I have been so impressed with the Marine Band Special 20 that I bought recently that I have decided to 'go for broke' and ordered another in the same key (C), but, this one is coming from Antony Dannecker, a respected UK customiser (see edit below), to see whether it really makes the difference that many players claim it does.

I know I am but a novice, but so much has been said about how much better custom harps are than "out of the box" harps I have decided to see for myself!

Needless to say, I will report back once it arrives.

Edit: My apologies, Antony is a "Professional Harmonica Craftsman".



Post Edited (2010-05-11 11:43:01)

OK, I have had this SP20 (C) for about a week now.

Let me start by detailing the obvious physical changes to the harp:

1) Covers 'hammered' flat to open up the rear
2) Covers bolted on with Hohner MS series cover bolts

When I first started to play this harp I was having a few problems with one or two high end draw notes, which I found frustrating as my stock SP20 plays fine. I couldn't figure it out so just carried on playing it. After a few days, I realised I was drawing air in far harder than I needed to on this harp to play the draw notes. I am so used to tugging air thru most of my stock harps I didn't realise a well set up reed needs less effort to get it to sing! Once I realised this I had no further problems (even the 2 draw is easier to play).

It didn't seem any louder to me until I recorded myself playing both and then I could plainly hear the difference. Opening up the rear of the covers has certainly increased the volume.

I can also feel more vibration thru the covers when I play this harp, which I assume is because it is more responsive than the stock harp.

All in all, after a week of playing this harp I can honestly say I am very pleased with it. Would I buy more harps like this? Yes. Am I currently getting the most out of this harp with my limited experience? No, but I have the rest of my life to do so!!

Have I won you over Ian? how are you getting on now?

I like the way AD has set my SP20 up. Very easy to play and responds easily to light breath forces, now I am much more used to playing it.

My wife bought me a 270 Deluxe for Christmas, Cliff. I wish we had ordered one from Antony now as the one I have has 4 or 5 sluggish reeds and I am loathe to fiddle with it as it's my first chromatic and I don't wanna bugger it up! You live and learn....

A little to add here Ian, my 270 deluxe Chromatic supplied by AD,I have now had it around 18 months, is again back with AD for what I call a retune. 4 hole is not working and a couple of others dont register as truly in tune on my Metro-Tuner Now I am begining to think that this is how Harmonicas are, they need constant adjustment and like you I am not confident at DIY on these. Although I have just effected a repair on an old Chrom G, (after I had buggered it up) cut and fitted some windsavers, that's a beginning on the DIY road.

Cliff, did your windsaver repair work? I followed your DIY thread, and wondered how well it came out.

03lindsi, at the moment I can say it has been a success these lamination windsavers of mine work a treat, open readily and lay perfectly flat doing their job on the draw notes in holes 4 & 5 I notice that some other of my windsavers do not lay perfectly flat when drawing their notes and am thinking I may get a better response from those notes if I change these also to my laminators. Just waiting a while for an experts opinion on what I have done. If there is one out there I would appreciate their opinion.

I'm guessing that you may well be the expert your waiting to hear from.

cjd, Ha, Ha, LOL. I'll take that as a compliment. My problem is, I just cant trust my own invention/intervention.