silverharp88
20 posts
Jul 17, 2013
7:58 PM
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Are these good for being cheap harps?
I want more keys and cant pay a lot of money
so I was wondering if they were ok?
Still trying not to buy the blues band box.
I'm not a pro so I don't need a special 20 yet.
I can bend notes on the Huang's I have and I can do trills
but I still have trouble with simple songs like Blowin' in the wind and Big rock candy mountain.
I've seen two videos one saying there crap and one saying there good for beginners.
Ben Hewlett says there ok and jakeknowsharmonica says there bad. (about bluesband)
can someone tell me about there experiences with johnson/jambone/bluesband
i thought about getting cheaper harps to learn how to work on them to.
Last Edited by silverharp88 on Jul 17, 2013 7:59 PM
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isaacullah
2470 posts
Jul 17, 2013
8:14 PM
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If you want cheap, stick with the "new old stock" Huangs (either star performers or silvertone deluxe) from Ray's House of Music seller on E-bay. $10 per harp in all keys, and way better than current production Huang's. The Hohner Bluesbender PAC is also an ok cheap harp. All the ones you mentioned will disappoint, and considering your skill level (as you have reported it) you will struggle with them and they will hold back your progression. Personally, I recomend you buy less keys, but better quality, and take more time to build your set up. You can't go wrong with a Special 20, or equivalent quality, harp.
BTW, I speak from personal experience here. I bought a full set of Johnson Blues Kings when I was about your level, and it held me back about 3 years. Then, I discovered Doc Gussow's videos, bought a Marine Band, and blasted off down the path.
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Last Edited by isaacullah on Jul 17, 2013 8:17 PM
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harp-er
423 posts
Jul 17, 2013
8:55 PM
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I understand your dilemma about wanting more and different keys and having a smaller budget to work with. I began with the BluesBand set of 7, thinking that was a great deal: $30 for seven harps! With a case! And worth the risk in case what I thought was a real interest turned out not to be. Turns out the interest was indeed real, and I also soon enough became dissatisfied with the performance limitations of the BluesBand. Plus, I just wanted to try different harps to see if I could find the one model that worked best for me. I was doing a lot of reading on the web, reviews of harps, people's opinions and experiences, what the pro's were saying, what was on the forums, etc. I also did a lot of searching on ebay for used harps, or new old stock harps, and luckily found some good deals. My first Golden Melody was a new old stock Ab for $14. This may have been the first "real" harp I owned, and it set the standard for what I was looking for. I had to go thru a number of other models and makes, but I kept liking that GM best of all. Now the GM is what I've landed on as my primary harp.
Point is, you can keep your budget lower if you're willing and able to buy used harps that are in very good to excellent condition, learn how to clean and disinfect them, and work with quality harps rather than the inherently very limited and ultimately unsatisfying cheap ones.
I guess I'm echoing what seems to me to be a pretty common point of view: quality will serve you best in every way. I still often and regularly search ebay and amazon for new or used/like new GM's, and when I find what looks like a great deal I'm likely to buy it. A really good GM for say $15 can't be compared at all to a "cheap" 5 or 10 dollar "junk" harp. If you can spend 10 bucks, spend 15 and get the incomparably better harp. On the other hand, there are people who swear by a harp like the Big River, a relatively cheap Hohner harp. I tried these, and really wanted to love them, cuz they have certain lovely qualities, but after several attempts I just couldn't. I sold them off on ebay, still in really good condition.
For learning how to work on harps, I would absolutely recommend the 5 or 10 dollar ones. Why ruin a better harp when you can ruin a cheap one and learn a bunch in the process?
Just some of my experience and my opinions. FWIW.
Last Edited by harp-er on Jul 17, 2013 9:00 PM
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FMWoodeye
752 posts
Jul 17, 2013
10:01 PM
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Dude...you will find your way down the road one way or another....or not. You seem to be fishing for someone to validate your desire to buy a set of cheap harps. So go ahead and do it. They won't give you cancer or congestive heart failure. They WILL give you an experience that you can pass on to others some day.
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silverharp88
21 posts
Jul 17, 2013
10:21 PM
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No I'm just afraid ill blow out a reed on my harp one day and be shit out of luck.
I'm pretty sure my harps were a good choice for being on a budget. but I play every day and I noticed that my 5 hole reed gets stuck sometimes on the c harp.
if they blow out a reed I don't want to be stuck without a harp.
