Littoral
1561 posts
Feb 02, 2018
5:01 AM
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Most instruments cost a lot to buy but after that it's maintenance. I'm wondering where our harp thing ranks on the scale of affordability to play professionally. That is, full set ready to go. For me that's low harps and backups of most, in tune.
Guitar players have to change strings a lot. The might be more expensive.
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Dox
107 posts
Feb 02, 2018
5:23 AM
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Littoral you are right. Harps are not cheap at all to play in a serious manner! I have a full set of 1847 silver BetaHarp setup for 1000 euros, and an almost full set of bluex lab special 20 for 600 euros. Not considering some backup of these, some low (3), some minor (2), some 3rd easy (4)...I think I actually have something of 3000 euro of harps, maybe more, like 2 fender stratocaster! Because all my harps actually have a setup, change a reed isn't free...normally I wait to broke some harps reeds and then I ship a bunch of them to the customizer, using backups in the meanwhile.
I'm a bass player also, and I have to say that economically spoken, there is few differences. Ok there are basses of 4000/5000 euros (I had someone), but a professional instrument is about 1200/1600 euros. If you want to be finicky, you can get 2 or 3 instruments with different pickup configuration: a typical fender jazz configuration + a music man configuration + a fretless basses. You are about 4500 euros (considering 1500 euro for a single high-end instrument). You don't need special tuning for basses (conversely to diatonic harps): ok, you can use drop tuning but you don't need a new fresh bass for that! If you play often, you may need to change strings 3 or 4 time in a year. So, about 100 euros per bass/year. Not so much at all...Ultimately, basses/guitars can be more expensive but there isn't a huge differences if you play good harps in a "professional" manner. To the "electric" side, maybe you can spend a much more on guitars/basses (pedals and amps) than on harps but depends on situations...
Last Edited by Dox on Feb 02, 2018 5:39 AM
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Martin
1377 posts
Feb 02, 2018
6:31 AM
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When I compare what I have to put out in order to keep me in harmonicas, mics, pedals, amps, with my guitar playing friends I find I draw the shorter stick.
This has to a considerable degree to do with the fact that I´m hard on my harps, but when I first picked up a harmonica (in the 70´s) the cost of a set of guitar strings were just about equal to a harp. Then I stopped playing for a number of years and returnd in the late 80´s. At that time the cost of harmonicas had run amok and quality plummeted: you had to change harps more frequently than guitar strings, where prices appeared not to have skyrocketed.
It´s the LO separate reedplates that keeps me going.
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NathanLWBC
127 posts
Feb 02, 2018
6:44 AM
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I'm a bass player, and I can tell you that my gigging rig is substantially more expensive than most harp players'.
You're looking at 1400ish for a professional quality instrument and at least 1500ish for a large enough, quality rig to cover all of the venues you are expected to play. In fact, you may need more than one rig. I change strings once a month at about 45 a set.
Don't even get me started on upright. My instrument was 2600, and you should change strings once every six months if you do extensive bow work. Changing strings on an upright means a professional setup, which comes to approximately 300 each time. Add in rosin and bow maintenance and it gets very expensive.
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--Nathan Heck
General Manager, Lone Wolf Blues Co.
customerservice@lonewolfblues.com
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The Iceman
3466 posts
Feb 02, 2018
6:52 AM
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face it, folks. Our little instrument is kinda at the bottom of the list of expensive instruments to own and maintain compared to others....
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The Iceman
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MindTheGap
2477 posts
Feb 02, 2018
6:56 AM
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I don't know about professionally, but as an amateur you can have more fun for less money than any instrument I know.
So it may be the case now that all professionals play custom harps (I bet they don't) but even that fact that you can afford basically the same instrument (stock SP20 or whatever) as a professional musician is something unusual.
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jbone
2471 posts
Feb 02, 2018
7:04 AM
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My partner and wife has 3 guitars, one a gift, one was horse traded using another guitar and amp, one bought off flea bay for pretty cheap. She has the small cheap tuners. String changes are minimal. To replace her guitars though, since two are vintage and one is not made any more, would cost $1500/$2000.
