[Kevin]

Hi Larry,
I’m a long time tube player.
I guess it’s true saliva is not going directly in the instrument by using the tube.
However my melodicas Suzuki and otherwise always have moisture in them after playing for a while.
Whether it’s spit or condensation from warm air it does build up.
It could be if you kept the tube in a curve and kept the melodica higher than the bottom of the loop it might collect in the bottom of the tube but that would seem like an awkward playing position.

[Kevin]

That’s interesting! Does he make any mention of what the different materials sound like or reports of what they sounded like? Maybe all of this work has already been done for us.

[Kevin]

Hi Mark,

does anyone have a Suzuki pro37 v3 and are you happy with it?
I have an m37c which is about 1/3 of the cost.
What do you guys think?

I have owned the PRO-37V3 and now do own the m37c.
No, I wasn’t happy with the Pro-37V3. You may have seen my video where I go over some of it’s shortcomings in some detail. There is nothing about it to justify the increased price.
The m37c is a superior instrument. Takes less breath, easier to hold and I think sounds better.

[Kevin]

I take that back Leonard. Looking at it again on a larger screen I believe she is playing a Suzuki Hammond 44.
Makes sense with the black hose and strap button.
I also see it ends in a C as the lowest note. A P37D would have an F.

[Kevin]

Pretty sure by the look and sound she is playing the venerable Yamaha P37D. It’s a favorite of many and may be the favorite of the members here on the forum judging by how often it is discussed.

I’m not sure if she’s checking her hose connection or not? I see several strap players holding the melodica by the bass end like that. Particularly Masa Matsuda (another P37D player and quite the virtuoso.) He does it often when he’s not playing two-handed.
Is she playing her own accompaniment? It looks like the same hands and wrists.

Yes, Ms. Sugaya is quite alluring. However I caution against bare midriff playing like that as you may inadvertently draw navel lint into your melodica and block a reed tongue. ;p

[Kevin]

Yes, I am also interested. Are you in fact manufacturing and marketing these?

[Kevin]

And here is where melodica taste becomes so subjective.
To my ears the Suzuki sound just like an accordion.
The Yamahas are a little more harmonica sounding.

I don’t mean to spite Johan’s post.
I’m pointing out that we hear melodica qualities differently.

I think part of that is because there hasn’t been a definitive melodica recording by a definitive melodica star. What drives a great deal of instrument sales are players wanting to sound like a certain artist on a certain record. “What guitar does Eric Clapton play in the Cream years?”. “What sort of electric piano is Ray Charles playing on What’d I Say? I want to sound just like that.” and so on.

I suppose the closest thing we have are the many recording made with vintage Hohners.
Unfortunately no one manufactures melodicas that sound like that now, including Hohner.

Max, I’m afraid it may just be trial and error where you have to try a few to find a sound you want.

[Kevin]

Thanks for posting this Antonio. It’s very thorough and thought out. I’ve had a TEC controller and Korg Microkey for some time.
Your discussion of the pressure gradient were interesting. I could never find the right setting that felt as natural as playing the melodica. I haven’t fooled with it in a long time.
I was mostly interested in playing synth sounds and found it a little more effective to use the breath control to open and close the filter instead of the volume.

I’m curious if you had looked into the EWI wind controllers and similar from Yamaha and now I think Roland?
I was curious if I could use breath on one of those but still control the notes from a traditional keyboard?

[Kevin]

Very interesting Clep. I’ve had pretty good luck with the surgical tubing. The drawbacks I’ve found is if it gets bent at an extreme angle it will sometimes kink up and block airflow also any accidental pressure on it will block airflow.

[Kevin]

I think of 37 keys as a resource that can be used.
My car has a speedometer that reads over 100. I may never drive it that fast and I might not handle it very well going that speed. Point of fact I hover around the speed limit.
However I would feel limited if there were a governor on my cars engine that kept me from going over 50mph if a situation arose where I needed it.
Average vocal range is around two octaves likewise I believe the recorder. If you are playing vocal-like melodies the 25 key range is acceptable.
There are some common melodies where at least 32 would be needed.
Any two-handed style of playing benefits from the extended range.
A fuller range lends itself to styles of playing where you might accompany other instruments in the lower register then take your solo in the higher notes.

[Kevin]

The black tubes do have a slightly(SLIGHTLY) better appearance. I wish they were more readily available.
A real problem I have with after-market tubes is hygiene.
Most of the replacement tubes I have bought seem to have deeper corrugation to them. They quickly seem to develop odor and I see little gray things growing down in the grooves.
Meanwhile I looked at my vintage Hohner tube from the late 80’s it smells fine and doesn’t seem to have any growth.
Likwise the tube that comes with the Yamaha.

P’al, I’m not sure I’m envisioning your brass tube the way you are describing it? There is the metal gooseneck tube for the vibrandoneon and the metal crank handle for the Andes 25 which will fit any other Suzuki.

[Kevin]

Hi Clep,
I’ve had some good luck with the tubing used for resistance exercise. It’s stretchy enough to fit over various fittings and mouthpieces but it has very thick walls so it doesn’t kink up so easy in a bend.
I salvaged one from an old unit but it looks like you can order it by itself without handles.

[Kevin]

///

[Kevin]

I want to know the true purpose of these rubber bladders which only seem to be found in some models of Suzukis and no where else in the melodica world.

Lowboy you may want to read my post on the Suzuki B24 Bass Melodion – Gapping thread. Wherein I try to bypass the bladder with unexpected results?
Which has made me more curious.

[Kevin]

David,
More than the sound I’d be very interested to see the construction of your Janko conversion. I’ve considered that myself in the past.

[Author]

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