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From: Barry Schaede
Date: Tue, 19 Mar 1996 08:21:17 -0700 (MST)
Subject: Re: Technique for Overblows

Vern writes:
Is the material the ONLY change? What are the metal properties that
would affect bending/overblows? Have you experimented with harps of both
types using players that did not know which material was in which harp?

All well and good but it misses the point. The experience of players
that overblow is valid. Blindfolded or not. If Winslow tells me that
the new ZA5 MS harps overblow more easily than the original Big Rivers
it's useful information. As any player that overblows knows, the
harmonica is at least half the battle. Set up of the harmonica can also
have a lot due to with the overblow capabilities of a given instrument as
can design. Lee Oskars being a good example of a harmonica design that
doesn't facilitate overblows. In talking to Richard Sleigh, and Joe
Filisko they both confirmed that some reeds just won't adjust and have to
be replaced.

My point being that expert opinion based on actual real
life experiences is an excellent method of learning. Yes experts are
often wrong but so are engineers. Wasn't that pedestrian walkway in
Oklahoma designed by engineers? I don't recall Winslow espousing the
virtues of Hohner ZA5 alloy. He merely repeated Hohner's information for
the list. What is clear from Winslow's post is that there has been an
improvement in the quality of some Big River MS Hohner harmonicas. He
has several. It is his belief that the ZA5 designation denotes the
improved models. What needs to happen now is for the sample size to be
increased. I've got several on order and I'll give them a try. Perhaps
others will and maybe we'll all pass the test results on to the list.
And try as I might, like it or not, no harmonica marked ZA5 that won't
overblow because it's a piece of junk is going to improve my ability to
overblow the damn thing just because I believe.
fjm