Header Graphic
Dirty-South Blues Harp forum: wail on! > I like SP20s, but $48???!!!
I like SP20s, but $48???!!!
Login  |  Register
Page: 1

dougharps
1742 posts
Apr 12, 2018
10:13 AM
I am shocked by the current prices for a model of harp that I have liked and played for a long time. I have considered the Special 20 to be the most affordable quality harp after Hohner re-tooled and improved the low quality seen at the end of last century. The fact that it used machine screws instead of nails like the Marine Band made repairs and adjustments easier.

The SP20 was a relatively tight, well playing harp at a good price. That made it the the best buy go-to harp for a serious player on a budget. The SP20 remains a harp that plays well after gap adjustments. However, Hohner brass harps still lack the durability if abused that is offered by the Manji, Session Steel, or 1847. They cost more, but last longer, in my experience.

At a price point of $48 I cannot justify continuing to buy SP20 harps. I like Crossovers, too, but $80????!!!! Special 20 reed plates now cost almost $32, without the smaller screws needed if you are replacing on an older SP20.

Hohner, you are forcing me to rethink my harp choices. I will continue to repair the SP20s, Crossovers, and MBDs that I own using reeds from old reed plates, but you have lost me as a buyer of new harps. Planned obsolescence is expected, but not at that price. The other brands named above have reeds that outlast your product.

Do other players here have similar opinions?
----------

Doug S.
agarner
17 posts
Apr 12, 2018
10:52 AM
Great point Doug. I have had my set of Hohner Special 20's, MB, and Blues Harps for almost 3 years. I play them often and none of them have broken thus far. But when they do however, their current price will make me question my next purchase. If an instrument is going to last for years, does a savings of a few dollars really matter in the long run? I'm not a Hohner hater (In fact I love my Special 20's), but I do intend on playing the field and seeing what else is out there.

If anything, Hohner should be selling their harmonicas at a discounted price. Their R&D on the Marine Band, Special 20, and Blues Harp were finished and payed for years ago. They are continually charging more money each time I check for an instrument that is decades old. I mean come on, the Marine Band should cost no more than $30. Nails?!

I think that distribution is a key factor to Hohner's success. They and Lee Oskar are the only company I can find at Guitar Center and local music shops. They have the market and I don't see Suzuki or other competitors filling the shelves.
Piro39
134 posts
Apr 12, 2018
10:59 AM
Hohner reeks of greed and their prices are absolutely ridiculous and have been for a long time. They are no longer the only game in town and we now have a lot of options. I totally agree with Doug S.
jbone
2540 posts
Apr 12, 2018
11:21 AM
If I see a MB at a flea market for cheap I get it. Occasionally in the past 6-8 years I have gotten the odd Big River. SP20 I had to leave behind long ago. I know Hohner has made improvements to their tooling, but to me that was long overdue. Lee Oskar never had that issue to my knowledge, or any other maker of note.
I pretty much insist on a rebuildable harp. Suzuki models have plates for under $35.

To me Hohner and to a lesser degree Lee Oskar, have the music store market mostly cornered, and people who don't know better pay the price. If I were totally in a pinch I'd pay the price at a GC or wherever if it was absolutely necessary. But online vendors like Rockin' Ron have such excellent service on what I use, that has not been an issue for years now.

I've had some great times with Hohner harps but they are being challenged on several fronts these days. Ultimately they will make more changes or possibly lose some top end.
----------


Reverbnation

Facebook

Youtube
agarner
18 posts
Apr 12, 2018
11:39 AM
I'm either going to spend the cash and get a Suzuki, or be frugal and get an Easttop and make it sound great myself.
Tuckster
1692 posts
Apr 12, 2018
11:58 AM
Doug,that's odd-I have the exact opposite experience. All the Hohners I own have held up great. Early in Seydel's presence in the U.S. I bought 3 Blues Sessions. (I think that's what they were.) Brass reeds.They all had bad reeds within a month. The Bb I never played except in my living room and certainly not hard. It went south too.That left a bad taste in my mouth and I haven't tried one since. All my hohners-Sp20,Crossover,MBD have lasted. I really don't mind paying what they are asking because I get a lot of service from them.
WinslowYerxa
1557 posts
Apr 12, 2018
1:02 PM
Rockin' Ron warns of a coming Hohner price increase. Drew Lewis of Hohner USA points out:

"We purchase harmonicas in Euros so our dollar is weaker. It went from $1.08 in May of 2017 to $1.24 as of today. Weaker $ is better for exports but our beloved instrument is imported."