I have pretty much a full set of harps, mixed bag but basically Manjis, with doubles on a lot of keys in case of failures while gigging, plus 4 chromatics in my case. Low estimate would be $1300 to replace. So to me, it's pretty close between decent quality harps and decent quality guitars.
We have matching amps, vintage. Small p.a. and all the mics and stands. I have 2 harp mics, one a custom Heuman modded. Neighborhood on $2k to replace if not more.
This stuff is not cheap on a fixed income! But as far as harp and other instruments, a case of harps can add up fast. Guitars can sometimes be very pricey if you look at vintage Fender and Gibson, and can disappear easily if they are not taken well care of in public.
Other hand, I've seen guys who had a basic set of MB's or SP20's, who played through whatever was available, had maybe $200 in harps, and made $$ several nights a week.
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Dox
109 posts
Feb 02, 2018
7:14 AM
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@NathanLWBC, to the side of amplification yes, y'll spend much more than harp normally. As I said depends on situations but as general rule you spend much more on bass/guitar than the harp.
@jbone, CVD, as you said, my theory is correct.
To the side of instrument, I return to say this is not so true if we made the comparison with the SAME CLASS of instruments.
If you consider a set of special 20, ok, is about 200 euros, but you can't compare this set with a fender jazz bass american for 1200 euro. I think that the "fender jazz bass" in the harp field is a suzuki pure harp, or a seydel 1847. In order to play the "same music range" that you play with the "fender jazz bass" you need a complete set and maybe some other special tuning. Because 80 euros for a single harp, you spend 80*12 euros = 960 euros (if you add the mentioned above tuning problem, you overcome the 1000 euros easily).
But this is true for a cheap Ibanez bass (200 euros) compared to a full set of special 20 (200 euros). At the end the money are the same.
Do not confuse the original discussion. If you ask: "Is hamonica less expensive to start as a beginner?" The question is yes, you take a 20 bucks harp and it's done! No other musical instrument cost less then that. But the original consideration is different: "How much cost the harps if you want to play them professionally?". This question need to consider a good range of tune, backup and so on. In this case, my considerations are above and it's true for any level which you consider:
Ibanez bass (200 euro) = special 20 set (200 euro).
Fender jazz bass (almost 1200 euro) = suzuki pure harp set (almost 1200 euro).
Fodera YY bass (4000 euro) = danneker centurion set (almost 4000 euro).
Ok, maybe you don't need a real full set, but you have to admit that the prices are not so different.
Last Edited by Dox on Feb 02, 2018 7:25 AM
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MindTheGap
2478 posts
Feb 02, 2018
7:46 AM
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I'm having trouble with this one. Are there many actual professional harp players, in the sense there are professional guitarists, bassoonists, violinists? People that make their income solely or mainly from playing the diatonic harmonica.
I can imagine there are essentially full-time chromatic harmonica musicians, but not so many diatonic.
If 'professional' includes a professional musician who also plays some harp, then there must be some who use stock harps. Adam uses stock harps doesn't he? Not super-expensive ones.
Last Edited by MindTheGap on Feb 02, 2018 7:51 AM
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Dox
110 posts
Feb 02, 2018
7:50 AM
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@MindTheGap, This is not the point. You can use the harp which you want if you are a professional or non-pro player. Same for bass player. My example is simply to underline that we have to consider the same class of instruments when we do a comparison. Considering that, there are no differences.
Last Edited by Dox on Feb 02, 2018 7:54 AM
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MindTheGap
2479 posts
Feb 02, 2018
7:54 AM
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I think that is the point. I understand your argument, but you'd expect a professional bass player (trumpeter, violinist...), even one who doubles on other instruments, to own an expensive instrument not a student model. However I think you easily see a semi-pro or pro musician who plays some harp using the same stock harp as I do.
So I don't think there is the equivalence you are laying out there.
As you can see, I'm very keen on the idea that for not much money us hobbyists can play a similar (or same) instrument as some much better players use. I want to hold onto this attractive idea until someone can prove it wrong!
