|
Dirty-South Blues Harp forum: wail on! >
Low tuned Seydel Harmonicas
Low tuned Seydel Harmonicas
Page:
1
KDT
9 posts
Aug 10, 2013
3:23 PM
|
I'm making one of my rare posts to solicit feedback regarding Seydel harmonicas. According to the Adam's definitions, I am an intermediate player. I have tried Marine Bands and I love their sound, but I use Special 20s because they are so much easier for me to play. To my dismay, when I went shopping for LoF and LoF# SP20's, they don't exist. I am hesitant to spend the money on a low tuned Hohner as I can't find a model with a price I can stomach. In fact, I'm a little irritated with Hohner for not offering a reasonably priced low tuned harp. The local shop has just started carrying the Seydel Soloist Pro and will order any Seydel for me. A few question come to mind:
Is the Soloist Pro a decent harmonica?
Does the wooden comb function as promised (no swelling)?
Is the Soloist Pro more comfortable to play than a Marine Band (I'm drawing a parallel here due to the wooden comb)?
How does Seydel tune their harmonicas? I have recently figured out that I prefer compromised just to equal temperament. Does the tuning vary from model to model?
Would a harmonica such as the 1847 Silver be worth the extra money?
Any opinions are greatly appreciated.
|
robbert
229 posts
Aug 10, 2013
5:11 PM
|
Although I would like to try the Hohner T-bird, I also can't really afford them.
Over the years, I have collected a few low keyed Sp. 20's and BRs, using a LF, LEb, LE, LD on a regular basis.
For a low A, G, and LLF, I have chosen the more affordable Seydels, with the understanding that they are not quite as responsive as the T-bird. They are, however, fine for my purposes, as I don't need them too frequently.
|
12gagedan
274 posts
Aug 10, 2013
7:49 PM
|
I enjoy playing the Session Steel in low F.
----------
12gagedan's YouTube Channel
|
GMaj7
260 posts
Aug 10, 2013
8:01 PM
|
The Seydel low tuned models are great playing instruments. Although I generally prefer the stainless steel models and encourage my customers to buy them, I will say that in the lower keys I've been quite impressed with the brass. I find they play a little better if they are half-valved on holes 1-4.
The Solist Pro is a fine harp but it uses what Seydel calls the half-flat covers. Personally, I like them although customer feedback has been marginal. In a lower tuned harp the draw reeds will be more likely to strike the bottom cover on the Solist Pro.
The Favorite solves this by using the full length covers that are less prone to reed strike with a larger clearance. However, you have to be prepared to fork over a little extra because it uses an aluminum comb.
Just remember, low tuned harps are prone to all sorts of little annoying issues on top of the fact that in acoustic settings it is hard to cut through the other string instruments.
However, they have a beautiful horn-like sound that is perfect for soulful jazz. PT Gazell comes to mind as a player who uses them to potential.
----------
Greg Jones
16:23 Custom Harmonicas
greg@1623customharmonicas.com
1623customharmonicas.com
|
nacoran
7017 posts
Aug 10, 2013
8:16 PM
|
I like Seydels. I haven't played the Soloist Pro, or any non-custom wood comb. I particularly like long covers, and the Seydels I've played are WAY more comfortable, both in my hands and on my lips, than Hohners- the tines, rounding of protruding reed plate corners and front edge and long body covers- I can unequivocally state that the three most comfortable harps I have played are my three Seydels.
That said, none of them was quite out of the box.
-I've got a LLF, Blues Favorite (brass reeds, I think it's Compromise Tuning, I got it from David Payne and told him to surprise me on the temperament. The chords are like butter. It was valved, but the valves drove me crazy so I took them off. It's quiet, but I guess that's what I get for taking the valves off of a LLF!
-I've played a Turboharp Turboslide Blues Sessions Steel.
I've played a Low D Harmonic Minor (Session Steel reed plates?) which I put together with the Antique covers and a Elk River comb and reed plates from Rockin Rons.
One has brass reeds, 2 have steel. I love them all. They have the long body covers which I find amazingly comfortable, and the reed plates are really comfortable on the lips compared to a Marine Band- much smoother edges. Soundwise, they are nice harps, and aside from the valving bugging me (and I just hate valves... it wasn't an issue with their valving in particular) they all play well. If you order straight from their site you can pick Just, Equal or Compromise tuning, or even set up the harp for weird tunings for a small fee. (I'm not sure what the default is for temperament.)