Drew further states:

"We never want to raise our pricing, especially in the light of increased competition. Ron is right, we haven’t had a price increase to the public since before we moved from Richmond Va [i.e., 2014]. We have absorbed all factory increases as the euro exchange became more favorable. Unfortunately in the last year the exchange has raised dramatically and we were unable to absorb it again."
===========
Winslow

Harmonica lessons with one of the world's foremost experts
Check out my blog and other goodies at winslowyerxa.com
Harmonica For Dummies, Second Edition with tons of new stuff
SPAH 2018 - August 14-18 in St. Louis
florida-trader
1295 posts
Apr 12, 2018
1:34 PM
I am not defending Hohner per se, but if you look around, it is very easy to find Special 20s and other Hohners at much lower prices that MAP. I was notified of the price increase at the end of last month and it was suggested that I "Stock" up before the increase. The increase was only 2%, which is not enough to make much of a difference to me. Certainly does not justify spending a couple thousand dollars to save $40. Ebay is a great source. So is Amazon. Bear in mind that the price increase just went into effect 12 days ago. There are literally millions of harps in circulation at various retailers that were purhcased prior to the price increase so, in all liklihood, will not be subject to an increase. There are plenty of good deals to be had if you look.
----------
Tom Halchak
Blue Moon Harmonicas
Blue Moon Harmonicas

Last Edited by florida-trader on Apr 12, 2018 2:12 PM
CarlA
923 posts
Apr 12, 2018
1:48 PM
Message to Hohner......

You can fleece a sheep many times, but you can only skin them once!!!
SuperBee
5372 posts
Apr 12, 2018
2:14 PM
That’s how much they cost here 10 years ago. They’re over $60 now. I dunno how much you all pay for crossovers but they’re close enough to $100 here. This doesn’t seem to be affected much by the exchange rate. Back 6 years ago our $ was at parity with the eagle and our prices were still the same disparity with yours: you were getting sp20 for $30 or so and i was paying $50. This is why i learned to mend my harps, I couldn’t handle paying over $90 to replace my crossovers

Lee Oskar harps cost more than sp20 in my shops and cant get single reeds. Same with Suzuki. Seydel steel cost much more, and while they do sell single reeds they are more expensive than hohner, 3 reeds for 3.6 euro v 5 for 2.4, and they charge much more for shipping. Harder work to repair and set up too.

I don’t buy many new harps anyway, so hohner are still the go for me. I have enough spares that i think I’m set for life even if they stop selling spare parts
dougharps
1743 posts
Apr 12, 2018
2:39 PM
@Tuckster
I LIKE my Hohners (Custom MBs, SP20s, MBDs, and Crossovers, not MS models) and I generally find them easier to play with finesse than my Manjis or Seydel steel reed harps. In quiet and/or well monitored settings they are my first choice to grab from my case.

Sometimes I play too hard when excited, when trying to be heard acoustically, or when in loud settings. On a loud stage with poor monitoring a Manji will hold up to abuse from me that will wreck a Hohner.

@jbone - I didn't like the brass Seydels, being even less durable than Hohners. LOs still hold up pretty good, but they became my car harps when Hohner improved quality and I went back to SP20s. LOs are now less satisfying to me to play than others. I prefer other brands to LOs in my gig sets, even my budget EastTops. Seydel steel reed harps (SS & 1847) are pretty durable, too, though I have had a couple steel 9 blow reeds fail from blow bends after long use. The SS are in the same price range as Manjis. 1847s are too pricey to be my main harps. The original Delta Frosts (made by Suzuki???) were OK, but reportedly are not the same now. Anyway, I prefer Manjis to Promasters, Harpmasters and Bluesmasters.