I've got one obvious counter-example so far in Adam. I have another one (I think). But I'll listen to an argument that says these are the exceptions :)
I can't help thinking that most of the people who buy Danneker Centurions are comfortably-off (and possibly very able and passionate) amateurs rather than professional musicians. Whereas most of the people who buy top quality violins are pro violinists.
Last Edited by MindTheGap on Feb 02, 2018 8:04 AM
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Littoral
1562 posts
Feb 02, 2018
8:14 AM
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The point is about comparing the costs of pro working gear.
Initially, I think a full PRO set is equivalent in cost to the majority of other instruments. I'm easier on harps these days and they are better quality so I don't have to replace them as much. Even then it's often parts so that's even cheaper.
Maintenance is usually my own bench work.
Amps? That's comparable too. The right stuff isn't cheap for any of us.
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Dox
111 posts
Feb 02, 2018
8:25 AM
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"But I think you easily see a semi-pro or pro musician who plays some harp using a stock harp."
This can be true or not. May be in general is true, but there are "endorsment" consideration and commercial consideration which can be different for different instruments. I seen a lot of good bass player with a jazz mexico (300 bucks), and a lot of good harmonicists with a stock special 20. The fact that you see "biggest" bass player play an high-end bass is a matter of endorsment and commercial consideration and I return to say, this is not the point.
Ah and don't forget: "professional player" is not necessarily a musician who lives on music, but also an hobbyist musician who wants to have a professional park of instruments to use in all situations in which he can find himself playing in terms of tonality and usability.
Speaking for me I must say that, as a bassist, I did not spent a lot of more money than the harps...but will not be like that for other people...
Last Edited by Dox on Feb 02, 2018 8:42 AM
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Tuckster
1682 posts
Feb 02, 2018
8:34 AM
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You can buy a set of the best custom harps and still not come close to what a concert violinist pays for their instrument.
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Dox
112 posts
Feb 02, 2018
8:36 AM
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I think the best comparison is with guitar and bass...piano, keyboard, double bass, violin and other instruments are other things...
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florida-trader
1265 posts
Feb 02, 2018
8:41 AM
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The trend among serious players in the harmonica world is to invest in quality instruments and then maintain/repair them when necessary. Back when Marine Bands cost $15 or less, the pattern was to buy them, blow them out, throw them away and buy new ones. During that era, there was not a lot of information available about how to improve stock harps or how to repair them. Those are the days of the pioneers like Rick Epping, Joes Filisko, Richard Sleigh and Brendan Powder. They were just beginning to unlock the secrets and it was closely held information. There was no YouTube – no Facebook. In addition, there no money in Harp Repair. When you consider the cost of repairing anything, the competition is always the price of a new replacement. If a new Marine Band costs $15, how much would someone be willing to pay to have an old one repaired? Maybe half that much. So for a guy who wanted to offer his services fixing harps, he had to figure out how to survive charging $7 or $8 a harp. Not going to happen. So there just wasn’t anybody doing it.
Fast forward to today. A new Marine Band will run you $35 or $40. Plenty of other harps cost a lot more. With the abundance of information available to us on the Internet and via workshops, chances are that in addition to the money you spent on the stock harp, you have either paid someone to set it up or spent your own valuable time doing so. Now, if your harp blows out, if you are so inclined, you can fix it yourself or send to any one of a dozen techs who are experts at harp repair and the cost will be far less than a new harp.
I think that it is a very positive step in the right direction. Instead of buying the cheapest harp because you want to minimize your losses when it inevitably blows out and put yourself in the position of perpetually playing inferior harps, it makes sense to invest in quality. You’ll be playing much more responsive harps, which I believe enables you to play more relaxed, which puts a lot less stress on the harps. If you do blow out a reed, it is easily repaired, and you are back up and running in no time. I think a strong argument can be made that in the long run, it is less expensive to buy quality and take care of it than what we used to do. It is the old price vs. cost argument.
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Tom Halchak
Blue Moon Harmonicas
Last Edited by florida-trader on May 30, 2018 9:07 AM
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Gnarly
2430 posts
Feb 02, 2018
9:16 AM
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Lately the only harp I take to gigs is my 12 hole Sirius with SCX plates, tuned to Orchestra Bebop.
