I recorded a short video clip where I am comparing sound differences between different priced harmonicas. This video is only for sound differences and not a video to show how good bends/overblows are.
Embeds always attract more attention, J. A. By the way, nice video, way better than going into a never ending argument about whether paying a lot for a harp matters. Let the prospective buyers hear for themselves.
Last Edited by Honkin On Bobo on Jun 29, 2016 11:19 AM
That's J. A.'s video folks. I tried to post a follow-up message to J.A. commending him for making a great video but the fucking spam filter ate it. That's right, I used the F word, it's the only word that captures how pissed off I am right about now. Anyway, nice job J. A.
Hey, J. A. you're welcome. Click share then embed and copy and paste that long string of characters into your message box. It actually took me a minute or two as I hadn't embedded anything in a while, almost forgot how to do it myself, Ha!
Last Edited by Honkin On Bobo on Jun 29, 2016 11:40 AM
This is a good video. What words would you use to describe the difference between the stock MB, the first custom MB and the last top of the line custom MB? I'm asking because people use a lot different words to describe the differences in tone of various harps. I hear, "Warmer", "Darker" "More Mellow", "Brighter", "Louder", "Raspy" and "Gritty" to mention a few. In the examples presented here, I would say the more expensive harps are Brighter and more penetrating. They are more precise. There is no muffled sound. The tone is more piercing. You can imagine how it would cut through the mix when playing with other instruments. What do you say? ---------- Tom Halchak www.BlueMoonHarmonicas.com
Thanks J.A. I was cruising YouTube earlier today, watching all the folks who won the "Golden Harmonica" on the Craig Ferguson Show, and was reminded of how tough it is to sound good on a cheap harmonica!
Last Edited by Gnarly on Jun 29, 2016 3:15 PM
Hahahaha! Gnarly that was awesome! Apparently Oh, Susanna is the go to song for those attempting to demonstrate their proficiency (or lack thererof) on the harmonica. Even Steven Tyler. Nice.
Last Edited by Honkin On Bobo on Jun 29, 2016 5:21 PM
Thanks for this J.A. It was interesting to hear these differences as you recorded them. I am with Tom on the sound. I heard the more expensive harps to be brighter and in fact it may be the recording but they sound somewhat sharp to my ear. Secondly, because you were sometimes using the same breath force that you did with the lesser expensive harps; the expensive ones sounded louder & somewhat harsh. Maybe they play easier but the MB sounded like a harp would to my ears. It's just an opinion but I wouldn't spend the extra money on the more expensive harps for louder. That said, I know the benefits of a good harp when it's been set up properly by a good harp mechanic. The Hohner dealer/mechanic I buy from checks out & corrects every harp i buy before he sends them out to me. This was a really good education. Thankyou.
I know in recording there is constant volume creep and the general consensus is that the public in general will like something better if it's louder. With that in mind, I could hear the airiness in the first two harps, but most of what I heard after that, I think, was volume. So my question is how much closer would they sound if you just played the cheaper ones harder or turned up the amp/mic? How much of that difference could be achieved without the extensive modification to the harps with customization?
Or, alternately, how much modification do you need to see to see the most difference. I've got a few Blues Band type harps that I bought to practice things like opening the backs on and embossing so I didn't damage my good harps with my first clumsy attempts, and actually, I got a couple of them sounding, well, maybe not great, but very playable. I suspect with the thin reeds there is only so much you can do, but it would be interesting to see it controlled for too.