@WinslowYerxa
I had finally adjusted to paying in the high $30s for SP20s instead of around $30, and was just wrapping my mind around the more recent low $40s price for SP20s, but now seeing $48 for a SP20 is just too much! $80 for a Crossover is just too much, too! Maybe I have been playing too long and still think of old prices? Or I am getting old, and cheap?

It used to cost $3.50 to $4.50 for a Marine Band in the early '70s when minimum wage was $1.60! Two or three hours of minimum wage work. You could buy a harp for the cost of a burger, fries, and a coke.

A Special 20 is now 4 to 6 hours of minimum wage work, depending upon where you live. The cost of a harp is the price of a full meal in a mid range restaurant (or maybe even better in some places).

Seydels with steel reeds and Manjis with phosphor bronze reeds have not gone up nearly as much percentage-wise as Hohners in the last couple years. And they seem to last longer.

I don't like that Manji individual reed replacements are beyond my skills due to welded reeds instead of rivets, but at least they have kept their replacement reed plates reasonably priced if I DO wear one out. Manji plates cost a couple dollars more than what SP20 plates cost, but they last SO much longer.

If it isn't obvious from my comments, I have continued to buy and try many brands and models of harp over the years, and now have a ridiculous accumulation and variety of them. Many I only use occasionally. I just enjoy trying new models out! Perhaps if I had not experimented with so many brands I would have more money on hand to buy the now excessively priced Hohners?

Hohners have been central as my main gigging harps with Manjis having moved into second place the last few years, used mainly for loud settings. But as my Hohner harps and repairs from parts become exhausted I will probably be moving to Manjis... unless Suzuki jacks up their prices, too.

If all the brands keep going up in price faster than income I may end up having to improve my tech skills in my waning years and work on improving the playability of all my remaining assorted models/brands of harps (until I eventually stop playing/breathing altogether) instead of buying ANYTHING new at these inflated prices.

It is a diatonic harmonica, dammit, not jewelry or high tech!
----------

Doug S.
Rontana
462 posts
Apr 12, 2018
3:17 PM
I've had good luck buying used on ebay, often for around $10 (I won't pay more than that). Sterilize, clean 'em up, gap, and good to go.

What I've found is people selling a single harp often haven't played it much (especially if it's a key other than C). Used listings with a title reading "harmonica set" are iffy, and those with titles reading "harmonica lot" tend to be old and junky (as in, estate sale stuff).
----------
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
"Humor is always the first victim of political correctness."
kudzurunner
6465 posts
Apr 12, 2018
4:44 PM
I just went to Amazon. A Special 20, key of C, is $33.97.

That's $34. Sounds OK to me. But I prefer Marine Bands.

https://www.amazon.com/Hohner-Special-20-Harmonica-Major/dp/B007J49GPK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1523576539&sr=8-1&keywords=hohner+special+20+key+of+c


----------
Beyond the Crossroads: The Devil and the Blues Tradition
Sundancer
222 posts
Apr 12, 2018
5:44 PM
It ain’t just harmonicas. As the USD goes to shit vs other currencies due to the steadily rising (to $1 Trillion in 2020) national debt, this phenomenon will play out for loads of stuff we buy from other countries. Get ready.

Last Edited by Sundancer on Apr 12, 2018 6:46 PM
dougharps
1744 posts
Apr 12, 2018
7:00 PM
Regarding price, I was checking out Bb prices. I looked at Rockin' Ron's, Musician's Friend, Sweetwater, and Amazon.

Ron had a Bb SP20 for just under $48 price. Musician's Friend had one SP20 page with a sale, different prices by key, Bb being $41.77. Sweetwater had a Bb for just under $48. Amazon had a variety of prices varying by key and just randomly different for the same keys, but had a Bb SP20 for just under $45. $48 is the standard price.
----------

Doug S.

Last Edited by dougharps on Apr 12, 2018 7:01 PM
SkullKid
117 posts
Apr 13, 2018
4:22 AM
Wow, I didn't realise that Hohner harps were that much more expensive in other countries. Here in germany they cost 26-33€. Guess I'm lucky.