It's really growing on me. heh
and I just want more keys.
If I get more harps I don't want them to break on me the day after I get them or a month down the road cause that would be a waste of time and money.
Last Edited by silverharp88 on Jul 17, 2013 10:23 PM
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Jehosaphat
507 posts
Jul 17, 2013
10:32 PM
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@silver
This is the second thread you've started about cheap harps.
Listen to the advice..one decent harp is worth 10 cheap ones.
You don't need keys,you need one good harp to get your chops up and THEN you need different keys.
Buy a 30$-50 one ,practice on it and then maybe you're ready for more.
If i was starting out I'd buy a Hohner Crossover, it'll make your journey easier.
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tookatooka
3392 posts
Jul 18, 2013
2:45 AM
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I second Jehosaphat except if you can't afford a Crossover get a Special 20. If you want cheap, check out eBay but if I were you I'd stop wasting all your time and effort looking for the cheapest and get down to some serious practicing on a decent harp. At your level you only need a C. The other keys can wait.
There was a bloke on here once called TNFrank. I wonder if you know him? He swapped beef jerky for harps.
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The Iceman
1020 posts
Jul 18, 2013
3:56 AM
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What you spend on yourself (and your interests) says a lot about how you feel about yourself.
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The Iceman
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isaacullah
2471 posts
Jul 18, 2013
8:00 AM
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I'll second whar harp-er says: I was able to build up my set via strategic e-bay purchases and trades w/folks here on the list. While this was less money than buying all new harps, it was much more time-consuming. But time is the key variable here. You are not, and should not, be in such a rush. Being in a hurry will only fight against you in the long run. It takes time to get good, and the less you have to distract you the better. I was given the same advice when I was at your stage, and I wish I had heeded it more closely. I'd be a better player today if I had.
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View my videos on YouTube!
Check out my songs on Soundcloud!
Visit my reverb nation page!
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Shredder
383 posts
Jul 18, 2013
8:13 AM
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I have a Johnson harp in "C" that plays like a dream. I did have to regap the reeds but other than that it plays great. I'm still a S/P 20--G/M player though. I have a few Huangs that with a little reed work play very well but it's the luck of the draw what you get. I had an "A" harp with a bad reed right out of the bos. It looked like the reed was clipped off on one corner of the free end. The Huangs "Star preformers" are not as loud as the Hohners so I never giged with them. I agree just save $ and get better harps one at a time.
Mike
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FMWoodeye
753 posts
Jul 18, 2013
8:28 AM
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I'll tell you what. I'm getting a package together to send to Andrew Zajac, six harps with blown reeds and two custom Marine Band harps with wooden combs that I want switched to anything but wood. Give me your address, and I will send you the two Marine Band harps. One is in C, and one is in A. Email me at lzoia@comcast.net if you're interested.
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Jim Rumbaugh
889 posts
Jul 18, 2013
9:10 AM
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I started in 2001 with a set of 12 Johnson harps.
A year later I was ready for an upgrade, bought a set of 6 Lee Oskars. I was disappointed.
The next was Special 20. It is still my "go to" harp.
I too, thought that having all the keys would be important. But today, 5 or 6 is enough.
I say go ahead and get the Johnsons, you wont be out a lot of money, and you will have that harp for that certain song you want to play along with that was recorded in some God awful key.
But set your sights on a special 20, or equal, or better. I have no desire to go back, nor want a Johnson, even to fill a hole in my missing keys.
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theharmonicaclub.com (of Huntington, WV)
Last Edited by Jim Rumbaugh on Jul 18, 2013 9:11 AM
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Pistolcat
443 posts
Jul 18, 2013
11:25 AM
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I'd say you take up FMwoodeye's offer. That will get you killer harps!
We're not all grumpy know-it-alls here. It's just that you need ok materials to work with, cheap harps will have low quality reeds and leaky combs. If you are lucky they will be in ok tune, if not: you need to tune them up and that's a skill needed to be learned as well.
Take up FMwoodeyes offer. Honour his gift by playing every day on the harps. That'll get you intimate knowledge that can't be read or taught. Get a cheap harp and learn how to gap and tune reeds. Next you can start embossing, sanding combs and draw plates and all the rest of the hoodoo.
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Know-it-all-feline with a gun - Pistolkatts youtube
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