Bones53
5 posts
Apr 29, 2016
11:26 AM
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Thinking of a little upgrade from Special 20 to Seydel Blues Session Steel.. Then I saw there were two diff types.. With/without Paddy Richter tuning. What's the diff and what would you recommend for an advanced beginner.
Last Edited by Bones53 on Apr 29, 2016 11:29 AM
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Killa_Hertz
1218 posts
Apr 29, 2016
12:40 PM
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First of all. Great Choice. I was going to mention that to you. Being that you play sp20s I think you will really like them. They do have bigger holes. I want to warn you. It does take some getting used to. But now I find special 20 holes too small. So ... But they are a quality harp and VERY comfortable to play. IMO.
You want the Richter Tuning.
Paddy Richter is for playing Irish Music.
(Funny how nobody minds Slurs when it comes to the Irish. Think Ill come up with a Guinea Tuning and See what they have to say about it. 8^x )
Anyhow, sorry.
But yea thats what you want.
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Last Edited by Killa_Hertz on Apr 29, 2016 12:42 PM
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Killa_Hertz
1219 posts
Apr 29, 2016
1:29 PM
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Having said that. There really are alot of great models to choose from. Its enough to make your head spin. And you really won't ever know if you like it until you Try it. And even then your opinions will change over time. I bounce from model to model still. I'm not sure which i like best from day to day. Lol. Not much help i know, but that's kinda how it is.
So just make an educated guess as to which you might like.
I dont want to sway you from the crossover or any other models, because they are all good.
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Crawforde
101 posts
Apr 29, 2016
3:51 PM
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You can play anything you want on Paddy Richter
It's not just for the Irish any more.
It makes all kinds of melodies easier. And as far as I can tell it doesn't really interfere with much of anything blues either.
At least for me.
But that Db Manji that KHz posted would probably improve the sound of my playing.
I wonder if that was a customization from a spouse?
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Crawforde
102 posts
Apr 29, 2016
3:57 PM
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Also back to what I thought the OP was about.
I hated my first Seydel Session.
Vastly preferred the Suzuki Bluesmaster .
Now I like both, but prefer the Seydel.
That spacing was really nice once I got used to it. One of my favorite harps is a Manji I got from Gnarley and it feels crowded when I go to it from the Seydel.
I try to rotate back and forth to maintain familiarity and a consistent level of incompetence.
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SuperBee
3660 posts
Apr 29, 2016
4:39 PM
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The Seydel slots are spaced 8mm apart, compared to 7.5mm on a hohner. So over the entire harp the 1 hole is 4.5 mm further away from the 10 hole. Check out how far 4.5mm is. Amazing how that small difference is detectable to your...I almost said "tongue"...I forget not everyone plays that way...but considering splits...to play a blow octave split there is 1.5mm difference and it can mess you up a little but then think about how you can learn to switch between a draw octave and a blow octave and you see the hole spacing is not really a big deal. You want to learn that sort of thing anyway so it's probably good awareness training.
Yeah look try different harps. Stay aware of marketing gimmicks and remember these manufacturers are all competing for market share and trying to churn out product at a price, no one has a monopoly on rubbish product although some have had more practice at it than others and they are all pretty keen to spin BS at you.
When I was a kid I think we only considered 1 brand and of course I tried others when I came back to learn to play...it's attractive to think you get what you pay for and twice the $ might equal twice the harp, but ime the law of diminishing returns applies to harps as much as any other thing, and the best bang for buck in my very personal opinion is around the sp20. Cheaper harps are general pretty crappy and more expensive harps really aren't much better. Even those which cost twice as much. But I'll pay more to get some special characteristics like low tuning actually can't think of another thing I'll pay extra for...maybe a nice comb...
But while the cheapest experience is secondhand, it never feels quite real. I don't mean there's anything wrong with 'upgrading', it's a personal thing. I personally spent quite a long time in denial about the sp20. I really didn't want to like it. What's to like about such a bland harmonica? But especially since I started doing harp repair for other people I've come to accept that there is so much to like about them.
My brother was an auto mechanic...I dunno if you have the Toyota Corolla in other countries or if it's just an Australian market model...it's a very boring car, and has been very popular since the early 70s. Toward the end of his life my brother told me how he felt about the Corolla v other cars in its class...'there's nothing to them' and they're easy to fix. The best in class because of simplicity and well put together. He thought all the others were wannabes that couldn't quite cut it because they couldn't be as good while trying to have some point of difference. He felt the points of difference all actually detracted from the competitors. A bit like having a perfect defence in a chess match, and then having to move something. 'But it's already perfect, anything I move will weaken my position!'
Theres not a direct analogy but I know I'd rather work on a sp20 than any other harmonica I've had on the bench, including the b radical. They are just honest well made and easily adjusted harps that give you good output for good input. All that other stuff is fluff imho...
I should add, I don't actually have many sp20s. I have mainly marine bands but 'if I knew then what I know now' and hadn't been predisposed to shun them, things would be different. People send me sp20s to repair and I don't want to send them back.
So anyway, I guess my perspective is coloured by personal experience and not just about playing them, but I never found a harp that made me a better player than the player I am on a sp20. I have played cheaper harps that definitely were harder to play, and individual harps of any model of course vary widely, but a well-setup 20 won't hold you back.
It's nice to have other harps too.
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Killa_Hertz
1227 posts
Apr 30, 2016
4:42 AM
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I agree crawforde. I try to switch it up.
You will likely end up with many models.
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Fil
135 posts
Apr 30, 2016
5:58 AM
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Thanks, Bee. I'm 5-6 years into playing with Sp 20s and don't feel held back at all. Saved a fair amount of $$ and distraction from learning and playing. in fact I probably would have chucked the whole thing from frustration if I'd gotten caught up in the search for the perfect harp too early. To each his own, though, for sure.
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Phil Pennington
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