Seven.Oh.Three.
287 posts
Aug 07, 2014
8:23 PM
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Got a few songs I've been jamming to with my eff (F) harp and wanted to pick up a low eff (F) to see how it chanes the vibe. I prodominately play Marine Band Deluxes BUT the thought of spending $130 on a Thunderbird low eff seems like over kill. Hohner doesn't (to my knowledge) make a low eff in any other model. Seydel does, but I'm not really crazy about their stainless steel reeds.
I was wondering what options and insights y'all might have.
Thanks!
7.o.3.
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STME58
1022 posts
Aug 07, 2014
8:55 PM
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I have two Low f harps, a Seydel 1847 Nobel and a Suzuki Pure Harp. They are both nice but I would give the edge to the edge to the 1847. I love the way to low reeds keep sounding after you stop the air flow.
Another thing I have notice with low harps is there is sometimes a sympathetic vibration of the reed an octave below the middle reeds.You can hear a bit of that in this recording I made with the Seydel Low F some time ago.
Seydel 1847
Last Edited by STME58 on Aug 07, 2014 9:10 PM
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didjcripey
792 posts
Aug 07, 2014
9:21 PM
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Seydel Blues sessions (not session steels) have brass reeds. I have a low d, and it is one of my favourite harps, very easy to play with a great tone. Don't know what they cost where you are, but at under 50 bucks in Oz, they are a great harp at a great price.
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Lucky Lester
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SuperBee
2148 posts
Aug 07, 2014
9:31 PM
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Cheapest reasonable option I know is Seydel session (brass).
for the money, I have no complaints. It requires a lot of air but it's quite playable and I'd say better (tighter) than a big river (no longer available in Lo) Nice tone. I may do some work to see if I can get it to respond a bit easier, but I'm good with it as is for now
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Rgsccr
269 posts
Aug 07, 2014
9:44 PM
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I have a Marine Band low F - online about $35. It's not too hard to make it into a deluxe (more or less) by pulling it apart, drilling holes for nuts and bolts, flat sanding and sealing the comb and flat sanding the draw reed plate. Works great - no swelling and fairly airtight.
Last Edited by Rgsccr on Aug 07, 2014 9:44 PM
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SuperBee
2150 posts
Aug 07, 2014
9:47 PM
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Can you still buy Lo f marine bands? I bought a Lo Eb a couple years back but I thought they stopped making Lo tunings at hohner apart from t birds.
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KingoBad
1514 posts
Aug 07, 2014
10:30 PM
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I have a delta frost that has served me well in low f. It does not buzz, and plays very nicely. The high end is not spectacular, but an all around solid harp.
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Danny
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Komuso
379 posts
Aug 07, 2014
10:30 PM
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Suzuki has just launched new low (tenor) manji's
Suzuki Manji Low Keys all the way to Low C
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Paul Cohen aka Komuso Tokugawa
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Rgsccr
270 posts
Aug 07, 2014
10:40 PM
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SuperBee, I'm sure you are right. I bought it off Ebay and maybe it was from a group of NOS harps. Wasn't that long ago, though - maybe six months - perhaps there are more out there.
Last Edited by Rgsccr on Aug 07, 2014 10:42 PM
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nacoran
7912 posts
Aug 07, 2014
10:43 PM
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Superbee, the Hohner US site currently lists 13 keys for the regular MB, the 12 'regular' keys and a High G.
They list 11 keys for the Deluxe (no F#) and 12 keys for the Crossover. (Wonder if the missing F# is a typo or really not available.) The Special 20 is 13, including the high g; the Golden Melody and Rocket are listed as 12 keys. The ProHarp, the Meisterklasse, the Big River, and the Blues Harp seem to come in 12 keys, and the Blue Midnight in "A, Bb, C, D, E, F, G".
Lee Oskar also makes a Low F (their lowest harp) and Suzuki has several models that come in Low F. (8 models with 14 keys major keys.)