Last Edited by SkullKid on Apr 13, 2018 4:22 AM
groyster1
3136 posts
Apr 13, 2018
5:07 AM
I have had good luck buying new old stock and vintage marine bands on ebay.....I also have star of davids and a handful that have been customized......I always have liked sp 20s but nothing can touch my marine bands
florida-trader
1296 posts
Apr 13, 2018
5:09 AM
A few thoughts come to mind.

Harmonicas in general are just more expensive today than they used to be. The “Go-To” models from all the major brands like Hohner, Suzuki and Seydel are in the $40 - $70 - $100 range. That is a huge difference from the days when you could buy Marine Bands for $10 or even $20 (which was barely 10 years ago). I distinctly remember shortly after I first subscribed to harp-l.org, guys were complaining about the price of Marine Bands going from $20 to $22. And that was about 10 years ago. (My how time flies.)

Complaining about it is not going to do much to change things, but if it makes you feel better – have at it. You could look for less expensive alternatives. It certainly looks like the Chinese harps are getting better and are ready to give the big boys some serious competition. But even the better Chinese Kongshengs are in the $40-$50 range so you’re still spending some money for a quality harp.

To me, the solution is this. Invest in quality and repair/maintain your harps. In the long run, you will play better harps and spend less money. The days of buying a new Marine Band, blowing it out, throwing it away and buying another new Marine Band are long gone. The silver lining to the rising prices is that it has created room for an entire cottage industry of Harp Techs and Harp Repair (not to mention full blown Customization). Back in the days when Marine Bands cost less than $20, there was no market for repairing harps. Nobody could charge enough to make it worth their while to fix harps. Today, there are plenty of guys out there who will fix harps at a very reasonable price – far less than the cost of a new one. In addition, there is an over-abundance of information available on the Internet about how to improve and repair your harps yourself. It has also created a demand for “parts”. All those blown out harps that used to get tossed now have some value because the parts can be recycled. There are literally millions of Marine Bands, Special 20s and Golden Melodys in circulation and all the reeds are interchangeable. The guys who do repair work tend to be swimming in spare parts. They just come to you. I can attest to that. Guys know I am in the business so deals come my way. Whereas some casual harp techs might have an interest in a few harps to harvest spare parts from, I get approached by people wanting to sell 100’s of harps and I get them for next to nothing. It is the nature of the beast. Whatever I don’t want, need or use, I pass on to someone else who I know will make good use of them. Behind the scenes, the Harp Techs all know each other and we network and help each other out. Everyone who is on this forum is directly or indirectly plugged into that network. All you have to do is ask and it is a safe bet that someone will step up and help you – myself included. I have sent hundreds of screws and covers, etc. to members of this forum at no charge. Call it good will. By the way, this is one thing that places the Chinese made harps at a disadvantage. As they start to fail, there is not the abundant supply of spare parts available with which to fix them. They haven’t been around long enough to have developed a grave yard.

Bottom line – and I have said this before. Either learn how to maintain your own harps or develop a relationship with someone who does. Invest in quality and take good care of your harps. You will ultimately play better instruments and spend less than you used to.


Rontana – you are 100% correct. Back when I first started looking for cover plates to powder coat, I bought tons of used harps on eBay. About half of those that were advertised as “For Parts Only” had never been played and were brand new. If you are inclined work on your own harps, buying used is a great way to go.

----------
Tom Halchak
Blue Moon Harmonicas
Blue Moon Harmonicas

Last Edited by florida-trader on Apr 13, 2018 5:13 AM
dougharps
1745 posts
Apr 13, 2018
7:14 AM
@kudzurunner
Rockin' Ron currently lists a Marine Band at $46.99. They have gone up, too. I am sure that bargains still exist, but gradually those will disappear and the new normal higher prices will reign, unless you buy used and fix them up.

@florida-trader
First, thanks for recapping the price increases at the top of your post. It reassures me that my recollection is correct about recent huge increases in prices in a relatively short time.

