yet.
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germanharpist on YT. =;-) - Resonance is KEY!
Last Edited by on Jan 20, 2010 5:15 PM
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