Brendan Power & Alternative Harmonicas Forum

Recently I was finding myself constantly jumping between half valved harmonicas and standard non-valved. I really like using overblows 4,5,6 for additional chromaticism, but at the same time I like the sound of blow valved notes.
So I was thinking if there's a way of having it both ways.

Yes I know it's not possible to overblow valved note, and it's not possible to have blow bend on unvalved one.

But what I found is that some time ago Winslow Yerxa created Discrete comb - where each reed has its own separate chamber, and you can tilt the harmonica to isolate reed.
So theoretically it should allow isolating blow reed while blowing thus giving the possibility of additional expression, or isolating draw reed while blowing and giving the possibility of overblow.

I'm just wondering - why didn't it become popular? Was it too hard to use? Or was it too cumbersome (as far as I recall the comb is a bit thicker than normal).
And also - do you know if it's still available?

Why not use a tremolo- or an octave-comb? There a single reed channels in the Viennese type or double reed channels in the Knittlinger type. Both are divided horizontally.

https://www.seydel1847.de/sailor-steel
https://www.seydel1847.de/skydivertremolo
https://www.seydel1847.de/club-steel
https://www.seydel1847.de/CONCERTO-STEEL

Hohner, Suzuki and Tombo have similar models to each of them.
The discontinued Hohner Autovalve has the same construction features as the Seydel Concerto. Brendan is selling a sophisticated 3-D-printed comb for it:
https://brendan-power.com/combs-hohner-AV.php

If you do not have any tremolo- or octave-harmonica you maybe might not play any more to salvage, you can buy most of the combs from Seydel or Hohner particularly.


Or do Winslow's combs show special features which those default discrete combs do not have?


dear greetings
triona

I made a version for the Seydel 1847, which I showed off here:
viewtopic.php?p=4324#p4324

In theory it does work well, you can overblow / overdraw every reed, single reed bend every reed, and do your normal dual reed bends as well.

In practice, because the reed chambers are so tiny once they are partitioned you need to get very particular with the chamber spacing and opening sizing in order for all the reeds not instantly choke all the time.

The easy answer to this is a thicker comb, which I found awkward to play.

An additional challenge for me was that the center partition made it more difficult for my tongue to index where I am on the harp; and I would get lost.
I have not given up on the idea; but it has taken a bit of a backburner to other projects I am working on right now.