[Harp-L] Re: Hohner Reeds - The new instruments play like HERINGS

[Damien Masterson <dzm@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

  I have been a Hohner Endorsee for as long as I can remember, but I  
honestly don't know what to do about this.

  I CANNOT PLAY THE NEW HOHNER HARMONICAS

  The reeds play with a thinner sound. THEY PLAY LIKE HERINGS!

  I don't care if they don't break. The instruments no longer play  
with the same power and response that they used to.

  Before 2005, you could take an imperfect stock instrument and have  
it tweaked and tuned to just your liking. Now, they've narrowed the  
slots, making it next to impossible to emboss. They made some other  
changes, and the instruments don't play like Hohners. I called Hohner  
and talked to Sissy on more than one occasion, she was sympathetic but  
at a loss to explain what brought these "improvements" about. If it  
was Rick Epping, I wish they would bring him out of retirement to undo  
the damage.

  My only solution has been to go on Ebay and look for pre 2005  
models. As many of you know, the average person on Ebay is clueless  
and the questions about nails versus screws often digress
into a series of miscommunications and frustration. I know they made  
some changes to the Super 64 before, and went back. I pray to any god  
with open ears that they will do the same this time.

  Of course, there's all of those old curmudgeons who refused to play  
anything but pre WW2 stock. Maybe at 37 I'm beginning my slide into a  
conservative fog.

  The instruments respond better, play in tune better out of the box,  
and the slide assembly seems to have improved overall. Just like  
Herings! But the reason I don't play Herings is they have NO TONE.  
That's was Hohner's advantage. PAST TENSE. So many wonderful  
improvements, I understand why beginners and amateurs may be happy  
with the newer instrument. But I've spent the last 2 decades of my  
life adjusting to and perfecting my style and instruments, and I feel  
like this is the final straw. I honestly don't know what else to do.

  I've heard from the grapevine that Hohner US doesn't even have reed  
stock for the new instruments to repair them? There's some scary  
stories out there.

  This and the overall dismal response I've gotten from the company  
when attempting to do community outreach or get donations for schools  
has me wondering what in god's name is going on. I would switch to  
Suzuki, but I don't like their instruments (as of yet) or the welded  
reeds. But who knows. If my Ebay well dries up, I may be forced to try  
something else.

Good luck, Hohner USA. I don't know who you're listening to, but it's  
not me or any of the other endorsees, technicians or pro players I know.

D

Damien Masterson http://www.damienmasterson.com
or enter my name in any search engine
http://www.myspace.com/damienmastersonmusic
http://cdbaby.com/all/damienzm
415 305 7138 dzm@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Damien Endorses Hohner Harmonicas and Audix Microphones

On Jul 7, 2008, at 11:26 AM, harp-l-request@xxxxxxxxxx wrote:
> Subject: [Harp-L] Hohner reeds
> > .............. the company made the reeds more flexible (not
> > thinner).............
>
> To make a reed more flexible without making it thinner requires a  
> reduction
> in the modulus of elasticity (E) of the metal.  E values for copper- 
> alloy
> (brass and bronze) spring alloys vary only slightly over their  
> ranges of
> alloy composition.   This is because they are dominated by the E of  
> the
> major component, copper, and the E values of the alloying zinc and/ 
> or tin
> are not that different.  That implies some huge change of alloy  
> composition.
>
> As the reeds are made "more flexible" near the rivet where they  
> bend, the
> tips must become lighter/thinner to keep the same pitch.  Every  
> harmonica
> tuner knows how that works.  I posit that any significant change in  
> E would
> result in a measurable change in reed geometry.
>
> I find their explanation incomplete and unsatisfying.  It sounds to  
> me as if
> they are claiming more effect on performance than is warranted by a
> miniscule change of flexibility.  I assume that Steve is repeating  
> Hohner's
> claim and has not thought this through for himself.
>
> Any company that has claimed that the different types of comb wood  
> produce
> perceptible differences of tone or that breaking-in of a harmonica  
> would
> extend its life has questionable credibility.
>
> As Monk, the eccentric TV detective says: "I could be wrong....but I  
> don't
> think so!"
>
> Vern