Comb Material and Sound
Kinya, I’m curious...
From time to time I entertain the idea of dressing up my harps with some of the cool-looking combs out there like the acrylics from Blue Moon. I really like the sound of my Seydels, though, with the maple combs, and my Crossovers with bamboo, and Special 20s with plastic. I hear people all the time claiming that comb material has a distinct impact on sound, with some saying the Marine Band has a warmer sound due to its pear wood comb, and the Special 20s being darker due to the plastic comb.
Is it really as simple as that?
How much impact does comb material really have on a harp’s sound? Are the stories apocryphal or simply passed down tales with no scientific bearing? Will I destroy the wonderful sound of my Seydels by tarting them up with fancy-looking acrylic combs?
What’s your take?
Kinya, after reading many of your reasoned responses, I sometimes feel I should bow to you!
This is great info!
Thanks for giving such a detailed take on this.
(someone needs to write a book, here -- hint, hint...)
JJ, it's what we do here at bluesharmonica.com ... share the "insiders" secrets
Your Harpsmith, Kinya
"Particularly today, comb materials are more to the benefit of enhancing the player's experience, rather than the audience. The density of the comb materials "feel" different in the hands and mouths of the player."
Okay, so I received an aftermarket acrylic comb today (I won't say who, but it's a popular line) for my Seydel 1847 Classic, and you're absolutely right. I can't discern any real difference in sound or timbre from the maple comb. I do, however, very much notice the difference in feel, and it's one I don't like.
I don't know if it's just that I'm used to the feel of the Seydel comb or what, but the new comb just doesn't seem to have the same action across the surface. I have the same sensation for my Crossovers. I've tried to love them, but they're my secondary harp (actually more often third behind my Special 20s) mostly because of feel.
I guess everyone has their preference, but I'll be putting this comb (which looks pretty cool) on the shelf as a coulda-been. This has been a great experiment, though. Thanks again Kinya for your reasoned response.
This is the fun part ... keep experimenting with the combinations until you find your next favorite harmonica.
Your Harpsmith, Kinya
This reminds me of a panel of experts at a past SPAH convention; including David Barrett, Joe Filisko and the late Chris Michalek--charged with swapping and playing a perfect set of reed plates onto various comb materials. The audience's job was to determine if they "heard" any difference in this double blind experiment. The results were, "...changes in the harmonica's voicing were indiscernible" to the majority of the audience.
My take away from that event confirmed my empirical bench findings. Particulary today, comb materials are more to the benefit of enhancing the player's experience, rather than the audience. The density of the comb materials "feel" different in the hands and mouths of the player. Go no farther than playing a brass comb harmonica, the weight and heft alone would make you believe that you are playing a "real" instrument. The resonance from the vibrating reeds can be sensed against our mandibles.
In the Past
Many harmonica combs manufactured in the 70's, 80's, 90's, had significant imperfections. For example, Hohner Marine Band 1896 pearwood combs were cut with a dull blade, leaving striations (grooves) in the comb. This was terrible for harmonica players, because valuable air pressure escaped through the reed plate and comb mating surfaces. Just imagine trying to inflate a beach ball with a huge gash in the outer shell, you would pass out from hyperventiliation and still not inflate the ball! Same could be said for poor injection molding tooling. Combs would come out of production warped ...
Today
So when flat, moisture and airtight custom-made combs were retrofitted onto old harmonicas, they immediately improved the playability of the harmonica--even before executing any reed plate treatment (read: flattening the draw plate, embossing, sizing, gapping, etc.). It is my contention that many players confused playing a properly manufactured comb (i.e. flat) with a custom comb for the reason of the harmonica's tone improvement.
My Thoughts
Combs and reed plate treatment aside, I believe the most significant and easy difference a harmonica player can make in the voicing of their harmonica, is to swap out their cover plates! That's right--simple and immediate change for players and audience alike.
Prove it To Yourself by Swapping Your Hohner Cover Plates:
I recommend you memorialize your experiment by recording the (A)Before and (B)After events. Also have others listen, and report to you what they heard.
Your Harpsmith, Kinya