The short harp kit has 40 harmonicas, if I had to replace them all, it would take a lot of money and time (more than half are custom tuned).
I go out with a guitar, today it is a Taylor 812, if I had to replace it, it would cost 3 grand. It is not new, of course, probably only worth a grand at this point. I think the "box of harmonicas" is probably pricier--$50X40=$2000, plus my custom work (I would do it for free for myself, but I have other work for other customers, that might slow things down).
So I would suggest that our instruments can be just as expensive as others' . . .
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MindTheGap
2480 posts
Feb 02, 2018
9:48 AM
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Dox, ah I was taking 'professional' literally. Using florida-trader's term of 'serious players' may be better.
Then it runs the risk of turning into a self-defining thing: serious players buy expensive harps. I'm a serious player because I've got expensive harps. Be honest, that's human nature.
I still would like to maintain that a person can make good music without expensive harps. I mean, people did make good music with cheap harps. I can see that the newer overbend styles require more expensive harps, but that's a particular technique.
I agree that instruments like guitars and basses are amazingly cheap too, across the spectrum, compared with orchestral instruments. So there is an argument that for rock/blues band instruments only, a set of 'serious' harps might the same price as a 'serious' bass.
Last Edited by MindTheGap on Feb 02, 2018 9:55 AM
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Dox
113 posts
Feb 02, 2018
9:54 AM
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MindTheGap, sorry for my bad definition :D english isn't my first language.
But, "serious players buy expensive harps. Then it turns into: I'm a serious player because I've got expensive harps." this is not I think nor I said:
" You can use the harp which you want if you are a professional or non-pro player. Same for bass player. My example is simply to underline that we have to consider the same class of instruments when we do a comparison. Considering that, there are no differences."
"I still would like to maintain that a person can make good music without expensive harps."
This is true!!!!! I agree. But this assertion is true for me for a guitar or bass player also:
"I seen a lot of good bass player with a jazz mexico (300 bucks), and a lot of good harmonicists with a stock special 20"
:D
Bye
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MindTheGap
2481 posts
Feb 02, 2018
9:58 AM
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Dox, ah apologies! I didn't mean you were saying that ("I'm a serious player because...") I'm saying it has a danger of turning into that. You see it all the time in hobbies and pastimes: table tennis bats, football boots, sewing machines... :)
Re basses and guitars - as I say I think there's amazing quality for the price for those kind of instruments.
Imagine a top pianist playing Rach 3 on a school piano. It would be impressive but honestly not sound as good as on a concert grand. But a pro guitarist playing on an entry-level Fender? Probably pretty good. Rick Estrin playing some blues on a stock SP20, probably pretty good too.
So I'm coming round to your idea that harps, guitars and basses could be in similar in quality/price. Once you take amps and pedals into account, you're slap bang in the same territory anyway.
Last Edited by MindTheGap on Feb 02, 2018 10:16 AM
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Littoral
1563 posts
Feb 02, 2018
10:06 AM
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Tuckster: "You can buy a set of the best custom harps and still not come close to what a concert violinist pays for their instrument."
True, but I'm guessing you know that's not question being considered. I'm pretty certain I've spent at least concert violin money on harps and gear.
Gnarly: "So I would suggest that our instruments can be just as expensive as others' . . .".
That's my take too.
Last Edited by Littoral on Feb 02, 2018 10:07 AM
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Dox
114 posts
Feb 02, 2018
10:31 AM
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MindTheGap, I agree. :D The important thing is to understand each other :D
Last Edited by Dox on Feb 02, 2018 10:31 AM
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nacoran
9726 posts
Feb 02, 2018
12:12 PM
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"face it, folks. Our little instrument is kinda at the bottom of the list of expensive instruments to own and maintain compared to others...."- Iceman
Tell that to tin whistle players! :)
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Nate
Facebook
Thread Organizer (A list of all sorts of useful threads)
First Post- May 8, 2009
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Gnarly
2431 posts
Feb 02, 2018
1:10 PM
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I'm not a serious player, because I need 40 harps to go out!
That's really where chromatic shines, you can get thru a gig with one harp.
