Hohner Special 20 vs.Crossover
I am a beginner and have Special 20s and Crossovers. I like the tone of the Crossover, but the Special 20 seems to blow easier. Is this just me, or is the Special 20 a little easier to play?I especially have a hard time with the 2 draw on my Crossover G. Just seems like I have to use a lot more breath with that harp. Would really like to hear if you or others have had a similar experience? Could also be that I am just a new player.
Thanks
Individual harmonicas can vary. If you have only one of either model, then you could be experiencing individual variations in reed setup or even something as simple a screw tightness (loosening and then snugging up reedplate screws and cover screws is one of the simplest procedures you can do to improve the performance of a stock harmonica).
if you're experiencing consistent differences across several of each model, then you have to look a little farther.
The Crossover and the Special 20 have the same reeds. However, the Crossover may be set up tighter (I don't actually know this as a fact, so don't take it as gospel). Beginners sometimes breathe too hard, and a tight harp will seem harder to play.
Try playing as softly as you can on one of each harp, then try slowly increasing the volume of breath. You may find that each harp has its own threshold that still allows you to create a full sound.
Doing more with less is part of learning finesse as a harp player. As you gain finesse you may still notice smal differences, but they're less likely to get in your way.
Thanks for the great advice and comments. Very helpful. I have taken the Crossover apart to clean the reeds and maybe I put it back together a little too tightly (which I tend to do with things in general)!!
Ihave been playing about 3 months and love the sessions with David Barrett. Played the tenor sax for a long time and love the blues, so the harmonica is a new and very exciting challenge.
I really appreciate the feedback from everyone.
Well, the Special 20 is certainly "easier" on my lips. I notice that it is not as harsh as the Marine Band. So nice to hear someone else really likes them. I do like the Crossover A and C that I have. It was just the G that gave me some fits but Winslow had some great ideas for me to try out.
Been playing for about 3 months now. Got through lesson1 and am woking on lesson 2 and bending. Having a blast with it all.
Thank you gentleman...thanks Winslow. I wish I had read this sooner. I pretty much just asked the same question to Kinya referring to the Sp 20 vs Marine Band.
Hello.I have been practicing with the Special 20 alittle now, and i have it in key of A and Key of C. I am currently thinking of investing in a Crossover. but i dont know what Key to buy first. i would like to be able to play rock songs like Heart of gold (Neil Young) and The River (Bruce springsteen). What key would be best for me then?
Neil Young played Heart of Gold on a G harp, and that's a good key to have, anyway.
As it happens, Springsteen also used a G-harp for The River, so once again . . .
Other good keys to have in general include D, B-flat, and F.
Those 6 keys together - G, A, Bb, C, D, and F, are half of the 12 available keys, and the ones you're most likely to need.
As a new player I wouldn't worry too much about which harp model to play. Pick a professional harp and play a lot you'll figure it out. When cleaning the reeds you may have changex the gaps etc... Watch Kinya's videos. There's a ton of info there. FYI the Special 20 is a great harp.
I'm kind of a beginner too but I'll give you my impressions since I owe a Crossover harp in A and a Special 20 harp in C. They both sound the same regarding the tone in my humble opinion! And it would be strange if they sounded different because they are build in a very similar fashion and what makes the sound is not the body of the harmonica, but the column of air between the harmonica and the bottom of your lung (strictly speaking, the harmonica doesn't have a resonating body like a guitar or a long resonating tube like a flute or a sax). And, as the people above are saying, they have the same reeds. Harmonicas are VERY simple instruments, so they kinda sound alike.