A couple of years ago, I attended one of Ronnie Shellist’s Hohner Roadshow workshops. Ronnie is a great ambassador for Hohner and puts on a nice workshop. He does a demonstration of a wide variety of the stock harmonicas – Special 20, Marine Band, Crossover, Golden Melody, Rocket, etc. and discusses what he hears and feels with each model. Again, everything he plays is OOTB. No bait and switch meaning he doesn’t play a custom Crossover and lead the audience to believe that all the OOTB Crossovers are of the same quality. So as he was doing his demo and taking questions one of the people in the audience asked him, “What about this harmonica?” and he held up the free Blues Band that everyone received as a promo for attending the workshop. To his credit, Ronnie didn’t back away from the challenge and he took that harp and played it. I watched Ronnie impose his will on that cheap $3.00 harmonica and make it sound good. But he had to work hard to do it. Obviously, as a representative of Hohner, he had to do everything he could to make even their cheap harps sound good – and he did. But what struck me about the experience was that even though he could play on the cheaper harps, he had to work awfully hard and I could not imagine him playing a gig with them. He would be worn out within a couple of songs plus he would be limited in how expressive he could be. The point is that guys like Ronnie or our own Adam Gussow who prides himself in playing OOTB Marine Bands with only some minor gapping and tuning have the chops to play anything. But if you don’t have the chops or don’t want to work that hard, higher quality and/or custom harps can make life easier for you. Once you find a harp that fits you – you can focus on making music instead of overcoming the deficiencies in a harp or playing around the weak spots. ---------- Tom Halchak www.BlueMoonHarmonicas.com
Good video demonstrating the differences, J.A. Good post, Tom!
I think there is a certain level of cost to buy a functional performance harp with OOTB adequacy. Improvements in playing over that will cost more. Some may pay extra for the harp to look cool, sometimes for better playing, or both. I focus on the playing. When I use them they are hidden to a great extent. Unless it was an emergency, I would not buy OOTB Marine Bands, because of the nails. The improved MB series with screws are fine. I don't like to work on harps with nails or pins.
Custom harps are like high end audio gear: the more you spend, the better it can get. The performance differences of a $1000 audio system vs. a $2000 audio system exists, but I would not get my money's worth out of the improved sound of the $2000 system.
You have to consider diminishing returns for your investment when you get to high end gear, as Goldbrick noted. Do you get one really good harp, or a number of not quite so good, but quite functional harps. I think that most of us consider what plays for us in our style at our level and get the best we can afford to sound good without blowing the budget.
If I win millions in the lottery I will play all customs. Until then I will use mid range OOTB harps that I adjust and troubleshoot, and will cherish the few customs I have. Maybe, as old Special 20s slowly die off, I will gradually add more customs. Until then, for what I do, OOTB will suffice. ----------
I should preface this by saying that I am becoming a well-known "Doubting Thomas" when it comes to sound tests of harmonicas (no connection in any way to our Mr. Halchak 8^) ). I have scientific research background and I know how difficult it is to set up an unbiased, fair test of any kind. Second, I have taken part in a marathon SPAH test that succumbed to the vast number of variables at play, including human nature.
For these reasons I can't put much credence in your demonstration, Joel. The most obvious problem is that ~you~ conducted it. Because you have a personal interest in the outcome of your demonstration you are immediately disqualified to make it. Please understand that I'm not impugning your character in any way. It is human nature that even if you try not to, you impose your personal bias in a demonstration like this. I believe that you ~think~ you played each harmonica with identical breath force, etc., but...
There's another problem. I wouldn't mention it but since you have offered your own playing as the "constant" in your demonstration, quite honestly there is so much variability in your playing of the same phrase from one harp to the next that I'd have to hear you play the harps several times each to try to filter out the ah, well, inconsistencies in your playing.
Finally, the fact that others detected unpleasant (to their ears and mine) high frequency overtones in the custom harmonicas that you either don't hear, don't care about, or just don't mention casts further doubt on the validity of your demonstration and the conclusions you draw from it.
I understand that you want to promote your rising customization business. But this is a poor way to go about it, IMHO. I'll leave it to you to figure out a better one.
Sorry,
Michelle
---------- SilverWing Leather - Custom leather creations for musicians and other eccentrics.
I believe the video shows some real differences in stock vs. his customs. I am not denying Michelle's points about scientific validity, but it is just a demo, not scientific proof. It is marketing, but no claim of superiority to other customs was made.