Better bring two if you are serious tho, condensation will sneak up behind you and choke you!
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STME58
2045 posts
Feb 02, 2018
11:36 PM
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I just got a very good price on a professional level alto sax for my son. It was just a bit more than what a set of 12 Stage 1 Marine bands from Joe Spiers would cost. I expect he will go though more in reed and repair costs per year than a good harp player who does not abuse instruments. My son also plays bassoon. I am currently renting him at student level instrument for a little over $100 per month. A bottom end pro level bassoon is about $9k new. I might be able to get him a good reconditioned bassoon for about $4k. I was talking with some bassoon distributers at NAMM last weekend and they told me that the sought after Heckel Bassoons are $60K with an 8 year lead time! You could buy a lot of Danneckers for that and probably get them a lot sooner.
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MindTheGap
2482 posts
Feb 03, 2018
1:04 AM
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Yes indeed. But the debate here has turned towards the difference between broadly rock-band instruments and orchestral instruments.
For basses, guitars etc. the price of an instrument that a professional might use is a lot lower than the equivalent orchestral instrument.
My keyboard player has just bought a little Yahama Reface keyboard to sit on top of his proper piano. It's not what you'd call professional kit (like a proper Nord or such) but he's a 'serious player' as defined here, and output sound is stunning. £250.
Last Edited by MindTheGap on Feb 03, 2018 1:08 AM
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Dox
117 posts
Feb 03, 2018
3:24 AM
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Yes, harmonica have to be compared with popular music instruments...like guitar, basses, drum, maybe some keyboards (keyboards world is an hell!!!), maybe saxophone or trumpet...piano, bassoons, double bass, violin are on a different plane of prices...
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Dox
118 posts
Feb 03, 2018
3:31 AM
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I have another consideration also...all instruments have some margin of experimentation: there are a lot of effects and amps possibilities for guitar and bass but, today, the harmonica's world itself isn't so simple. Ok if you plan to play the chicago style only, you can have a more simpler life regarding amps, pedals, mic and so on. But, in general, today there are a lot of possibilities and experimentations in the field of harp also! A lot of mics (vocal and dedicated), a lot of amps (because we have all amps possibilities as a guitarist and in addition those specialized for harp also), a lot of pedals!!! If you want to experiment these aspects, there is a bottomless pit for your money!!! :D
Last Edited by Dox on Feb 03, 2018 3:33 AM
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MindTheGap
2484 posts
Feb 03, 2018
4:46 AM
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Dox. Very good point. There's still some mystery around kit that works for harp, even for the conventional Chicago sound. Guitarists can go to a guitar shop and try out combinations of guitars, pedals and amps before they buy. For harp, on the whole we have to buy untested and try at home. This adds extra $$$.
The attention on vintage things for harp makes it worse. We have to buy 2nd hand and it's a bit of a lottery. The situation is better than it was even when I started just a few years ago - there are at least some new harp-specific products. Still no local shop to go and try them out though.
Last Edited by MindTheGap on Feb 03, 2018 4:46 AM
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Dox
122 posts
Feb 03, 2018
5:10 AM
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MindTheGap, exactly! In the case of electric sound, we have some trouble in these direction that maybe we leads us to spend a lot of money...damned modern world! hahaha :D
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shakeylee
728 posts
Feb 03, 2018
1:19 PM
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Harmonica has been much more expensive for me than guitar.
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www.shakeylee.com
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ValleyDuke
204 posts
Feb 03, 2018
1:33 PM
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I agree with @florida-trader. Owning a bunch of cheap harmonicas was too expensive.
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Rishió
5 posts
Feb 05, 2018
12:19 AM
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The harp is not expensive for a hobbyist who plays multiple positions. I play 10 keys (pentatonic) per harp (out of the 24) by just memorizing 5 different patterns (each major key has a relative minor). That isn’t that hard or advanced. So most of the music I like are covered with just two harps, an A and a G. I could always get an Ab to cover all 24 keys but so far I just skip the flat songs. So just two harps, albeit each one, which are the cream of the crop, (powerbender tuning, steel reeds, custom covers, brass comb) cost me about $200, and so far those Seydel reeds are lasting! I think learning to play more positions, rather than buying all 12 keys, save a lot of money! If one my reeds do go, I just buy a new reedplate instead of a new harp. A cream of the crop guitar, on the other hand, isn’t so cheap.
