Elwood
20 posts
Apr 15, 2009
3:24 PM
|
Sure, people buy it for the name... But what do you think of the product? Blues Harps have got some poor reviews for having reedy sound and being difficult to bend. Mind you, in the 21st century, any idiot can write a review.
Myself, I've got two Blues Harps and I'm undecided, as I'm still developing my tone and therefore can hardly go around blaming the instrument.
|
DaDoom
82 posts
Apr 15, 2009
3:30 PM
|
Hi Elwood
If you use the forum search function you'll find quite a few opinions on the Blues Harp.
It was my first harp - I bought it right after having seen Adam for the first time. I think it sounds great, bends and OBs well. Just a bit rough on the lips, thats all. Oh and did I mention that it's cheap?
|
snakes
183 posts
Apr 15, 2009
3:37 PM
|
I have one and that is enough. Leaky and hard to bend. Key of C. I can get way better harps for close to $10 less per harp.
|
dmarxs
5 posts
Apr 15, 2009
3:43 PM
|
I got one Bb the other day whilst in Canterbury UK, was not much of a choice and never tried one before so thought I would. Sadly I was not impressed, very leaky, but worst was the fact it was so out of tune, it could not have been more out of tune if it had been soaked in acid. I've tried to tune it up but it's just not happening.
|
scstrickland
40 posts
Apr 15, 2009
3:47 PM
|
I love mine! key of C, Bb, G, A. I prefer the replacement reeds to the stock reeds and I file down the sharp edges.
|
jonsparrow
106 posts
Apr 15, 2009
4:26 PM
|
i wouldnt buy one because of the name. like if fender came out with a guitar called "rock guitar". "blues harp" just sounds like a toy.
Last Edited on 15-Apr-2009 4:27 PM
|
Aussiesucker
248 posts
Apr 15, 2009
5:05 PM
|
I have a couple in Bb & G but find that I hardly ever play them. Not loud & with nice tone but not up to par with other harps in the same price range. I don't like the taste or smell of the wood.
|
Blackbird
65 posts
Apr 15, 2009
5:06 PM
|
I started on one, and remain undecided. Once they're broken in well, they bend nicely, but they're hit or miss like any other harp so far. I like them a notch better for their intended modular design vs. Marine Band nails, but otherwise can't love 'em or hate 'em - just play 'em.
|
GermanHarpist
274 posts
Apr 15, 2009
5:18 PM
|
Feels like you have a quality instrument in your hands. Until you start trying to hit that blue 3rd... lol.
Actually, I would like to check it out, but my only Blues Harp (C) lies at a friends place. However, as far as I remember it didn't play any better or worse than all the other Harps... Otherwise, nice and robust with a wooden comb... good "raw material" as jRicci would say.
----------
germanharpist, harpfriends on Youtube
|
Preston
275 posts
Apr 15, 2009
7:44 PM
|
Hi Elwood,
I think I've got a pretty good answer for you. A little background first: I started out playing on a Marine Band and hated the way the comb swelled. I tried a couple of plastic combs and decided my personal preference was for a wood comb. I purchased my first Blues Harp thinking it was the "cat's meow" as it came with a factory sealed comb AND screws holding it together (superior to the nails holding a MB together. I mean, after all, nails are for chicks and drag queens, right?).
Anyway I bought and played only Blues Harps for about a year. In the mean time I got really into customizing and tweaking. There was another thread on the forumn that drew attention from Jason Ricci and Buddha, and they both voiced there opinions AGAINST the effectiveness of the Blues Harps for overblowing. At first I bulled up against them, but then I thought to myself, "These two dudes are the two of the best there are in the world, and I'd better listen to what they have to say." I went out and bought another Marine Band, modified it to my amatuer customizer specifications, and now I am completely sold on the Marine Bands again.
So, in summary, out of the box a blues harp is really not that inferior to a Marine Band, and even has a few perks. But if you are into Overblowing and overdrawing, the Marine Band or Golden Melody are your Hohner harps of choice.
I'll end by saying you CAN overblow on Blues Harps. I'm not saying it isn't possible. It's just the other MB and GM are more Overblow friendly, if that makes sense.
Last Edited on 15-Apr-2009 7:50 PM
|
isaacullah
178 posts
Apr 15, 2009
9:58 PM
|
Blues harps are just as fine for bending or overblowing as most other out of the box harmonicas. They can definitely be leaky, perhaps leakier than other types, and that can make them harder to play. The leakiness can make the leaky holes harder than normal to bend/overblow. You can improve Blues Harps greatly with the standard repetoire of most DIY customizers (sanding comb and reed plate, embossing slots, proper gapping, setting reed profiles), but that may be too much for some people. You can definitely get a better OTB harp for the same or even slightly less money. I used to buy Blues Harps and Marine Bands, now I buy Seydels (soloists and Solist Pros). These are much better OTB harps, and Soloists are cheaper than Blues Harps.
