I am new in blues harps and a lot worried by the dyscomfort holding them, apart from some with a “modern” full length cover plate design. This limits the choice. Are there any advantages with the classical coverplates and sharp edges except for making it easier for producers not to change??
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Hi
Not sure if the plates are hurting your hands or you mouth. sometimes I get a sore hand if I grip it too tight. It never bothers my mouth. You need to let us know what type of harp exactly you are having the issue with. I know some people file the edges a bit but that can be problematic and actually make them sharper if you are not careful.
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I’ve tried half a dozen classics, MarineBand analogues. and the “modern” Session Steel and Promaster which both have full length covers, and rounded shapes. I have also had a Golden Melody since the 60s and I would say this is superior for comfort.
Mouth no problem at all, but honestly, I mean the holes ought to be round, not square.
The problem with classic style harmonicas such as the marine band and special 20 are the sharp corner cover plates. I have cut myself (lower lip) on my special 20 harps when I play on the low notes. I slide around, Slice and dice. I switched awhile back to Suzuki Bluesmaster harps, full length covers, problem solved, also much more comfortable in the hand. I recently obtained four Promasters and I am really impressed with these full length covers (modern style covers). These Promasters are wonderful harmonicas IMO.
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Interesting…I fancied the Promaster too for the comfort and got myself one the other week but returned it for being out of tune. How were those of yours? Were they just fine “out of the box” ?
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Yes all 4 of mine were great out of the box. They are standard Richter tuned and equal temperament, like a piano. Some people prefer Hohner Compromise temperament, especially for chords, but some single notes may not sound perfect. Note: there is no perfect in my opinion. I switch around from equal temperament to compromise temperament harmonicas. All Richter tuned. As I play more Suzuki Harmonicas the equal temperament is sounding better and better, but I’m originally a piano guy (equal temperament). It’s an individual journey and preference, I think👍
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I agree since I am used to ET from pianos and squeezeboxes too and the habit is so strong that “harmonious” chords in just temperament may feel wrong and the ET chords sound “right” . Maybe folks have different sensitivity for just intervals and I belong to the ignorant kind 
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Thank you so much for mentioning this. Although I originally didn’t play any instruments, I grew up on the sound of Terry McMillan playing bluesy licks on Golden Melodies and didn’t think that they sound bad. I really enjoyed the sound of the chords as well compared to a Marine Band. I’ve tried both and I don’t think that the chords sound as nice.
However, the internet being the internet, everybody thinks I’m wrong for doing the same stuff as Terry (blues on Golden Melodies) and strongly believe that Equal Temperment is only for melodies and that Marine Bands are for everything else. I was once told by a Marine Band player that I had to switch harmonicas because “the harmonicas we play are based on the band’s needs”, meanwhile the band I’m in let me choose what harp model I should play. I prefer more consistency to what I play compared what others want me to play.
I think the routine still tuning harmonicas in just, or some compromise just tempering is based on simple conservatism and partly misunderstanding…
When saying “the harmonicas we play are based on the bands needs” this actually may be quite contradictory…isnt it?
Piano keyboards and guitars are normally in equal temperament so WHY having differing (!) harmonicas?? Which “bands needs” ? Really ? Isnt it just a sign that people believe it must be the conditions the old masters/idols had…mostly having no other choices? The modern musical world is 99% in ET since 150+ years ! In this respect trad tunings of harmonicas are obsolete I think it is typical that the “new” producers most of them Eastern ones, actually use ET.
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I felt like that player who was telling me that I would regret playing Golden Melodies in the future, which I don’t. What he meant by that was that he thought that the band would force me to change harmonica models because he said that the Golden Melody is “out of tune” and shouldn’t be played in a band situation. This was before I was in a band, but I can now say that he was completely wrong in hindsight.
I believe it’s all down to the individual player. We develop our own unique style as a human…. being. Not everyone on this planet is exactly like me. And I’ve come to appreciate that. Live and let live✌️
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I prefer modern covers without side vents. Main reason for me is comfort. I play many lines that move quickly, and a sharp corner is just not tolerable on something as sensitive as lips.
I even don’t like stamped numbers. Laser etched is a better design. In fact, I see no need for them at all except for when people first start playing.