So, for low f there are a lot of choices. Any lower than that and you have to go with the Hohner Thunderbird or a Seydel (brass or steel).
http://www.suzukimusic.com/harmonicas/speclist/
http://us.playhohner.com/instruments/harmonica/diatonic-harmonicas/
http://www.leeoskar.com/harmonicas.html
http://www.seydel1847.de/epages/Seydel1847.sf/en_US/?Currency=USD&ChangeAction=IC_TopicWorld&IC_TaxModel=0&IC_RED=1
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Nate
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First Post- May 8, 2009
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nacoran
7913 posts
Aug 07, 2014
10:47 PM
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oops, didn't notice Komuso's post. Apparently you can get lower Suzukis than low f. Cool. :) Huh, still no love for the Low F#. As someone with OCD that bothers me.
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Nate
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First Post- May 8, 2009
Last Edited by nacoran on Aug 07, 2014 10:48 PM
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BronzeWailer
1379 posts
Aug 07, 2014
11:25 PM
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I have a low F with SP20 reedplates and Turbolid covers. Sadly they don't make the low SP20s anymore.
Also have a low F Seydel Nobel which was quite pricey but I love it. I reckon it is worth the investment. I kid myself that I will recoup the cost through busking and gigging. I have a low E T-Bird but prefer the Seydels.
BronzeWailer's YouTube
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Gipsy
85 posts
Aug 08, 2014
12:15 AM
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I managed to pick up a couple of sets of sp20 low F reed plates last year. It was new old stock from Harmonicas Direct here in the UK. It might be worth checking them out. They play superbly.
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arzajac
1439 posts
Aug 08, 2014
4:15 AM
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The MS series harps work nicely in the lower keys. You don't have to worry about the one draw reed hitting the cover plate. And if you make them airtight, they are very responsive and have nice tone.
If you like to tinker, here's a cheap solution: Retune a readily-available MS-series harp from G to low-F. Use Blu-Tak; put small blobs onto the tips of the reeds, adding very small quantities until you get the pitch you need. You can even adjust the tuning to get 7-limit Just Intonation which sounds amazing in a low key.
The bluTak can stay on for decades (ask Brendan Power - he has harps with BluTak that's been there since the 90s and is still hanging on.)
BluTak also does a good job of absorbing vibrations. A blob on the tip of the reed can change the feel of the harp in a very positive way. It can smoothen out the tone.
For an out-of-the-box solution, plain-old regular Manjis have always been available down to low-F.
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Custom overblow harps. Harmonica service and repair.
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STME58
1024 posts
Aug 08, 2014
8:44 AM
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THe last time I had a reed that was a bit sharp I tried arzajac's blu tac suggestion. It took a while to get the blob size right but it worked great! There is much less chance of ruining a reed this way than there is if you file the root of the reed.
I have used solder to the same effect, but on a stainless reed, regular solder won't work.
Last Edited by STME58 on Aug 08, 2014 8:48 AM
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Gnarly
1083 posts
Aug 08, 2014
9:24 PM
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Here at SPAH we are demoing the low keyed Manjis--C, D, Eb, E and F, with covers that are bigger on the bottom at the left side to accommodate the heavier reeds.
They sound great, as you might expect.
But they are only available in boxed sets at this point, regular Manji sets with one Low C included.
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JustFuya
391 posts
Aug 08, 2014
9:35 PM
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Gnarly - Bless ya for being there! If you happen to brush shoulders with any Hohner people can you ask them if there is a classy way to plug the side holes on their Crossover covers?
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HarpNinja
3909 posts
Aug 09, 2014
6:36 AM
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I I a never used 1847 in LF I can sell someone. Email me.
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Mike
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Thievin' Heathen
357 posts
Aug 09, 2014
7:36 AM
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I can't wait for the hub-bub to subside on those Manjis, so that they become "get 'em in 2 days" from Rockin Ron. (Remember the SUB30?) I wonder if they are the same price as current Manjis. I too, suffer from T-Bird sticker shock.
703, Don't forget about the $38 Lee Oskars. With a tip-of-the-hat to Andrew, I think I'm going to go tune my LO LF JI right now.
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