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Dirty-South Blues Harp forum: wail on! > Sugar Cain's Hellboy Customer Harps
Sugar Cain's Hellboy Customer Harps
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Adam Pritchard
100 posts
Apr 30, 2016
4:51 AM
Happy Days! The postman has just delivered me two beautiful Hellboy harmonicas from Sugar Cain's Custom Harmonicas. They are absolutely frickin awesome, and I've wasted no time in ordering another two.

I can't comment on how they compare to harps by Filisko, Sleigh etc but I have owned harps from other customizers as well as being one of the few to receive a B-radical, and Sugar's harps blow these away. Not only do Cain's harps play beautifully, with the slightest of breath, but they are works of art and an absolute bargain for the price he charges.

After over 25 years of playing out of the box harps I'm afraid it's custom from now on for me. Damn you Sugar Cain!

Adam Pritchard
101 posts
Apr 30, 2016
4:52 AM
Clearly, the title of this thread should read "Custom" not "Customer". Auto-correct strikes again!
Killa_Hertz
1229 posts
Apr 30, 2016
4:57 AM
This is the first I've seen on here by sugar Cain.

Ive eyed his harps for a while. But wasnt sure about em.


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snowman
194 posts
Apr 30, 2016
6:33 AM
Hi-- limited time this morning--went to his sight quickly---couldn't find prices --If its not rude ---what did your example cost? Nice lookin harp
Popculture Chameleon
156 posts
Apr 30, 2016
7:38 AM
are you in the UK or America if in America how much in us dollars did one cost you and what tuning selection did you use
Truth2012
41 posts
Apr 30, 2016
1:12 PM
Yesterday I ordered a sp20 Anarchy in A from Sugar Cain. Can't wait to get it now!
snowman
196 posts
Apr 30, 2016
5:50 PM
Are they as much as Joe speirs harps?
florida-trader
903 posts
Apr 30, 2016
6:01 PM
Cain has been around for a few years. He's quite a character. He even made a little run on Britain's got talent a couple of years ago. I have done a little business with Cain and found him to be a stand up guy - but I have never played one of his harps. I'll say this for him though - he is a hard worker. He is a prolific builder of harps. He's all over Facebook. I take my hat off to him. I admire his work ethic and anyone who is making a go at actually earning a living from building harps has my respect.
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Tom Halchak
www.BlueMoonHarmonicas.com
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Last Edited by florida-trader on Apr 30, 2016 6:02 PM
Killa_Hertz
1231 posts
Apr 30, 2016
6:35 PM
You can see how much they are if you go in the cart i think. There are so many options it really depends. It's been a while since i priced one, but i remember them being relatively low cost.

Around $150 base model shipped to US.
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Last Edited by Killa_Hertz on Apr 30, 2016 6:41 PM
Harpaholic
889 posts
Apr 30, 2016
7:49 PM
Cain's harps look nice and may play very well, but the fact that you get charged extra for different options and have to place an order before you know the cost is shady!

The techinical lingo of the work performed on the harps is bordering BS.
But hey, theres a sucker born every minute!

Last Edited by Harpaholic on Apr 30, 2016 8:23 PM
Harp Study
198 posts
Apr 30, 2016
8:08 PM
Yeah KH is correct. If you add a harp to the cart you can see the price. Shipping included you can get it for about $150 shipped to the US for the 1st stage of reed work. I don't know what level of reed work gets, but I got to say I'm impressed on the shipping cost to come from the UK to US. His harps look real nice and I know he has been building a real name for him self in the UK.
Killa_Hertz
1237 posts
Apr 30, 2016
8:59 PM
If you click on certain harps (Honey Bee ) you can see all the options and what they cost. The tunings and options (stages, etc.) Are on the site somewhere because I've read them before. The site is a lil funny.

Harpaholic ... if the BS your referingto is things like the resonators ... before i would have agreed with you, but ive learned that alot of people have done this and apparently it does work. So i say don't knock it till you try it.

But i did think the sane initially.

I want to give em a shot. But as i said i think one of Joes are on the top of that list.

But ive (hopefully) got plenty of birthdays coming. 8^)
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Adam Pritchard
102 posts
May 01, 2016
12:42 AM
I filled the form out on his website and didn't pay anything at that point. Cain then contacted me about the order, we discussed options and price. Then I confirmed. I won't say the actual price I paid because he asked me not to but let's say it's less than the cost of a couple of crossovers here in the UK.

I have to admit that I was sceptical, partly due to some of the terms he uses such as acoustic resonators and partly because he's not a pro level player like Filisko etc but the Hellboys look the business and play way better than my stock Crossovers, which I already thought were pretty good.

As I said, I've already ordered two more.

Last Edited by Adam Pritchard on May 01, 2016 12:43 AM
Killa_Hertz
1241 posts
May 01, 2016
7:00 AM
Yes other very reputable customizers swear by the resonators. And after reading more about what they are and how they work, they really do make sense. But i know where you coming from in dismissing them as gimmicks.


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groyster1
2855 posts
May 01, 2016
8:37 AM
I have 2 harps built by sugar cain.....awesome harps....the elevated cover plates are strange but they help avoid reed rattle
Harpaholic
890 posts
May 01, 2016
10:08 AM
WOW! Secret pricing too! Really shady!

Like I said, sucker...
Truth2012
42 posts
May 01, 2016
2:33 PM
Why do people respond with insults when they do not agree with a personal preference of someone's
I really did not think this forum would be like this.
Shame
Tiggertoo1962
106 posts
May 01, 2016
2:59 PM
Just a few observations.