Second, I agree that it is doubtful that complaining will cause corporations to reconsider pricing. And the currency exchange issues and tariffs will not disappear, either. Harps are going to cost more unless we go to harps from companies in developing countries that have low production costs.

Last, I completely agree about maintaining our own harmonicas. I have done that to an increasing extent over the years and have gradually developed better skills, especially since the advent of workshops and videos offered on repair and customization techniques. In the future I will need to improve these skills and increase repair work rather than buying new. My gig income has been decreasing as I more frequently choose to play without pay so that working pros on the gig can take home reasonable money from low paying gigs. The days of my casual buying of harps with gig money are past. I am not going to use retirement income for high priced harps.

I will also send harps to techs when repairs or mods exceed my ability or patience. It takes a certain mindset and focus, along with fine motor skills, knowledge, and practice to successfully work on harps. In some situations it is best to let those who have developed expertise over time to do some kinds of work.

I don't feel comfortable with playing random used wooden bodied diatonic harps. Wood combs cannot reliably be made sanitary in my opinion, though plates and covers can be sanitized. I have a fairly good supply of Hohner reed plates to use as donors, and will fix my own when I can.

I prefer playing to repairing/modifying.

My initial post was due to shock that a Special 20, a brand and model of harp I have played for years, now costs just under $50 and yet has not improved in durability or function since they retooled. Manji reeds last longer, IMHO justifying a higher initial cost for a harp, though reed replacement is more difficult and I lack the tools.

I think I have said more than enough about this issue.

Thanks for the discussion!

EDIT: Rockin' Ron's price includes a free set of harp bubble labels with Marine Band or Special 20 purchases.
----------

Doug S.

Last Edited by dougharps on Apr 13, 2018 10:10 AM
barbequebob
3497 posts
Apr 13, 2018
8:13 AM
Hey everybody!!! Quit griping so much about the prices (as Rod Piazza once said, harp players are notorious for being too cheap to get the right shit) because these increases are a fact of life whether you like it or not. When I started out playing in the 1970's, I could go over to Manny Music in NYC and with both NYC and NY state sales taxes included, the price for a MB was $3.54 brand new. I can remember plenty of them complaining later in the decade when it went up to $4.50, so like it or not, GET OVER IT!!!!!
----------
Sincerely,
Barbeque Bob Maglinte
Boston, MA
http://www.barbequebob.com
CD available at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/bbmaglinte
kudzurunner
6466 posts
Apr 13, 2018
6:35 PM
@dougharps: Amazon still has Hohner Special 20's, key of C, for $33.97. $34 sounds great to me.

If I played them, I'd be buying a few of them at this price. Not complaining.

https://www.amazon.com/Hohner-Special-20-Harmonica-Major/dp/B007J49GPK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1523669600&sr=8-1&keywords=hohner+special+20+key+of+c


----

------
Beyond the Crossroads: The Devil and the Blues Tradition
WinslowYerxa
1558 posts
Apr 13, 2018
9:57 PM
In a separate discussion on another forum, I stumbled on the fact that in Dubai you can buy a Special 20 for just under $33.
===========
Winslow

Harmonica lessons with one of the world's foremost experts
Check out my blog and other goodies at winslowyerxa.com
Harmonica For Dummies, Second Edition with tons of new stuff
SPAH 2018 - August 14-18 in St. Louis
Goldbrick
1953 posts
Apr 14, 2018
5:01 AM
Lets see- I just changed strings on my Gibson acoustic-quality strings are about $12-they last about a month.
My electric gets new strings each month too ( about $ 6 for electric strings. The guitars themselve are worth about 4 grand

harps are cheap

I do get the fact tho that often the workmanship is not the best on Hohners

Last Edited by Goldbrick on Apr 14, 2018 5:04 AM
kudzurunner
6467 posts
Apr 14, 2018
5:28 AM
Amazon has a B-flat SP 20, right now, for $41.77. Free shipping.

https://www.amazon.com/Hohner-Special-20-Harmonica-Bb/dp/B009HR8ZE0/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1523708772&sr=8-3&keywords=hohner+special+20+b+flat

So it appears that prices are fluid.