I would like to hear a demo after the fist 3 harps were properly gapped. ----------
I will know more about this soon, though my test will not come close to meeting scientific standards for objectivity that Michelle brings up.
I have two stage II+ harps in Joe Spiers' que. I will give a report when I receive them, but this test will only be valid for me and my style of playing. I also realize that I am not immune to confirmatory bias.
You gotta make allowance for recording. And playback. I don't have data and time to play the video again but I didn't think the customs sounded harsh. I wasn't listening for that though, I was listening for the difference and what I was hearing was along the lines of Tom's description. I did think I could probably have that marine band playing better with fairly minimal effort, but I've played enough to tell the customs were a level up from that. The point made above about the effort involved (Tom again I think) is also valid. I'm not sure what's the story with the difference between customs in the demo, they both seem easy to play and clear but they sound different. How much of the sound is tuning and how much is overtones from modifications I don't know. I think that second one has a thicker comb, which would affect the sound and playing experience. also, being easier to play, the harp will have an effect on the way the player interacts with it, and that will influence the sound. Especially changing between such differences as in this video. Not much opportunity to adapt.
Michelle – why is it that you (and a few others) immediately assume that anyone who markets or sells his or her products and/or service is being less than truthful? It’s insulting. It is not an attractive quality and I wish you would stop.
Tom, I am a scientist and scientists are born skeptics. That is a good thing. But to say that I blanketly assume that all purveyors of commercial products are less than truthful is just plain wrong. I never said anything like that. In fact, in this case I was careful to say that I was not impugning Joel's character. I frankly don't understand why you interpret what I regard as a healthy level of disbelief on the part of a consumer as a personal insult to the person promoting their products.
What I have said, and I stand by it, is that tests or demonstrations of products are far more meaningful if they're not performed by the person who is also promoting them. This is why companies go to lengths to have famous users "endorse" their products. They hope to introduce some level of objectivity to their claims.
It is a fact that, when even the most honest person has a personal or financial interest in a product they are naturally biased in a positive way. It is human nature. As a result, even if we assume there is no slight of hand at play (and there often is), any product comparison done by the product's promoter or "champion" becomes an advertisement. I ask you, have you ever seen a product comparison done by a representative of that product come out with anything other than glowing results? The problem is that frequently such a promoter proffers their advertisement as something else. That's when I speak up.
I suspect that outside the world of harmonicas you have a healthy amount of skepticism when you see product promoters in action. Do you believe every automobile advertisement you see? Car manufacturers spend millions of dollars trying to convince you of the veracity of their claims. But I am willing to bet you do your due diligence when you buy a car. Yet for some reason you take it personally when I have that same attitude in the harmonica community.
Finally, I freely admit that I am highly sensitized to claims about how one harmonica sounds better or is easier to play than another because I know how difficult it is to back such claims up with provable facts. It will take more than a video by the promoter of his products to convince me, especially when his product costs manifold times the cost of its competitors.
Through it all I hope we're still friends.
Michelle
---------- SilverWing Leather - Custom leather creations for musicians and other eccentrics.
"This is why companies go to lengths to have famous users "endorse" their products. They hope to introduce some level of objectivity to their claims. "
Ya that's why they do it. Hahahahahahahahahhahahahhaha!!!!!
When I used to see Tiger Woods endorsing Buick cars I remember thinking, "Hmm, I wonder what he really drives, Ferrari? Lamborghini? Rolls? Mercedes?". And when I saw Dan Marino hawking Isotoner gloves, I remember thinking, "I wonder how much they're paying him to look this ridiculous?". And when I saw Matthew McConaughey riding around in that Cadillac I remember thinking, " What the HELL is he talking about?"
I can positively and uneqivocally state that I NEVER thought, "Well, THAT introduces an element of objectivity into this product pitch."
