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Do you make a TurboLid for the Lee Oskar harp?
Will your TurboLid fit a Hohner
Proharp?
I am interested in the TurboLiner you have on the TurboHarp AX/S20s. Would you ever sell one or more of those separately?
What is an overblow and overdraw?
What changes do you make to the TurboHarp/AX when you set up for overblows and overdraws?
Are there any disadvantages to setting up a harp for
overblows?
Does setting the harp up for overdraws and overblows [on the TurboHarp AX/S20] cause any side effects (e.g. make regular bends or regular notes harder or any other such thing?).
What is a Bahnson Overblow Harp?
How can I Purchase a Bahnson Overblow Harp?
Why is the Turboharp/AX-S20 only available in the lower keys (not higher than a C)?
Can you tell me more about the ELX?
Most harmonica players are taught to hold the harmonica (primarily) in the left hand. I hold the harmonica in my right hand and use the left for vibratos, wah-wahs, etc. Does the TurboLid fit equally well in the right hand?
Do you make a TurboLid for the Lee Oskar harp?
Not exactly....as you can imagine, we've had many requests for a Lee Oskar
TurboLid. We would definitely consider making one if
not for the tremendous cost of tooling. So, we've
worked backwards and in a more economic fashion.
Dr. Antaki has created a tooling process to
trim/grind down LO plates to fit within a comb, so
as to fit within the existing TurboLid. The
result is the TurboLX. You don't have to be a
LO fan to appreciate this harmonica.
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Will your TurboLid fit a Hohner
Proharp?
There are two styles, and old and a new. The TurboLid will fit the old style, but not the new, which is based on the Hohner MS system. You can check yourself by measuring the dimensions of the comb. If it is about 100 mm wide then it will fit. If 104 mm wide, then it will be too big (by 4 mm, surprisingly enough.)
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I am interested in the TurboLiner you have on the TurboHarp AX/S20s. Would you ever sell one or more of those separately?
The TurboLiner, an integral part of the TurboHarp/AX-S20, a precision etched stainless-steel plate that is bonded to the face of each reedplate of the harmonica. It is not available separately. Based on the figure on our website, the TurboLiner is easily mistaken for a gasket. But if you look again, you will realize that only one of the two TurboLiner's is located between the reed plate and comb.
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What is an overblow and overdraw?
These terms refer to additional notes that you can achieve with a diatonic harmonica. Like "bending" the notes are elicited from the holes by changing the shape of your mouth (aka embouchure.) Typically, the holes through which overblows are obtained are 4, 5, and 6. And overdraws are achieved on holes 7 and 9. More information can be found in various references including [ Sean, Link here to our article on this topic],
http://members.tripod.com/%7Ediatonic/,
and
www.overblow.com/harmonica.
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What changes do you make to the
TurboHarp/AX when you set up for overblows and overdraws?
Usually we will lower the gap on the reeds relevant to the notes affected. We will also apply "TurboTape" to some of the reeds to increase their stability lest they squeak, squawk, or squeal.
For
more information please visit
http://wwwplanetharmonica.com/ph4/VE/TurboharpUK.htm
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Are there any disadvantages to setting up a harp for
overblows?
The consequence of lowering the gap on some reeds is that they might cause the normal notes (non-overblow/overdraw) to "choke." This is especially the case if you play your harmonica "hard." Ideally, you, the player, should feel comfortable adjusting the gaps of your reeds because the optimal gap really depends on your personal style of playing. Fortunately, the TurboLids that are equipped with your TurboHarp make it especially easy to gain access the reeds. For additional instruction, see
www.patmissin.com and
http://www.harprepair.com
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Does setting the harp up for overdraws and overblows [on the TurboHarp AX/S20] cause any side effects (e.g. make regular bends or regular notes harder or any other such thing?).
The setup primarily involves two things; one is the addition of TurboTape, which is generally a good thing, and has no known side effects. Second is setting gaps, which will involve the usual tradeoff between ease of overdraw/blow and risk of "choking" when attacking a note quickly. If you're learning overblows, part of the finesse is learning how to manipulate your mouth (tongue) muscles to achieve the note you are seeking. By closing the gap of the reed, the overblows become more achievable for a range (albeit small) of embouchures. But, if you attack a note with a constricted embouchure (with tongue forward), you might unexpectedly get an overblow note, whereas you might have previously gotten a straight blow note.... or nothing at all.
In either case, it's a good idea to learn to adjust your reed gaps to your taste. And the TurboLid makes it really simple to get to the reeds to make the adjustment.
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What is a Bahnson Overblow Harp?
The Bahnson overblow harp is based on a patented design of Dr. Henry T. Bahnson who designed a valve mechanism for facilitating the overblows and overdraws on the diatonic harp. I have been working with him for about 11 years and have recently designed a version based on the Special-20. We have made a few of these, and have sold a couple. But they are painstaking to assemble. And we generally lose money every time we make one. So until I figure out a simpler, more streamlined way to produce them, I am not really selling them at the moment.
But stay tuned... I remain optimistic that we will work out the bugs in the process soon.
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How can I Purchase a Bahnson Overblow Harp?
At the moment we're not building any more Bahnson Overblow harps. We currently produce the Bahnson Overblow by very slow painstaking hand assembly. Until we develop a more streamlined method for fabricating them, we will not be taking any further orders. But we appreciate your interest, and hope that you will continue to check back with us.
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Why is the Turboharp/AX-S20 only available in the lower keys (not higher than a C)?
The limited key availability is due to the reed dimensions. TurboHarp requires a special stainless steel plate to be attached to both reedplates. Since the Hohner reedplates comes in two sizes, having shorter reeds for keys D and above, we cannot fit our existing plate to their plate. If demand were great enough, we would consider tooling up for the higher keys.
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Can you tell me more about the ELX?
Thank you for your interest in the TurboHarp/ELX. We are also quite excited about this project, having now worked on if for over 10 years. The harp is comprised on a standard Hohner Special-20 equipped with a pair of "electric" TurboLids. Within each of the TurboLids are ten optical pickups that sense the motion of each of the reeds. The output is then conditioned through a small mixer that provides line-out signal for either recording, broadcasting, amplifying, etc.
In addition to the mixing abilities that this harp enables, the most important benefit is the ability to add electronic effects using your favorite effects unit: delay, fuzz, flange, chorus etc.
We envision two models. An "economy" version will provide a single output, while the "Deluxe" version will provide four channels: low blow, low draw, high blow, high draw. The latter will enable some very interesting stereo effects.
The current status of this project is that we have completed a fully functional prototype. We are currently seeking additional investment to begin mass production.
Thanks again for your interest in the ELX. Stay Tuned for more!
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Most harmonica players are taught to hold the harmonica (primarily) in the left hand. I hold the harmonica in my right hand and use the left for vibratos, wah-wahs, etc. Does the TurboLid fit equally well in the right hand?
The Turbolid was designed for players who hold the harp in their left hands. The larger end is intended to go at the bass end. This provides additional resonance to the bass notes and clearance to the 1-reed, thereby reducing buzzing. But the Turbolid can be attached to the harp either way. We have a few satisfied customers who use it "backwards."
If you have any additional specific questions that we have not covered, do not hesitate to write us at info@turboharp.com.
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