I do NOT carry all 12 keys. I don't care for B, E, or F# so I don't have them. Either I don't work with material that needs those keys or I work around with a different position. Or we just don't play anything in those keys.
My kit is a fairly mixed bag. A lot of Manjis, a custom MB, a new MB Deluxe, a couple of Eastop 008, a Big River in there, a Suzuki Pure, a stock MB, a couple of others I think. I have a few Bushman Delta Frost as spares, and a Hohner Deuce and a Half. Some more Big River. There was a time I had all SP20's but that did not last long. I've tried Huangs, Hering Vintage 1923, and others as well. I have yet to try a Seydel but I've tried most other brands. My chromatics are a mixed bag too- Hohner Chromonica II, Hering Baritono in C, and 2 Suzuki SCX48's, one in G and one in D. ----------
2. No, but i only play marine band/deluxe/crossover/sp20/Rocket if i can help it. Mainly Marine Band/ Deluxe and Sp20 Edit: Kingley’s post below reminded me I was only thinking of 10 hole diatonics. I also carry a pair of 365s and a 270
Last Edited by SuperBee on Jun 21, 2018 1:45 AM
Like the guys above I only carry what I may need, rather than every key or altered tunings, etc. I tend to carry seven harps most of the time. G, A, Bb, C, D, Eb and E. Am my harps are either Marine Band 1896, or Marine Band Deluxe. Except my Marine Band 365 and 270 Chromonica Deluxe.
When I work as a harmonica player,I carry 20 or so diatonic ,and three chromatics. They are usually made with a combination of Suzuki,bushman,souls voice and zajac or blue moon parts . I just use stock lee Oskar harps for the 3or four minor key harps I carry. Also some herings in there.
When I work as a guitar player with rack I carry a seven key set of mostly Suzuki with zajac combs . These usually have Suzuki fabulous reeds ,and some have souls voice covers. There are s few manjis,retuned closer to just. ---------- www.shakeylee.com
Last Edited by shakeylee on Jun 20, 2018 11:53 PM
My gigging bag is a set of 13 Session Steels: Low F, Low F#, and eleven standard keys from G to F.
I use all keys, since I play with musicians who sometimes tune down a half-step to play songs in Gb, Db, Eb, etc. Even my E-harp sees occasional use on B rock songs (Stones, Springsteen, etc.). I like to be ready for anything. And I hate when other musicians ask me: "can you play in Key X?" I always reply: "I can play in every key". That surprises some people who have the idea that harp players are not always equipped or able to play in every key.
For over 20 years, I carried a mixed bag of harps - different models/brands, duplicate keys, missing keys, etc. About 3 or 4 years ago I decided to gradually build up a complete set of Session Steels. I bought the final piece for my set (a Db, replacing a SP20) last month.
My "fun" bag, for jamming with friends, playing out in the park, etc. is a set of 8 Manjis: LF, G, A, Bb, C, D, Eb, and an extra C in Country Tuning. The Manji bag also comes with me to gigs, as a back-up set, in case a Session Steel fails on me - but that has never happened (yet).
Last Edited by AppalachiaBlues on Jun 24, 2018 6:15 AM
I never used to have all the keys but like Appalachia I've played with a guy who tunes down a semitone so added a Seydel Silver 1847 low F# , Ab, Db and B to replace 30 year old special 20's and Lee's I've got low Manji harps, Low C,D,E & F I have several Manji harps set up by Joe Spiers A low F from Tom Halcheck I use all the time along with several of his Seydel and Manji alloy combs and 4 of his Lee Oscar combs. I've also got an A,C and F wooden combed Firebreaths which give an altogether different tone which is useful for some songs. I also carry 4, 3 octave CX 12 chromatics in G, Bb, D and F along with a 4 octave Super 64 X for any 3rd position minor blues numbers. I also have a Brendan Power ChromaBender X reed A but it rarely gets used. I like Seydel 1847 silver harps but the reeds are NOT as robust as those of a Manji I've found. I have some Hohner Crossovers but have had to replace reeds on those. I've only had one Suzuki reed plate blow in the last 4 years. I've got some Lee minor key turnings that really don't get used. Mind you, I'm living by the mantra, I ain't gonna die wondering so I'm a sucker for gear! I also hate not having the right harp so carry everything everywhere with duplicates along with being paranoid about blowing a reed on stage.
Yes and yes. I carry a full set of 13 harps low F, low F# and standard G through F, all the same make and model and all Richter tuned.
Depending on who I am playing with on a particular gig, I play different styles of music and I do quite a bit of playing in minor keys. So I regularly use all 13 harps but obviously some not as often as others. I am a multiposition player and I consider my "instrument" to be my complete set of harps, so they all match.
I also carry spare harps in the 7 most used keys which are all the same make and model as each other. which may or may not the same as the other 13. All 20 are standard Richter Tuning.
Last Edited by hvyj on Jun 21, 2018 3:24 AM
When I am gigging (or pretty sure I will sit in for a set or more with one of the local groups that have given me an open invitation to sit in anytime) I bring my gig case. My case once held a trumpet, but now is cleaned out to be an open space. My case carries one or two mics, cables, two full sets of 12 keys using low F#, and a low F and high G harp. I carry a third set with low harps and some extra frequently used keys for backup if I have harp problems in popular keys. The horn case also holds a book of songs I can sing and a music stand light. Set on a stool, the horn case can act as a music stand, too.