Last Edited by Honkin On Bobo on Jul 01, 2016 11:33 AM
Tom, I think I have to agree with Michelle on this one. Bias, even unintentional bias, is really hard to weed out of any tests. It's one of the reasons so many scientific tests get different results when they are run more than once by different people. You'd basically need a machine to blow and draw to eliminate it completely. Short of that you have two other options- a really well controlled blind test would be optimal. You'd have several harps that looked the same but with various degrees of reed work done. Put a code tag on them so that the person playing doesn't know which is which.
The other way to go would be full on anecdotal, sort of. When you get to play a harp with your own mouth you get an idea of what it can do. You might still get a placebo effect, but at least it would be 'your' placebo effect, 'your' being whoever was playing it.
I've played good harps and bad harps. There is certainly a difference, and I know even I can take a bad harp and make it better. I've played harps that people have made better and they are consistently great harps. If it was easy to repeat something exactly the same way every time you do it though everyone would be shooting 18's on the golf course.
I think this is a good honest representation of what different harps can do and it's done in good faith. I think Michelle thinks that too... but it doesn't meet scientific levels of control.
------
And now for something completely different- has anyone ever isolated a reed pair on a custom harp? I wonder if maybe some of the other reeds in the harp are vibrating with overtones. I know I can get the 10 draw or blow to sound on 1 blow or draws (that is, the opposite). I wonder if anything like that is going on in customs. Of course, they might not make much sound without a column of air going through them. It wouldn't take too much to test the theory though. Just tape all the reeds in every hole but one and see if it sounds different than when they aren't taped. (Of course, the same questions about repeatable accuracy would be in play, but we might get a strong enough result to see if it warrants more research.) I know strings sympathetically resonate if their pitch is close enough. ET would seem to give you the best chance for resonance between two reeds of the same pitch, but someone better at math would have to figure out what would be ideal for other reeds.
Nate - nobody said this was a scientific experiment. You are applying standards that are not relevant to the conversation. It is a demonstration and even though we can nitpick about it being imperfect, clearly there are dramatic differences between the five harps that were presented and to insinuate that Joel had any intention to deceive is just plain wrong. ---------- Tom Halchak www.BlueMoonHarmonicas.com
Last Edited by florida-trader on Jul 01, 2016 12:05 PM
People are arguing about apples and oranges here! Some say it was a fine demo video and others that it is unacceptable since it was not a scientific experiment. The video was not claiming to use scientific rigor to create a double blind study to determine if there are differences. It is a product demo!
It is just a PRODUCT DEMO comparing 5 harps, two low end, one MB, two harps customized to different levels. It is not a scientific comparison. It doesn't have to be a scientific comparison!
I have never played a JA harp and know nothing about him or his customizing skills other than what has been posted here. The price of his high end harp seems pretty substantial. I own several Deak Harps and once I got to play a Filisko. The rest of my harps are various brands and vintages of OOTB harps, with minor adjustments by me.
There is a definite recognizable difference in how a custom plays and sounds as opposed to OOTB mid range harps as opposed to low end harps. I hear the differences in this demo of JA harps.
This video (which is a PRODUCT DEMO, not a scientific evaluation) shows some differences in sound including apparent loudness and brightness. Yes, the recording process and EQ settings and the player and the covers and the gapping all could affect the sound we hear on the recording. It is not scientific and that is OK.
I think we should just take this for what it is: a product demo showing differences in 2 low end harps, an OOTB Marine Band, and two levels of customized JA harps. I think the video does its job, and that the switching back and forth was a good tactic. I liked the video and believe there is an actual difference in sound and playability in the harps demonstrated.
JA is a customizer trying to get recognized as making good custom harps. He is trying to be known to players, like Joe Filisko, Andrew Zajac, Joe Spiers, and Richard Sleigh (and numerous others who modify harps to improve their playing). There is nothing inherently wrong in trying to spread word about your product. Sure, buyer beware... same as it ever was. I would like to hear and perhaps play one before spending that kind of money.