----------
--------------
The magnificent YouTube channel of the internet user known as "isaacullah"
Last Edited on 15-Apr-2009 10:01 PM
|
Ant138
75 posts
Apr 16, 2009
1:10 AM
|
I think the Blues harps are the most consistant out the box harp. Ive got them in A,C and D. Ive tried other makes and models but the Blues harp seem to be the best ive tried so far. There real easy to bend with and i dont get any problems with the ones ive got. I suppose its different strokes for different folks as i know Hohner are not consistant with quality but you could do alot worse.
|
DaDoom
84 posts
Apr 16, 2009
1:58 AM
|
The whole discussion about OTB harps is problematic due to the big quality fluctuations. One harp is good the next is unplayable. I think that's something one should keep an eye on too: consistent manufacturing quality. That's why I like SP20s and Suzukis.
@isaacullah
Are you speaking of the Seydel Blues Soloist Pro? The one with the wooden comb and the rounded channels? I'd definitely like to test one. How are they OTB? Are they any good for OBs or do they require some customizing?
|
Elwood
21 posts
Apr 16, 2009
3:27 AM
|
Thanks, guys. These are all good answers.
|
RyanMortos
144 posts
Apr 16, 2009
8:44 AM
|
Was the first model I got (not because of the name, it was a gift from someone that knew I was interested). It is a bit leaky considering being partially sealed. I havent tried sanding the plates & comb for a tighter fit yet. The reeds are more difficult to bend. Im not doing OBs/ODs yet (I suppose I should take the time to do that sooner then later but, I dont know how to properly gap harmonicas at this point). I like that it has screws as oppossed to nails. Overall I dont see a reason to completely disqualify this model if you like it but there probably are others one would like better.
----------
~Ryan
PA
Ryan's Tube - Containing [0] uploads and counting...
|
isaacullah
180 posts
Apr 16, 2009
2:01 PM
|
@DaDoom: The soloist pro is what I have now. I achieved my first overblow (6ob on a Bb harp) on it within 2 hours with NO customization. I've since gapped it down and profiled the reeds, and the OB is super super easy to hit. Since then I've been able to translate my overblow technique to different harps (Blues Harps, Marine Bands, Spec 20s, and Lee Oskars) with pretty good success. None of those harps OB as good as the Seydel though. I hear from Dave Payne at Elk River Harmonicas that the standard Solist is also good, although it needs more setting than the soloist Pro. At $25 a pop (as opposed to $30+ for equivelant Hohners), the Soloist is going to be the harp I buy from now on as my Hohners blow out.
----------
--------------
The magnificent YouTube channel of the internet user known as "isaacullah"
|
djm3801
87 posts
Apr 16, 2009
4:49 PM
|
Better than a Marine band, not as good as a Special 20, but a good sound.
Dan
|
Patrick Barker
232 posts
Apr 16, 2009
10:09 PM
|
If you really like this harp out of the box, I've gotta wonder if you've ever tried a sp 20 before. I have not had good experiences with blues harps.
----------
"Without music, life would be a mistake" -Nietzsche
|
DaDoom
85 posts
Apr 17, 2009
3:23 AM
|
@isaacullah
Thx for the info. I'll definitely get one. I couldn't attend the Seydel event last year in Klingenthal otherwise I'd already have one ;) (and I would have met Adam in the process which is surely worth much more than any harp).
Unbelievable but true: I live at the border to Germany but there's not one shop selling Seydels. I'll have to order them via Mail.
------
Even more unbeliavable: there's a road I've been driving through for the last 20 years or so and I've never noticed that there's an instrument store. An absolutely inconspicuous little shop. A few days ago someone mentioned that shop - I can't even remember in what context. So tonight on my way home from work I decided to pull over and check that shop out. It took the old man 10 minutes to get to the counter from the back of the shop. I then asked him if he sold any harps. He tells me that he might have something...maybe. Another 5 minutes of rummaging later guess what he finds in one of his drawers? A bunch of Seydels Blues Soloist! Bought one in Bb and I must say it plays great! Can't wait to check out the Soloist Pro - I suppose it must be even better.
Last Edited on 17-Apr-2009 1:57 PM
|
Leanground
53 posts
Apr 17, 2009
4:57 AM
|
I prefer Marine Bands because of sound, feel and tradition but like many of us have compulsive needs to try, then collect all types of harps.
I use Blues Harps for a carry around harp on my belt because the covers don't crush as easy.
|