I use three 12 hole Seydel Belt Bags (each with 14 harps) to organize my diatonic harps in my horn case, not foam or dividers. The Seydel belt bags are great organizers. If I think that if I will be sitting in and may only play on one or two songs through a stage mic, I can grab one bag out of the case and go light. If it is a full gig or prolonged sitting in, I want redundancy in keys so that a flat or jammed reed won't stop the music as well as a mic.
Regarding which brands/models I use, I carry C, G, D, and A Manjis and a Bb Olive to use for hard rocking songs or loud stages. I choose to use them when I need durability in order to not wreck my less robust Hohners. I carry specialty keys harps: low C, low D, low Eb, low E, and a regular squeaky F# hardly ever used. In most instances, the low keys will not be heard throughout a venue without amplification.
My case has a mixed group of harps that aside from the Manjis/Olive and a couple Blues Masters are all Hohner SP20s, Crossovers, MBDs, and some customized MBs. I do have an 1847 low F in my case that is my favorite low harp, and a Delta Frost high G. I have some Seydel 1847s and Session Steels in a 5 harp leather belt case that I use sometimes, too. Recently I have used some of my Lee Oskars and old Delta Frosts for outdoor gigs, such as the "Roots Walk" held in a park on a humid evening without amplification. Depending on the player/group and the temperature, humidity, and sound reinforcement (or lack) in a setting, I may switch out harps in the bags in advance of playing.
I have some seldom used country tuned, Paddy Richter, minor tuned, and Melody Maker harps in a different bag not in my case that I may bring to play specific songs, but usually those harps stay home.
I carry 8 keys of Hering chromatics in my case, but I seldom use any other than C, G, D, and A, and occasionally a Bb. Mainly I use the C chromatic. If a song that I think is suited to chromatic harmonica is called in an odd key, I use whichever key of chromatic allows me to play it best. No, I cannot improvise in all keys on a C chromatic. Few can improvise in all keys well. My goal is good music for the audience, not showing off playing it all on one chromatic.
When I go out expecting to play I almost always bring the horn case to come prepared to play in any key and style that is called. I play with a number of different people/groups. One singer/guitar player tunes down a half step and then usually capos up some frets, depending on the song's melodic range and his and his vocal partner's voice range. In some bands when I might believe that I could get by with a smaller set of keys, a guest vocalist will show up and choose an unusual key.
I bring all keys because I refuse to be the guy who can't play in a key that is called.
Many years ago on an early studio gig the guy who was recording his songs was tuned down a half step. I had just completed my first full set of keys that week, and would not have been able to record on the gig if I hadn't had all the keys. ----------
Doug S.
Last Edited by dougharps on Jun 21, 2018 8:13 AM
@Jaybird803 I bring the standard tuned harps in all 12 keys (plus high and low), and a couple of tunings in 6-8 keys, plus a couple of oddballs, winds up being 40 or so harps.
Last Edited by Gnarly on Jun 21, 2018 8:41 AM
I usually carry 14 harps... why? Because I've got two 7 harmonica carrying bags!
Actually, sometimes I grab a couple more. If I'm going to an open mic or when my band was doing a show or going to a jam I would carry a full set of 12 keys, plus my LLD Harmonic Minor, my LLF, my LF, my two natural minors, my Bb Turboslide and my Bb harmonic minor.
Do I have a complete matching set? No. Why? I like experimenting with different models. I've got it down to a few favorite models. If I had more money I would quite probably go out and buy a complete set of matching customs and use that all the time, but that takes big money! (Even a complete set of matching OTB harps is big money if you only have 3-4 of any given model.) I have been considering getting a complete set of Easttops. That would give me a decent backup harp in every key for a really reasonable price.
When I go out for walks or around town I like to carry 2-3 harps in my pocket. Usually that includes a minor or harmonic minor harp and maybe an A, D or Bb. Somehow my car harp keeps ending up inside.
I rarely carry my chromatic. I just have never spent the time getting good on it. If you only play blow notes you can move the slide in and out though and get a pretty neat Middle Eastern sounding scale.
I carry my harp box around when playing gigs/jams, which has a motley assortment, including all 12 keys (MB, XO, Seydel, SP20s, Rockets, blues harps, Turboharps, low keys, one high G and one Am, as well as a chromatic). Partly to be prepared for what's coming and partly as it's part of the show. Even busking. Anything to make people stop and listen (and donate).
At a jam this week the singer said "let's move up half a step," a couple of times in the same song, so glad I had the full set.
My basic harmonica kit consists of the 12 major keys (Manjis mostly, substituting Low E, Eb, F, F#) in a Seydel belt bag, and a chromatic in C. That way I feel covered for most musical situations. I also carry some percussion eggs and my pandeiro, as well. My expanded kit is an additional Seydel belt bag with a variety of Sp 20s, XOs, Session Steels, that are mostly backups.
I often hear someone say "do you have an Eb(or some other key)? I try to always be in a position to say "I have all the keys". Seydel makes a great 14 harp zipper pouch and that's what I usually have with me. But all 12 keys is really only the tip of the iceberg of what is available to us as harmonica players.
True that about what’s available to us as harp players. At this point, 12 major diatonics and a chromatic enables me to play a lot of music with other folks. If I needed to acquire more specialized instruments in order to more easily access a certain genre or to play something better, I wouldn’t hesitate to add it my kit.
