Golden Melody vs Marine Band
Sat, 04/07/2012 - 02:48
Hi!
I am perhaps asked a question that's been addressed before but when I searched the forum just some of my doubts were cleared. I discovered that in your past posts you mentioned that you did not think too highly of the Golden Melody's chord playing.
But what I wanted to know was why is it that I find handling the GM far easier than the MB. Is it something that's specific to an individual or is that courtesy the way the harps are constructed?
I would really appreciate any light shed on the subject.
Regards
Sridhar
The rounded corners and low, wraparound covers are two reasons that you might find the Golden Melody easy to handle - by which I assume you mean to hold on your hands. The whole harmonica forms a smooth object, like a river-worn stone, with no edge poking out anywhere.
The GM is a popular, harp, no doubt about it. Many pro players favor it, and several customizers work on the GM, along with making replacement combs out of nice-looking woods.
In addition to the GM's hand-friendliness and its smooth appearance, many players prefer its somewhat mellow sound to the brighter sound of the Marine Band. The reeds are the same on both harmonicas (though the tuning is different, leading to the different sound of chords), so many players attribute the darker sound to the low clearance of the GM covers and the absence of the side vents that let more high frequency energy escape from under the Marine Band covers.