"but the fact that you get charged extra for different options and have to place an order before you know the cost is shady!" - Where I come from we call that personalised service, or "a la carte" if you're in a quality restaurant. Just cos you put things in your shopping basket, doesn't mean you have to buy if it doesn't suit you.

"Secret pricing too! Really shady!" - Seems to me more like the guy's prepared to do a deal on his prices if the situation is right, but don't tell everybody, cos there are pratts out there who will get jealous, cos they haven't been offered the same deal.

"Like I said, sucker... " - Funny how the "suckers" who have actually bought his harps seem to be happy with them for the most part. Strange thing, personal experience. It can give you all sorts of wierd ideas which people who don't have it would never even DREAM of having...

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One of the last of a dying breed.

Killa_Hertz
1249 posts
May 01, 2016
3:04 PM
Truth ... Idk man. Sometimes it's just in jest.

Other times its just foolish ignorance.

Such is life.

I often wonder if Ulterior Motives don't also drive some of the opinions on here.

I know im sometimes guilty of these things, but i always say what i mean.
And Im always open for oposing thought.

Its hard to tell the context of things sometimes and people often take them the wrong way, but i was pretty sure name calling was out. Not that i really mind, but ....



Tigger ..... Well said sir.
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Last Edited by Killa_Hertz on May 01, 2016 3:10 PM
nacoran
9047 posts
May 01, 2016
3:26 PM
I haven't played any of his harps. I had a couple conversations with him on FB when he was just getting his name out there. He seems like a nice guy, and he's got a good reputation from happy customers.

As for how he describes what he does, customizing trends come and go. People tinker with the insides of harps and if something sounds good they try to repeat it. It's probably easier to find a trick to make a harp sound better than to explain the physics of why it works. He seems to sell a lot of harps and they all seem to look great.

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Nate
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First Post- May 8, 2009
Adam Pritchard
103 posts
May 01, 2016
3:27 PM
I fail to see who is a sucker here harpaholic? There's no commitment when you place an order on Cain's website. He contacts you to discuss your particular needs, playing style etc. and then quotes you a price. Only then do you commit. Sounds like nothing but good customer service to me. I've bought two harps at what I consider to be very reasonable prices (a damn site cheaper than the money I wasted on a B-Radical) that I'm delighted with and which easily rank as the best playing harps in my considerable collection. Perhaps the suckers are the sceptics who think someone like Cain is out to scam you and therefore miss out on a genuinely great product.
Adam Pritchard
104 posts
May 01, 2016
4:37 PM
Very true Killa. No more on this subject from me.
Ian
333 posts
May 01, 2016
5:54 PM
I have a couple of cains harps on my Christmas list for next year...
I met a guy who had one a few weeks ago. It was a beautifully made harp and sounded great. Probably the number 1 option for those this side of the water....
SuperBee
3682 posts
May 01, 2016
6:08 PM
From what I know of Cain and the esteem in which his friends hold him, as distinct from his customers, he does not have any disingenuous inclination in his character. As far as his harps, at first I thought they were gimmicky but over time I've seen enough positive comments from his customers to convince me he knows how to make a harp. I personally find his marketing approach a bit off-putting but if it's working for him, what do I know? Nothing, that's what I know...I'll tell you what I know about it, nothing at all.
I remember Cain from back when he was calling himself "car-sick Cain". I think rebadging himself as Sugar Cain was a good move!
Bass410man
84 posts
May 01, 2016
8:11 PM
I think he puts little hollow tubes hidden in the comb or something, whatever, any of his harps I heard sounded good to me. There's a video by a chap Rhythm Slim playing one, and it sounded fantastic, so good luck to him, I may try one someday.
Killa_Hertz
1257 posts
May 02, 2016
3:07 AM
Adam ... go to town if you want. I was just trying to save you some agrivation buddy. You werent bothering me none. You obviously spent good money on these aswell as being the only one who has actually played one of his harps, so you have more right than anyone to be a lil annoyed with silly comments. But i wouldn't worry about it.
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Last Edited by Killa_Hertz on May 02, 2016 3:08 AM
Rubes
983 posts
May 02, 2016
4:08 AM
....i want one now!!!!!!!!!!
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JustFuya
906 posts
May 02, 2016
5:52 AM
On any instrument my primary concern would be focused on what's under the hood. I've neither played nor had one within reach but he most certainly creates a unique and attractive instrument. In addition, those rounded notches on the back seem like a great idea for choosing the proper key on a dark stage. So hats off for innovation at the least.
groyster1
2856 posts
May 02, 2016
1:38 PM
@harpoholic.....sucker???I paid the price I was quoted and I'm very happy with my 2 harps cain built....maybe you are really alcoholic.....
Bass410man
85 posts
May 03, 2016
6:32 PM
Apparently you can buy one of Cain's model's from Jake know's harmonica. I think it's only available through Jake.
Bass410man
86 posts
May 03, 2016
7:35 PM
Aparently you can get one of Cains models through Jake Knows Harmonica, specific to him, and only available through him.
Bass410man
87 posts
May 03, 2016
8:17 PM
Apparently you can get one of Cain's models through Jake Knows Harmonica, or some place he has affiliation with. It's a model specific to Jake, and only available through him.

This is the forth time I tried to post this? First time ever of having a problem posting.
nacoran
9048 posts
May 03, 2016
9:28 PM
Bass410man, yeap, the spam filter got you!

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Nate
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First Post- May 8, 2009
Bass410man
88 posts
May 04, 2016
5:24 AM
OK Nate, I didn't realize that they eventually all show up, but now I know. Next time I will just leave it, after one try. Thanks


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