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From: "Barry B. Bean"
Date: Fri, 30 Aug 96 08:15:34 -0500
Subject: Re: The.....versus the HOHNER Attitude!

On Thu, 29 Aug 96 22:30:28 GMT, dijk~orldaccess.nl wrote:

>A couple of months (maybe three) after having recieved Mr. Mullers letter, I met
>him at a festival in Hilden (Germany). At first, he did not know me at all. That
>doesn't matter. I refreshed his memory a little bit and he remembered some kind of
>letter. After having a discussion with this Hohner man, I was completely convinced
>of the overall harmonica attitude at the Hohner factory. This man did sell
>harmonicas at this festival. The most expensive harmonica he did bring with him,
>was the SUPER 64, and all cheaper models (mostly toys) were on the table. He did
>sell CD's which are distributed by HOHNER, but didn't bring a CD player with him,
>so nobody was able to listen to a CD. When he heard me playing (the chromatic
>harmonica without a spring), the only thing he could say was: "I never thought it
>is possible to play the harmonica without a spring". He did not want to see the
>instrument, did not want to talk about it, he was not interested at all. My level
>of playing was defenitly not the problem!

I don't think anyone suggested it was, Wim, but I can understand that
if he was ata festivsal selling harps and CDs that he probably wasn't
looking for new harp designs. Did you ask him for an appointment and
approach the issue as a business proposition?

>Maybe harmonica manufacturers DO ignore our suggestions. I lived together with a
>very tallented classical saxophone player. She was my girlfriend for some years and
>is studying in Paris at the moment. I discovered the development of the saxophone
>and the influence proffesional players have! There is no part of the Selmer soprano
>saxophone (don't know the type anymore) which is not well thought out. It really is
>a fantastic instrument (an instrument for half of your life time) and is well worth
>the FL. 8000,- guilders. When I play the CX 12 for 6 years, I pay the same for all
>the reed plates and my harmonica is worth nothing!

I think harmonica manufacturers DO listen to suggestions. Although I
personally don't care for the CX-12 (I traded mine for an overhaul of
my 64), it was the product of research and collaboration with
players.

As for the Selmer soprano - in the US, a Series III soprano would set
you back somewhere in the neighborhood of $3000 (and by the way, it'd
last you several lifetimes. My youngest sax is 65 years old). Its
inconceivable to me that you are spending that kind of money on CX12
reedplates. You could buy 30 CX12s for the price of a sax, so I think
your sense of scale might be a little skewed.


>> Of course, its far more likely, given that they've been making the
>> things for over a century, that they may have fine reasons for doing
>> things the way they do. Be prepared to accept that. They may
>> incorporate only minor design improvements, or nothing at all.
>I only accept reasons which are based on musical thinking. I don't accept any
>commercial reasons from a harmonica manufacturer that did never build a
>professional harmonica.

Hohner never built a professional harmonica? What have we all been
playing for the last century or so?

As for design, clearly, Hohner must incorporate both musical design
and commercial reality into any harmonica it manufactures. Of course,
given that their only customers are musicvians, and there is
competition in the market, I'd say that commercial reality forces
them to build as good a musical instrument as possible and still
allow themselves a profit.

> It is a
>pitty, that such a well known factury like Hohner, does not want to be honest. Why
>don't they simply say: "Yes Mr. Dijkgraaf, maybe you are right, but there is no
>interesting market for a professional and completely different chromatic
>harmonica."? .It sounds angry because of the Hohner attitude. It has nothing to do
>with your letter.

I don't think thats what they said at all. Thats certainly not how I
read the letter. I think they were perfectly honest with you and you
should follow up through the appropriate channels. If your design
truly is superior, then you'd be doing us all a favor to work with
Hohner (or some other manufacturer). By the way, have you approached
Tombo, Huang, or any other instrument manufacturers with your idea?

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