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Author Topic: Hohner autovalve v marine band octave tuned  (Read 2844 times)

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Andy

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Hohner autovalve v marine band octave tuned
« on: April 22, 2014, 08:12:56 PM »

Just wanting to check if I have got this right.
As far as I can make out the Hohner autovalve octave harmonica is basically a Hohner concert marine band octave tuned but with the addition of wind savers (and available in a wider range of keys). Therefore if I were to get an autovalve, and decide the wind savers were more bother than they were worth, all I have to do is remove the wind savers and I have a marine band octave tuned.
I am not stating the above as fact – more checking to see if I have got it right.
Anyone able to say for certain?

Thanks
Andy
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Sage Herb

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Re: Hohner autovalve v marine band octave tuned
« Reply #1 on: April 23, 2014, 12:45:13 AM »

I think that's right, Andy. Both models are Knittlinger construction octave tuned harps. I've never owned a Marine Band Full Concert (sic) but I did have an Autovalve in D. It had a decent tone, but has nailed plates on a wooden comb. I found the higher-pitched unvalved reeds rather leaky and actually added windsavers rather than removing them. Note that, despite the use of the name, these harps are of very different dimensions from a classic Marine Band.
Hope this makes sense and is of some help.
Best, Steve
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Ebor_fiddler

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Re: Hohner autovalve v marine band octave tuned
« Reply #2 on: April 23, 2014, 01:03:38 AM »

Steve - what's a wind saver please and what does an autovalve do?

Chris B.
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My other melodeon's a fiddle, but one of my Hohners has six strings! I also play a very red Hawkins Bazaar in C and a generic Klingenthaler spoon bass in F.!! My other pets (played) are gobirons - Hohner Marine Band in C, Hohner Tremolo in D and a Chinese Thingy Tremolo in G.

Sage Herb

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Re: Hohner autovalve v marine band octave tuned
« Reply #3 on: April 23, 2014, 08:03:56 AM »

Hi Chris
You're familiar with valves in melodeons. Most mouth organs don't have valves, but chromatic harmonicas are usually an exception to this as are a few models of diatonics/ blues harps. Such valves serve two different functions, though the physical technology is the same in both cases. First, they make the instrument less leaky (exactly as in a melodeon) by sealing off the reed that isn't being played and hence preventing air leakage round the edge. For this reason, they're often referred to as 'windsavers'. As noted above, the vast majority of chromatics are thus equipped, as are the kind of double-reed octave mouth organs, such as the Autovalve model that Andy's OP asked about. ('Autovalve' is simply a techy-sounding model name used by Hohner - of course the valves operate automatically, as in a melodeon.)

Second, some players add valves to ordinary 10-hole blues harps in order to allow bends that would not normally be achievable. This is an invention of Brendan Power, and Suzuki (for whom he was a consultant for many years) do sell a ready-valved instrument, the MR350v. When valves are added for this purpose, it's only necessary to add them to the bottom plate of holes 1-6 and the top plate of holes 7-10 of a standard tuned blues harp. Hence this approach is often referred to as 'half-valving'. FWIW, I personally have phases of using half-valved harps because they allow you (for instance) to get Bb, C# and F natural playing in first position on a G harp. But sometimes I go off them because they change the tone in a way that I don't care for. But some of the pros use this system to get a nice jazzy tone and pretty much to play whatever they like. Look out the playing of PT Gazell as a stellar example.

Apologies for such a lengthy post, but hope it helps.
Cheers
Steve
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Ebor_fiddler

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Re: Hohner autovalve v marine band octave tuned
« Reply #4 on: April 24, 2014, 12:04:20 AM »

Thanks Steve! I understood that.  ;D
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I'm a Yorkie!
My other melodeon's a fiddle, but one of my Hohners has six strings! I also play a very red Hawkins Bazaar in C and a generic Klingenthaler spoon bass in F.!! My other pets (played) are gobirons - Hohner Marine Band in C, Hohner Tremolo in D and a Chinese Thingy Tremolo in G.

Harmonicatunes

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Re: Hohner autovalve v marine band octave tuned
« Reply #5 on: April 24, 2014, 05:11:31 AM »

I'd go with the Seydel Concerto, available online at http://www.seydel1847.de/epages/Seydel1847.sf/sec82e8976c94/?ObjectPath=/Shops/Seydel/Categories/Products/Octav

There are valved, and much tighter and more playable than the Hohner Marine Band octave model.
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Andy

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Re: Hohner autovalve v marine band octave tuned
« Reply #6 on: April 24, 2014, 06:23:52 PM »

Hi

Thanks for contributions made.

Another bit of a check to see if anyone can say if I have got this right regarding ranges these harmonicas play in.
Obviously each has two ranges and I have described these relative to a regular 10 hole diatonic

 

Hohner Autovalve                                                                   Reg. D                       Reg. E      Reg. F     High G    High A     High Bb     High C
                                                                                             Low D                       Low  E      Low F     Reg. G     Reg. A     Reg. Bb     Reg. C       


Seydel Concerto           Reg. A    Reg. Bb     Reg. B     Reg. C     Reg. D     Reg. Eb      Reg. E     Reg. F      High G 
                                  Low A     Low  Bb     Low B      Low C     Low  D     Low Eb        Low E     Low  F      Reg.G

Again not quoting this as certain, more checking to see if I have got it right. Anyone out there know for certain?

Thanks
Andy
« Last Edit: April 24, 2014, 10:20:35 PM by TR Andy »
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Sage Herb

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Re: Hohner autovalve v marine band octave tuned
« Reply #7 on: April 25, 2014, 10:11:14 AM »

The Autovalve that I owned was in D and as you guessed - one plate in 'ordinary' D and the other in low D. Hohner don't seem to publish these details so I can't speak for the keys that I haven't owned.

For details the Seydel Concertos that Tony advocates go here: http://www.seydel1847.de/epages/Seydel1847.sf/sec36fb43deeb/?ObjectPath=/Shops/Seydel/Products/30401/SubProducts/30401C

Then for each key go to 'Tone table' and you'll find the info that you want.

(My own experiences with the reed life of Seydels - though not this model - have not been good, but of course YMMV.)

Cheers
Steve
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Hohner Erikas & Club 2s
Hohner gob-harps:
Vega Senator 5-string banjo; Alex Burns plectrum guitar

Black Box Band - www.theblackboxband.co.uk
Annie Dearman & Steve Harrison - www.dearmanharrison.co.uk
Phoenix - www.phoenixdanceband.co.uk
http://soundcloud.com/sage-herb
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