----------
Beyond the Crossroads: The Devil and the Blues Tradition
harpwrench
1122 posts
Apr 14, 2018
8:44 AM
Amazon accepts returns too! If you get a dud just send it back. Think about it for a minute. FYI my stage I SP20's are on sale right now for only $130, no disappointments.
----------
www.spiersharmonicas.com
High Performance Harmonicas

Last Edited by harpwrench on Apr 14, 2018 8:45 AM
Rontana
463 posts
Apr 14, 2018
8:47 AM
Just checked Ebay, and these guys have a set of 6 SP 20s (new) for $199.95 . . . free shipping too.

I happen to know this store. The vast majority of their business is online, but they have a large, brick and mortar location just south of KC. They're legit.


Set of 6 SP 20s for under $200


----------
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
"Humor is always the first victim of political correctness."

Last Edited by Rontana on Apr 14, 2018 8:47 AM
nacoran
9808 posts
Apr 14, 2018
10:01 AM
Okay, doing a little calculating here... the first harmonica I ever bought (which I quickly gave up on leading to several lost years before I tried again) was around '96. I paid $25 for a Blues Harp, which at the time was about the same price as Sp20s and MBs. Using an inflation calculator it would cost about $40 right now.

The exchange rate is $1.23 to 1 euro. Unfortunately, it will take more math for me than I can think through right now (I haven't had lunch yet and I'm starving!) In 1996 Hohners would still be in Marks, not Euros, so you'd have to look at the exchange rate of Marks to Euros and then compare the euros then to the euros now. Eyeballing it, you'd get 2 euros for a mark in 99 but you first need to calculate the exchange rate difference between 96 and 99 for marks, and then from 2000 to now with euros to get a better answer unless someone can find a comparative market buying calculator, but eyeballing it it looks like mostly just regular inflation.

https://freecurrencyrates.com/en/exchange-rate-history/USD-DEM/1996/cbr

On 31 December 1998, the Council of the European Union fixed the irrevocable exchange rate, effective 1 January 1999, for German mark to euros as DM 1.95583 = €1. One Deutsche Mark was divided into 100 Pfennige.

----------
Nate
Facebook
Thread Organizer (A list of all sorts of useful threads)

First Post- May 8, 2009
Thievin' Heathen
998 posts
Apr 14, 2018
12:05 PM
Here's 1 solution...,

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Hohner-Rocket-Harmonicas-Full-Set/302699941489?hash=item467a528e71:g:CGwAAOSwB7JazBkY

Nate, that's $33.50 each. Nothing too complicated.

(395+6.99)/12 = 33.4991666666666666666666666666666667
My kind of math.
And, they come with those cool little pouches.

Last Edited by Thievin' Heathen on Apr 14, 2018 12:11 PM
AppalachiaBlues
154 posts
Apr 14, 2018
12:33 PM
$50 in 2018 is about equal to $25 in 1990, based on historical inflation.

The EU-US exchange rate fluctuation also creates additional price variation (on imported goods) over the years, as it goes one way or the other. Prices of SP20s in the EU have been pretty stable over the past decade.

Last Edited by AppalachiaBlues on Apr 14, 2018 12:53 PM
Sundancer
225 posts
Apr 14, 2018
7:44 PM
$130 for a Spiers Stage 1 SP20 is a steal! Buy two.

Last Edited by Sundancer on Apr 14, 2018 7:44 PM
dougharps
1747 posts
Apr 15, 2018
8:32 AM
Just bought 2 Special 20s in needed keys (Bb and F) using the "2 different keys for $80 deal" from Rockin' Ron's. I have backups for all keys plus my non-Hohner backups upon backups. He has this deal for Marine Bands, too.
----------

Doug S.

Last Edited by dougharps on Apr 15, 2018 8:33 AM
zx679
41 posts
Apr 15, 2018
9:37 AM
The problem might not be that harp prices are keeping up with inflation. The problem might be that wages have not been keeping up with inflation.