Of the open vent cover plates I like Big Rivers. But I don’t like the stampings, so I ground them out with a drum sander and then polished them to a mirror finish. It took a long time. I put them on marine bands, and those were my favorite harps before I started playing the Assassin/John Lee Steelie.
Gr
True but it started with the"bands needs" remember? And since the band likely is in ET it is somewhat ironic or funny if that “band” asks the harp player to be different…and in real out of tune…
Whether you want ET， Just， or compromise temperament comes down to how much time you spend playing exposed chords, especially long ones.
If you spend a lot of time doing it, Just and compromise harps will have a more harmonious spoinding chord. ET harps won’t sound as smooth in that situation.
Conversely if you play a lot of melody, a Just harp will sound flat on a few particular notes.
For electric bands, it barely matter because there is so much noise that there’s little opportunity to hear those smooth just-tuned chords.
Personally I don’t chug much, so ET is the way for me. Also, I play a lot of unusual positions, which works better with ET.
I do carry a few just limit 19 harps. But mostly it is ET for me.
Interesting…now for the obviously possibly more harmonious chords…isnt it the same with a piano or accordion ( in ET) ? You dont even consider retuning them back to standards of 1850 do you? Inspite of the cons I mean the pros of ET dominate…It is a bit funny as blues harmonica being so much of a band thing that the blues harp risks colliding with keyboards and guitars in ET? I havent heard about it but are there editing programs converting those ET instruments to the various harmonica tuning schemes? ? My pianos can be set to alternative tunings but those are specific for pianos
Unlike a piano in ET, a harmonica in ET has varying amounts of wind, bends, draws, overblows, etc. plus, for some reason, for me, chords just sound more… pure to me on piano. I play ET and Compromised harps, they are a little different, but not that much, in my opinion. A harmonica is a different animal.
Different species…absolutely ! Free reed instruments are NEVER harmonious remember - like string instruments may be - thats a bit ironical - and I am always sceptic when people talk about perfectly tuned harmonicas (or squeezeboxes) because they never are, and that also often makes debates on all these tuning schemes for blues harps a bit selfdeceitful and the tuning results more or less illusory Im afraid !
Technically speaking you can maybe have a precision of +/- 2 cent when tuning so what is the importance of 1-2 cents up or down in the debated scheme ? And even worse…the human pitch discrimination limit use to be reported to ca 5 cent ! ( less for simultaneous tones when beatings may be heard) and below say 200 Hz not better than 10-15 cent ! So…why on Earth be so picky about theoretical tuning trivia ?? And if 99% of the listeners likely not hear a differrence at all …or IF they do …do they care ? I can go on advocating ET for harmonicas for ever Im afraid
Interestingly, this topic has been extensively explored by others for at least 300 years.
Last I checked in with this area, the mystery prevails as to why euro-descended people generally prefer ET melody even over JT chords, and prefer JT chords.
But, if it is a topic you want to know more about, there’s a number of good resources, I’ll look some up for ya when I get back to the states.
Since 300 years…True…but the rest of the “world” came to some smart agreements at half time while the “harmonica world” seems still to be dwelling in the 17th century
“euro-descended people” hard to know anything about that…
“know more” cant be wrong…You’re welcome back!
The smart agreements mainly apply to a subset of instruments for purposes of being able to play in every key with identical temperament.
For me that’s really important since I like to play in positions that would be adversely affected by just intonation. Can’t play a just tuned harp in 5th position without having a flat root note, for example.
But I still keep a set of just intonation harps, they sound freaking awesome. Every listen to Filisko play? You can hear the smooth chords a mile away and it’s really powerful. Sounds fantastic against a naked acoustic guitar. Also helps give it a historical sound.
I even had to look it up. Saw him play live and wondered “how does he make those chords sound so good?” Answer was 19 limit just intonation, which was unusual since most makers use compromise instead.
As for ears and culture, typically I put limits on statements about stuff that gets associated with being objectively better. One of those is statements based in eurocentric music theory. It’s a habit many are developing in the music world, probably a larger topic for another day. Short version: European-based music theory is a subset of music theory. It has limitations, one of them is “sounds good to us, must be universally right/better.” Definitely a hot topic in theory circles.
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