I believe it is OK to sell your product, and I think the video did demonstrate some differences in sound. I wish that the cheapie harps had been gapped, because I think they would not have sounded so airy and would have bent better with simple gapping. Same as would the MB. But it really is not that important.
In the end, I believe it was a good demo video and that the criticism about a lack of scientific rigor was not needed. It is just a demo video. ----------
1. A person who makes public claims about his products should be ready to accept public criticism and defend those claims. 2. I make no apologies where none is called for. I stated my opinion, am entitled to it, and stand by it. 3. I didn't try to convince anyone of anything. Joel was trying to do the convincing, not me. 4. I never insinuated that Joel was trying to deceive. I merely stated that I require further proof before I believe his product is worth manifold times the value of a similar-sounding off the shelf product. Requiring further proof after a claim about a product is made does not equal calling someone a liar. 5. I've said all I will on this thread unless Joel responds to my posts himself.
Michelle
---------- SilverWing Leather - Custom leather creations for musicians and other eccentrics.
I think this is a great demo. The custom harps do sound much more precise. It confirms my thoughts that for my level of playing I can stick with the something around the stock Marine Band-level plus a bit of gapping.
At about 1.35 Joel plays the MB and there's a breathy sound to the 3 draw. I know that's the kind of thing that some gapping would typically sort out.
It's hard to do a completely objective demo and I know this is an advert, but this is useful info.
Thank you!
Last Edited by MindTheGap on Jul 01, 2016 11:42 PM
I too think the video is fine. To me it clearly shows the difference between 3 Euro and 300 Euro harmonicas, and those in between.
The fact that the premium harmonicas are from Joel himself is beside the point.
For almost 15 years I've played Neil Graham custom diatonics. They cost around the same as Joel's premium model, and I expect they perform similarly. I've recorded with them, toured, played festivals, jammed, busked, and played them in pretty much every circumstance.
I know them well.
I've also made a close study of low end harmonicas for my Chinese sites, and am of course familiar with mid range Hohners.
My experience mirrors Joel's.
Hohner factory time is about 1 Euro per minute. When you factor in retail markups, Hohner marketing/admin costs, materials etc, it seems clear that a standard Marine Band wouldn't get more than about 10 minutes of hands on time. Otherwise Hohner couldn't afford to make them. Likewise for other companies.
Contrast this with the time that Joel, a master craftsman, would put into his premium harmonicas. They just have to be better than their off the shelf counterparts.
It is good to see a relatively young player putting his name out there as a customiser, and dedicating himself to the craft. Likewise for the other customisers. And the 3rd party custom parts suppliers, Andrew Zajac, Tom Halchack, Greg Heumann and others.
None of this existed when I started out. We're all better for it.
---------- Tony Eyers Australia www.HarmonicaAcademy.com everyone plays...
Tom, I wasn't arguing that every demo has to be up to scientific standards, just clarifying that there is an innate inaccuracy in any test, no matter the intentions, which, I think, was what Michelle was trying to get across too.
This is a product demo. People are free to post those here (within reason) but it's also a forum where people like to talk about the minutia of harmonicas, and that includes how you could do more closely controlled comparisons.
I think if you reread Michelle's comments you'll see that she went specifically out of her way to make sure that she didn't imply that there was anything hinky going on with the demonstration, just that it is very hard to get very accurate data. I've tried it myself, trying to play the same thing exactly the same twice in a row for comparison. I can't do it to a level that, if I was someone else listening, that I could convince them the difference between a OOTB harp that happened to be really good and a harp that's been modified to be even better. There is a bigger difference, I think, between a bad harp and a good harp than there is between a good harp and a great harp. And, of course, if you have someone who is personally invested in a harp, putting their own name on it, you are almost certainly not going to get a dud! You'll get different results from a customizer than someone who is on the clock and expected to turn out X number per hour, even if they are trying to be conscientious about it.