----------
something something harmonicas...
groyster1
3137 posts
Apr 15, 2018
12:20 PM
Im retired.....you can believe social security and pension are being left in the dust in regards to inflation
nacoran
9810 posts
Apr 15, 2018
2:15 PM
zx679, both macro and micro-economically. I know a lot of people have less money when they retire, or when they have kids, or when their kids head off to college.

When someone comes in and asks what brand of harmonica they should buy that's always something I try to get across. Some people here can afford to just take out their bank book and buy a set of custom harps. Sometimes we get someone here who can't afford a 'good' harp. There was a guy a few years back from the Philippines. He had blown out his only harp and was desperate for a low price fix. It's easy to say that Blues Bands are lousy harps, but most of them will actually play a tune. It won't sound great, but it sounds better than nothing. I had Piedmonts early on. They got me enough practice so I was able to get single notes and bend, which was enough to get me to the point where I realized this wasn't just another ADHD hobby that I was going to put down in a few weeks, and I got a ton of use out of them. I had a D, in particular, that I was still using as I filled out my set and was starting to play out at open mics.

----------
Nate
Facebook
Thread Organizer (A list of all sorts of useful threads)

First Post- May 8, 2009
Raven
137 posts
Apr 15, 2018
2:40 PM
If we all added up how much we've each individually invested in our craft, we would probably be shocked...but we did it a little at a time so that it wouldn't be that noticeable. (This is especially true if your mate monitors your spending habits.)If I look at my aggregation of harps, mics, amps, accessories and the studio I'm building, it adds up to thousands of dollars...one $50-$60 harp at a time. And I'm probably conservative compared to some of the members who have amps stacked up to the ceiling and boxes just full of spent harps and parts. Last time I spoke with Dennis Gruenling, he had between 300 and 400 mics in stock, so my 7 or 8 pales in comparison.

Last Edited by Raven on Apr 15, 2018 2:45 PM
Gnarly
2475 posts
Apr 15, 2018
3:42 PM
One of the smartest things I ever did was to keep all my dead harps. When I started fixing them, I had plenty to work with--and it was financially possible for me to acquire tools, since I had donor parts--I could redirect the funds which might have gone toward new harps.
urple
14 posts
Apr 18, 2018
8:55 AM
The Turbo twenty, turbo harps version of the special 20 sells for 45$ and is a lot cooler looking and sounds better than the stock version in my opinion.
MP
3584 posts
Apr 18, 2018
2:43 PM
Try buying a flute, saxophone, guitar amp combo, or a nice Ludwig drumset. We got it made around here. :-)
----------
Reasonably priced Reed Replacement and tech support on Hand Made Series Hohner Diatonic Harmonicas.

'Making the world a better place, one harmonica at a time.
Click MP for more info. Aloha Mark
.
SuperBee
5378 posts
Apr 18, 2018
3:21 PM
Me too Gnarly. My original investment in tools has not only saved me so much, it’s also helped me earn and learn.
Gnarly
2478 posts
Apr 18, 2018
4:49 PM
Every player deserves the best instrument, and we are lucky that we can accomplish that with the harmonica. The word is out there, the tools are available, and you are the most qualified technician, since you are playing them!
Elcoh
7 posts
Apr 20, 2018
3:52 PM
There is a solution to all this and his name is Mike Peace in Tulsa. I just sent him 2 old Special 20’s and he replaced a couple of reeds and they sound like new. $15 each!
groyster1
3150 posts
Apr 20, 2018
7:05 PM
@elcoh......yep the man does good work
Lee Shamrock
2 posts
Apr 29, 2018
9:12 AM
Been fixing my own harps for 20 years. Saved thousands of dollars. Been using Tombo Folk/Blues/Lee Oskars/Major Boys since they seemed to last me longer than any other brands, and I've tried 'em all.

Last month I ordered my first Easttop. Just ordered 24 more at $11 each.

Last Edited by Lee Shamrock on Apr 29, 2018 9:16 AM


Post a Message



(8192 Characters Left)


Modern Blues Harmonica supports

§The Jazz Foundation of America

and

§The Innocence Project

 

 

 

ADAM GUSSOW is an official endorser for HOHNER HARMONICAS