In terms of playability, they are a little different. Some people say that the holes on the Special 20 are larger, but I think they are wrong, they just look larger but they aren't really. They look larger because the edge is sharper on the holes (it's a 90 degrees edge), however the edge on the Crossover is rounded, so it gives an impression of being a little smaller. But the comb on the SP20 seems to be thicker and the top and bottom plates have a different shape compared with the Crossover. I prefer to play the SP20, I have big lips and the profile of the SP20 feels better in my mouth. At the end of the day I think it boils down to this: which profile of comb+plates your mouth and playing style prefers. If the comb is made of wood or plastic, it doesn't really matter, and maybe plastic is better because it lasts longer and it is easier to produce a piece with low measurement errors (we have a bias to prefer wood). As a matter of fact, I'm planning on getting me an SP20 in A, but don't get me wrong, I really like playing on my Crossover, it's an excellent harp.
@tandeitnik - A few observations on your statements:
Coverplates do change the sound. The vents on the sides of the Marine Band and Crossover covers (and on the Rocket) allow more high frequency partials in the sound of the reed to emerge versus the closed sides of the Special 20 covers, resulting in a brighter tone from the vented covers.
The comb thickness difference you note is partly an illusion. The reedplates are almost the same distance apart for both the Crossover/Marine Band and the Special 20. However, the Special 20 (and Rocket) combs have a wraparound lip that ecloses the reeplates and forms a mouthpiece at the front.
A few measurements:
Marine Band/Crossover
Hole width: 4.61mm
Divider thickness: 3.7mm
Comb thickness: 6.04mm
Special 20:
Hole width: 4.27mm
Divider thickness: 3.47mm
Comb thickness between reedplates:
8.8mm front lip less countersinks: -1.19 -1.09 = 6.52mm
The differences are small, but they do exist.
Thanks for the information Yerxa! They should sell vented cover plates for the Special 20, it would be nice to interchange and get a different tone when you want! Or we can get the cover plates for the crossover and make the extra screw holes to fit the Special 20 (don't know why, but they use different screw patterns... ).
Anyway, today my Special 20 in A will arrive by mail and I will be able to compare the tone.
You can put Rocket covers on a Special 20, and you can re-drill Special 20 covers to fit on a Crossover (or Marine Band, though you'd also have to drill the comb; the MB reedplates alreay have back, middle, and front holes). Some players just tape up the insides of the vents if they prefer a closed sound.
My Special 20 in A arrived, you were right, the sound is a little darker. I managed to reproduce the sound in my Crossover by closing the vents with my fingers, then they sounded the same to my layman's ears, but even with the vents open they sound really close. This makes me wonder why the Crossover is so more expensive than the SP20, here in Brazil it's two times the price!
update: I just noticed that the Marine Band 1896 model also has a vented cover plate, so what's the difference between the Crossover and the 1896 model? The 1896 model cost as much as the Special 20..
The 1896 is the oldest model of the three, in production since the year 1896. The reedplates and covers are individually fastened with tiny nails, and the wood is not sufficiently sealed against moisture from the player's breath that can cause the wood to swell.
The Crossover uses the same reedplates and similar covers, but the comb is made of bamboo, which does not swell, and the reedplates and covers are fastened with screws for easy disassembly for service.
The Special 20 has been around since the erly 1970s, and is not assembled with screws (originlly the reedplates were fastened with long nails).
So the costs of development for both the MB and the SP20 have long since been recovered, and neither has the movelty value of being the newest model. The Crossover is a recent introduction (2009) and still enjoys the value of being new and an upgrade.
Great question Bluesman66. I don’t know how new you are to playing the harmonica, but as you will find out each harp plays differently, even the good ones. I was a student of David Barrett way back when and he got me hooked on the Special 20's. I had thought about changing over to the Marine Bands, much like David did, but I liked the SP20 and got very comfortable with it. I do have a MB Crossover in the Key of A and it has its own very unique sound compared to the SP20. I just do not spend enough time on it to really feel comfortable with it at this point, that is to play it in front of an audience. As you grow in your harmonica knowledge and playing skill, you will find your watermark when it comes to a harmonica you like playing whether it is an off the shelf harmonica or custom. Keep blowing that thing…