Nate - I don’t mean to be contentious. I do not disagree with your or Michelle’s premise about a “test” or other sort of scientific proceeding that seeks to “prove” something. As has been stated and re-stated, the video posted was not a test – it was a demonstration – so all the standards which might apply to scientific analysis are irrelevant. Was it a “sales presentation”? Yeah, sort of. Joel did “claim” that his custom harps were louder and more responsive. That’s not exactly an outrageous thing to say. Just about everybody who watched his video agreed. Did he try to twist anyone’s arm to buy one of his harps? No. He just put the demo out there and let the chips fall where they may. Joel is new to MBH but he is not without credentials. He is one of a handful of Certified Hohner Harmonica Techs in the world. That ought to mean something. I like to think of MBH as a harmonica community. We’re kind of like family. Whereas in the “outside world” we have to be careful about who we believe, inside these walls I think we tend to give each other the benefit of the doubt. We often disagree albeit agreeably but we rarely call anyone out for a video of this nature. I just think it was uncalled for. It did not fit the situation. We all have our pet peeves. Michelle’s is the Scientific Method. Mine is Professional Courtesy. I don’t know Joel from a hole in the ground and he didn’t put me up to defending him. The first emails we ever exchanged were in reference to this thread. He is 9 posts into his MBH career. One has to ask, is he the kind of guy we want to welcome into community or not? I say yes, so let’s make him feel welcome. ---------- Tom Halchak www.BlueMoonHarmonicas.com
Tom, I see your point. I'd missed the low post total.
Welcome to the forum Joel. I hope we haven't discouraged you from participating. I enjoyed the demonstration.
There are some people here who very much enjoy getting into the minutia of why things work, and sometimes in our zeal we forget to say hello before jumping in. I apologize for our manners. We just get excited about the topic. :)
Being an engineer, I understood what Michelle was saying and did not take it as impugning the character or the motives of the tester. Non scientific demonstrations have a place and the one presented here was a good one. In a topic as multivariate as this one, it is good to keep in mind the shortcomings of the methods we have available. I have no hard proof, but I tend to agree with Joel on the value if a high quality and well set up harmonica. I have a couple of harps with combs from Blue Moon and they are among my favorites to play.
Here is a non scientific demonstration of a Suzuki Pro-master, with Firebreath reed plates (last repaired by Gnarly) and a blue anodized comb from Blue Moon. Note the impact the Blue Moon comb has on the tunes of the harmonica. sound sample
:-)
Last Edited by STME58 on Jul 05, 2016 11:52 AM
This test wasn't made to be a scientific test, it is a clip where I (as a human being) show the difference. And I totally agree with Michelle that of course It would have been better to have someone else to do this test. But I think most people still get the point of the clip. I do have 2 other video clips where Mikael Bäckman is testing J.A. Harmonicas. And regarding the price of my harmonicas, I am in the same price range as other high quality customizers. The more money you spend on a harmonica the better response, more volume, better bends, overblows you get. My No.1 intention with this video was not to show my own custom harmonicas, it was to show that there is a huge difference between different priced harmonicas. Personally I don’t find the brightness to be a problem, I like it. But I do understand that some people don’t fancy that sound. Someone said that I should re-gap the first 3 harmonicas and do the test again, thing is if I do that they are not OOTB harps anymore, and they would be more expensive as well. Harmonica players are amongst the few musicians that are spending more money on gear and equipment than on the instrument. I play a little bit of accordion as well and I own 2 Castagnari accordions, they are amongst the finest accordions you can buy. They both cost 6000 Euro, and that is a price that serious accordion players would accept. Over and out, back to the workshop now.
Interesting video, thanks. I'd be interested if you started customising chromatic harmonicas, particularly CX12s in multiple tunings as I hear your work is very good. I know with chromatic harmonicas we (usually) don't have the same issues with setting up for overblowing etc, but the issues with response are the same, if not more prevalent due to more parts and places to leak. Sure keep it in mind and best of luck with your new venture! ---------- blintgy like soundcloud, ug
Joel, thank you for coming back to this thread. It was dangerously close to becoming diverted.