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MindTheGap
2486 posts
Feb 05, 2018
1:39 AM
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That's impressive, but to fair some of the classic blues harp riffs and phrases from the repertoire only really work properly in a particular position. Especially when there are chords and splits involved.
I think the 'Serious Player' would have a backup for their most-used harp, so that doubles the price at once if both your harps are most-used!
Last Edited by MindTheGap on Feb 05, 2018 1:41 AM
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MindTheGap
2487 posts
Feb 05, 2018
1:43 AM
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....but, hang on. Talking of spares, every guitarist I know has many guitars. And is in a constant state of hankering. So you know spend will come inevitably.
This pushes the balance back in favour of harps being cheaper in the round.
...although, guitars keep their value better (?) so they can reach an equilibrium of one guitar in, one guitar out. Not sure when equilibrium is reached. Out of wall space?
Last Edited by MindTheGap on Feb 05, 2018 1:45 AM
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Rishió
7 posts
Feb 05, 2018
4:45 AM
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Yes, that’s another thing. I travel (been away from home for two years) and I wanted an instrument that would fit in my pocket so I don’t have to pay medical payments to fix my back :D
But yeah, I hear what your saying about playing the classic blues. I’m on a bit of an offbeat path so that doesnt effect me I guess. I just have backup reedplates and a little screwdriver bit - kind of like having backup strings for a guitar - so not double the cost and I can still travel light.
I wonder how much violins cost and why they are more expensive than guitars.
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MindTheGap
2489 posts
Feb 05, 2018
4:54 AM
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I can definitely identify with that. Big attractions for me with the harp were price and portability. I don't make it near the 'serious player' category, but I've happily gigged with 7 harp keys, a mic and a pedal. That's a lot of playing fun for little money. But yes I spent more than that getting to that point (as discussed).
Now I play drums mostly, the opposite end of the spectrum on portability, and even 'cheap' ones are quite expensive. Just bought a sack-truck to save my back.
The best laid plans...
Last Edited by MindTheGap on Feb 05, 2018 4:55 AM
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MindTheGap
2490 posts
Feb 05, 2018
4:59 AM
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...oh for violins, bassoons and other orchestral instruments we've established they are in another class, with effectively no upper limit.
I was looking at triangles the other day, for orchestral percussion. The choice is between £3 for a child's toy and £100 or something for a proper one :) I decided that my triangle technique didn't merit the expensive one. But, you know, with practice...
Last Edited by MindTheGap on Feb 05, 2018 5:04 AM
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Thievin' Heathen
957 posts
Feb 05, 2018
5:29 AM
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I think accordions look pretty expensive at the pro level.
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AppalachiaBlues
123 posts
Feb 05, 2018
8:47 AM
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The difference with harmonica, is that we buy them one at a time... a 50$ harp... then a 60$ harp.... then a 200$ mic... etc. Before you know it, is adds up to a 4-figure sum. At least the guy buying a guitar/piano/tuba knows what he's spending from the get-go.
Last Edited by AppalachiaBlues on Feb 06, 2018 8:57 AM
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AppalachiaBlues
124 posts
Feb 05, 2018
8:50 AM
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I once met a really good harp player who had 3 harps - Special 20s in A, C, D. The harps looked really beat up. Man, that guy could play the blues pretty well. He had no other gear. Ever. He would show up, get on stage and play through the vocal mic. He never even thought about amps, pedals, etc., let alone getting a full set of harps. He was happy with his 3 SP20s.
Last Edited by AppalachiaBlues on Feb 05, 2018 8:52 AM
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dougharps
1713 posts
Feb 05, 2018
12:42 PM
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You can get by with a few harps if you can count on what keys will be called or if you are really good with overbends. Will Scarlet reports that he played the entire acoustic Hot Tuna album with a G harp. If you play with different groups and vocalists or do studio work I think you need a full set. If you are playing full gigs it is good to have backup harps on hand. If you can sound good in any key that is called on one or two harps, more power to you!
