Well, I appreciate your two cents, Ty-Man. Along with G-Man's two cents, JF's two cents, and lil ole me's two cents -- Hell, we're just about breaking even on Obama's change purse there...Oh, but I digress....Hehehehe!! Anywhat...
I agree with all you're saying about changing up embouchure and mouth position etc. to sound the notes. Definitely worth more than 2-cents in anybody's book!
Yet I'd be a little remiss to myself if I didn't look more closely at this one:
Well, -6 on the $90 harp is just like -6 on the $30 harp! What's up with that?
Well in offering and tossing in my two cents on the subject -- I'd have to say both Yes and No. Meaning like, what's the difference between a Ford Pinto and a Ford F-150?
Meaning, they were both manufactured by the same company. They were both designed to go down the road and get one to where they were going. However, one blew up and the other is the best selling vehicle the company ever had.
Of course, we can use all sorts of examples to fit the picture here. So no need to belabor those points. Yet too, although four-wheelers aren't harmonicas - still however, the business structure everywhere seems to be the same.
Meaning, yes, there are differences from one $90 harp versus a $30 one; and no, there's no differences as to how they are set up, 1-10 is always 1-10. These are both the givens too.
Thing is, I do or have read/heard of people who don't/won't work on their harps at all. At the same time though, these people also have other people work on their harps for them i.e. customizations, etc.
Other people, out of necessity, out of curiosity, whatever, do their own work as well.
It all comes down to the individual and their choices. And there's as many choices as there are individuals to boot!
I guess what I'm trying to relay here is: If you change up your embouchure and mouth position on your specific harp, and it works, great!
But if it doesn't, could be something else is at play or problematic at hand too.
So it's going to rely on doing your own detective work to find out what's what and hopefully solve the problem(s).
You can't bang on the adjacent keys of an out-of-tune key on the piano in hopes the out-of-tune key will fix itself; no more than you could've hoped you wouldn't get rear-ended by another crazy four-wheeler driver behind you and gotten blown up to bits in your own car! Ah, thankfully, that's all in the past, and again I digress...Hehehe!
I guess too, as a closing thought here -- Like the Ford F-150, if it's your biggest seller most popular model in your history, aren't you going to want to protect it more? Meaning, for Hohner, I have to believe that their most popular, most recommend harp ever is the Special 20. So even without knowing for sure, still, I'd have to presume it was their biggest seller and money-maker by far!
Since it's a mid-ranged price harp, and it's keeping them in business -- Then all they have to really do is just ensure that their quality is perpetually consistent on this one.
Despite people asking for a MS-type or wooden comb Spec20 model-- they haven't, as far as I'm aware, save some minor details perhaps, ever changed their "formula" on making them. Personally, I wouldn't either. Don't break it if it doesn't have to be fixed!
So in the same light, same vein -- All those who purchase and own F-150s like those who purchase and own Spec20s, can't all be wrong, can they?! Well, tis only asked rhetorically, so it's all good.
By the same token, when it comes to sour notes and stuck reeds - on $30, $90, even more high $$$ harps -- Changing up embouchure is one thing; and yet one can't fully rule out if it's not the harp reeds themselves.
One really needs to do their own detective work to find it out for sure.
So finally: A little piece of knowledge is a big piece of knowledge in the Harmonica Universe!
Am just saying...
Smiles!
Keep On Harpin'!