I want to first mention that to me a "comparison" differs from "test" only semantically. Further, I never said that I was holding your comparison up to the standards of a scientific test, only that as scientist I know how difficult it is to demonstrate small differences in subjective quantities. That is incontrovertible.
As to the feathers I ruffled, it's comforting in a sense that forum members were quick to come to your defense. But where I come from when someone puts something up for public comparison they are inviting people to say what they think. So I did. It wasn't mean spirited. I had no dog in the fight. I had what I still believe are valid concerns and criticisms and was vilified openly for it. I don't know what good it would serve for me to fall in line and pat you on the back or to have kept my mouth shut. Quite frankly, if you want to sell many $320 harmonicas, you will have to do better than that self-produced little comparison video. Businessperson to businessperson in the long run you will thank me for holding you to higher standards.
Truthfully, Joel, I don't understand why you presented your little comparison which, I am sorry, smacked of self-promotion, when you also had the Mikael Bäckman video. I felt Mikael's expert playing and in-depth exploration of the various possibilities with the different models to be far more convincing. People can criticize me if they want to but I just don't believe that a player like Mikael would have been quite so naturally influenced by the fact that it was your loving hands that created those beautiful custom harmonicas.
Anyway, I'm glad you posted Mikael's video. If you'd done that in the first place I wouldn't have caused such a kerfuffle.
Respectfully,
Michelle
---------- SilverWing Leather - Custom leather creations for musicians and other eccentrics.
More customization = more responsiveness with less air with easier OBs / ODs. (downside: They can also spit-clog more easily.) Joel's demo seems to be an honest attempt to show differences, - but besides comparing the extreme examples on each end, a demo of this sort can only tell you so much. You gotta take a leap of faith and try one if you're serious about exploring them.
Until someone develops a calibrated harmonica playing machine capable of playing blues licks, then sets up a double blind test, the skeptics will always have an argument.
Unless someone dies and makes me king, I'm not likely to bite on a $300+ harp though. Not sure if any demo will sell that. $150 or so on a customized 1847 from Ben Bouman is my happy place. They've played well for years and if I ever get around to sending them back, he'll tweak em up to spec again.
Wanna really get into it? - I can hear the differences in speaker cables ;)
Looks like you make some nice instruments Joel. ---------- Bone's music videos
Last Edited by bonedog569 on Jul 08, 2016 3:16 PM
The "spit clog" is not unique to custom harmonicas. I can only play so long on any harp before I have to tap it out as MP describes. I can also only play so long on a trumpet or trombone before I have to open the water key and let the condensation out, hopefully before it starts making that gurgley sound.
On the price of a custom harp, 12 $300 customs is still on the low end of what a good, professional level trumpet, trombone or saxophone costs. You also have the opportunity to try out a twelfth of an instrument and see if you want to get the whole thing or maybe just the keys you think you will use most. You can't buy $300 worth of a pro level brass or woodwind instrument to see how you like playing a pro level instrument.
Tom, I created the sound sample in my earlier post as a joke, but I kind of like it, so I tried the medley at an open mike tonight. I explained that parts of my harmonica came from a company called Blue Moon and here is what it did to my harp, then played the medley. It went over well.
Last Edited by STME58 on Jul 08, 2016 10:19 PM
I've followed this thread with interest, appreciating the thoughtful points made.
Nevertheless, it's a tempest in a teapot, to coin a phrase, or "much ado about nothing", to coin another phrase. (Shakespeare-- tell me your estate hasn't copyrighted "much ado"; don't Disney me.)
Life, love, music, blues, blues harmonica, modern blues harmonica-- all these in that order trump gear and gear promotion.
Y'all love music, right? Don't lose sight of that as you wander the byways.
Cheers,
wolf kristiansen
p.s. The video was thought-provoking to me, whether or not its author was flogging a product. I learned from it.