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Doug S.
Last Edited by dougharps on Feb 05, 2018 12:44 PM
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Rishió
8 posts
Feb 05, 2018
8:52 PM
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I like Appalachiablues post the best. That’s my goal, but with an A and G.
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STME58
2048 posts
Feb 05, 2018
11:15 PM
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AppalachiaBlues, I have a differnt take on the similarity of price between a regualar instrument and a set of harps. You can't buy a 12th of a tuba or a piano to see how you like playing it! This gives the harmonica the edge in accessability. Being portable also helps. Both of these are reasons why you seldom have to suffer someong pulling out a tuba and playing it badly! :-)
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Dox
126 posts
Feb 06, 2018
2:47 AM
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Ok, here the proof that the bass is cheaper than harp hahahahahaha
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Er6SRfgTNrg
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STME58
2050 posts
Feb 06, 2018
8:24 PM
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Just got back from Guitar Center where we picked up a clearance P. Mauriat 67R alto sax for $1797. This sax lists for $4k and typically retails for $2600-$2800. My son tried a lot of saxes at NAMM and this was the one he liked best. When we saw it on clearance, we went for it. Guitar Center stocked one of these in each of there stores but they seem to be finding out that people do not go to Guitar Center to buy professional level saxophones. Who knew. Guitar Center was very helpful, even though they admitted they did not know thing one about saxophones. Our local store had already sold their store model, but they were able to get another store to ship one to them. I got a call Monday stating that they had lost the case and if I was still interested I could have it sans case for another 10% off. $180 is enough to buy an OK case so I said yes. We opened the box in the store and found the sax well packed and in good condition, but missing its mouthpiece and neck strap. They let my son select a neck strap off the rack, and discounted the horn another $50 for the missing mouthpiece (even pro saxes don’t ship with a high-quality mouthpiece, figuring you are probably going to change it for you favorite anyway). So, my son now has a no excuses pro level saxophone that he can take to college (they require music majors have professional instruments) and I only spent $1563 plus tax. I am going to end up shelling out for a case and a mouthpiece, but my son has one of each he can use for the short term. This is on the order of what I have spent for harps and gear over the years I have been playing harp, but only because we were able to score such a heavy discount.
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haziz
7 posts
May 29, 2018
3:16 PM
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Grand pianos are usually 100K to 150K, for pro level instruments, and not cheap to maintain.
Also it depends on what level "pro" are you. Count on a few million for a Strad, or del Gesu violin, or Strad or Montagnana cello. They also cost an arm and three legs to maintain and insure. Most concert soloists, even many world famous ones, can't afford their instrument, but end up playing an instrument lent to them by a rich benefactor.
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the_happy_honker
296 posts
May 29, 2018
3:51 PM
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I met Charlie McCoy recently, while he was touring Scandinavia. He was quite proud of the 20 bone-stock Special 20's he had in a clear plastic box from the hardware store.
The host provides all the equipment, he just steps up the mic and plays. 700 dollar investment, tops.
Last Edited by the_happy_honker on May 29, 2018 3:55 PM
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HarveyHarp
768 posts
May 29, 2018
9:20 PM
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I carry 53 harmonicas in my working case. They are all customs, because that is what I do. I have been building my personal set for about 15 years, and I think the value is about $7500. They are mostly Hohner Marine Bands, Special 20s, and Golden Melodies. I carry a set of regular Diatonics, Some double reed plate harps, some low tuned harps, a set of Natural Minors, and some spares. I very seldom blow out a reed, because if you have a good custom harp, and are willing to play it like it was designed you just do not blow out reeds. And if you do, $20 will put it back in shape again. Custom Harps, in my opinion are more fun to play, take way less effort, and are the most cost effect way to have a quality harmonica that Work, and allows you to become the harp player that you want to be.
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HarveyHarp
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johnleewfan
12 posts
Jun 01, 2018
3:11 PM
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Most expensive instrument to play/maintain?
Carillon, would be my guess.
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