None of them have a stock wooden comb-
One is the orange plastic comb, which is ugly (although I have a beautiful orange combed Hohner from Blue Moon, but it has a vinyl sticker of a sunrise on it which is why the orange works). One is the stock Blues Favorite aluminum. Some people complain about the taste. It does taste different, but it doesn't bother me. It's heavy enough that you could use it as a weapon in a pinch (I remember hearing that there was a silver chromatic harp once, maybe Huang or Huang while he was at Hohner, but it was heavy enough that it was maybe a little too heavy for two hours of stage play. That won't be an issue with an diatonic aluminum comb, but multiplied by a whole gig set of harmonicas you would notice your gig bag suddenly got heavier.) The last one is the Elk River comb. It's got a poly finish on it. They are all comfortable to play.
Since you mentioned low tunings specifically, the LLF's bottom reed rattles against the cover if I play it too hard. That's the only reed that rattles, and it's only if I go nuts trying to blast it, and even then, only just a little- and that's the lowest reed available on any production diatonic. I generally speaking, tend to lean a little bit towards Equal Temperament, but I'm actually trying to build my set so every other key alternates, so a Lee Oskar Bb, a Sp20 B... the idea is, if the band is willing to change keys by one step I can accommodate either Temperament. That said, the lower down the scale you go, generally speaking, the more chords you'll play, so even although I lean towards ET for my regular harps I lean a bit more towards Compromise or Just for lower harps.
The only other low tuned harp I've played is a LF Marine Band. It sounds great too. Maybe I'm just partial to low tunings.
-continued-
----------
Nate
Facebook
Thread Organizer (A list of all sorts of useful threads)
|
nacoran
7018 posts
Aug 10, 2013
8:17 PM
|
Custom combs can be a good option too. They aren't that expensive, particularly when you consider that they can easily outlive the reed plates. If a harp blows out, just move the comb over to another harp. I have discovered Sp20's holes (designed for screws) are easier to put on custom combs, but the ridge on the front of Marine Bands reed plates help hold the cover plate in place on the Marine Bands, so if you are comfortable drilling a reed plate to convert it from nails to screws I'd recommend MB reed plates. If not, go up to the Deluxe. Color coding your harp combs makes finding the harp you are looking for a snap.
----------
Nate
Facebook
Thread Organizer (A list of all sorts of useful threads)
|
KDT
11 posts
Aug 11, 2013
1:00 PM
|
Thanks to all of you for your responses. They have helped me decide on a course of action. I am going to price a Session Steel and a Favorite. I just wish the comb on the SS wasn't so ugly. I will also learn more about customization, but for now I just want to expand the # of keys I have. Thanks again.
|
GMaj7
264 posts
Aug 11, 2013
3:00 PM
|
KDT I sell the white and black combs that fit the Session.
You can see pics on my web site.
They are the exact same.. T
Pretty inexpensive..
----------
Greg Jones
16:23 Custom Harmonicas
greg@1623customharmonicas.com
1623customharmonicas.com
|
KDT
12 posts
Aug 11, 2013
7:18 PM
|
Greg,
Good to know about the combs. I will check them out.
|
Piro39
50 posts
Aug 12, 2013
9:01 AM
|
Hohner's low tuned Big River and Blues Harps were great harps with a little work on them. It's terrible that they discontinued them in order to push their outrageously priced Thunderbirds.
|
walterharp
1155 posts
Aug 12, 2013
9:14 AM
|
suzuki mangi low F is a nice harp as well.. somewhat more than the solist but less than the 1847
|
webfoot
2 posts
Aug 12, 2013
4:06 PM
|
I love low harps and have 8. A low Eb Special 20, an LF# Big River, a LOskar LF, 2 Seydel Blues Session, 2 Session Steels and and a Seydel Silver PT in low C built by Mr. Jones. Greg's PT Silver is my favorite followed closely by a low Eb steel with BS antique covers that makes my heart sing. Seydel has the low keys wired.
|
Gipsy
24 posts
Aug 13, 2013
9:44 AM
|
I've got a low C and a low C paddy richter 1847 silver both from Ben Bouman. They are superb. I've played standard C's that are more difficult to play. IMHO if you are going to try a low harp, then try a good one. They give such a cool sound, you don't want to miss out by playing a poor harp.
Last Edited by Gipsy on Aug 13, 2013 9:46 AM
|
Post a Message
|
