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From: "Barry B. Bean"
Date: Tue, 10 Sep 96 14:46:06 -0500
Subject: Filisko

On Tue, 10 Sep 1996 11:19:36 -0700, Michael Will wrote:

>> As much as I hesitate to extend the debate re comb materials I will add
>> that I had ordered a Joe Filisko harmonica with the comb made of his
>> composite wood material. I very much expected that I would like this
>> harmonica. I hated it.
>
>I'm curious (since I'm considering buying Filisko'ized MBs) as to what
>you hated--the sound or the playability. I'm assuming sound since brass
>was better. So the Filisko didn't sound like a MB? or you prefer metal
>sound anyway?

I got two Filiskos a month or so ago - one of his composite MBS and
a round-holed brass comb harp.

For me, the jury's still out. I was hoping that the composite harp
would give me the soaked MB sound in a more stable package. It
doesn't.

I love how it plays. It plays like a brand new Promaster (man is this
thing airtight!), and has a quick, responsive feel. However, it feels
light, and sounds brighter than the MB.

The Brass combed harp feels like a million bucks (which is
surprisingly close to its price tag), and has a great warm tone.
Tonewise, nothing beats this harp except my VERY BEST marine bands.
But for me the covers and the action are awkward.

To be fair, I haven't played the brass harp that much, because it
just looks so nice and pretty in the case it came in, I'm afraid to
scratch it. But that will wear off, and with more exposer, I may come
to love the harp.

But at the moment, while both harps beat anything on the market hands
down, I'm not sure I can justify the price for another. I won't
decide that 'til I've played both for a few more months and had a
chance to record with them.

In summary: I rate both harps in the same league with the
Meisterklasse and the Suzuki Promaster, and well ahead of any of the
plastic combed harps I've tried. Neither quite measures up to a
really good classic MB, but how many of those do you run across these
days?

Consider this in light of my bias - on diatonic I primarily play
Sonny Boy II/Big Walter style blues, and I've been a fan of soaked
and new Marine Bands since the 70s. I look for a warm, dark, earthy,
round tone and try to play with a very vocal style.

If action and feel are more important to you than tone, then there's
no question that you would enjoy the Filisko composite harp.
Tone-meisters should probably look to the $$$ brass Filisko, but the
covers and action will take some getting used to.

BBB

- -
B.B. Bean - Have horn. Will travel.
http://www.cris.com/~Bbbean