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Seydel Harps
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Bike&Harp
6 posts
Jun 08, 2016
8:29 AM
I'm thinking of buying a new harp sometime and was looking at Seydel as i don't think Hohner's are up to much as far as QC and tuning etc SOTB. Anyway i was intrigued by Brendan Power's 'Powerdraw' and 'Powerbender' harps. I thought the draw one would suit me best as there's not too much extra to learn whereas the bender has a lot of altered notes. Another thing; i was looking at one of those Big Sixes a minute ago online. Are these just a gimmick? Why would you buy one of these when you can just play the bottom six holes in a regular harp? I like the idea, it's kinda fun, but what's the purpose behind a harp like that?
SuperBee
3829 posts
Jun 08, 2016
1:56 PM
The point, Who knows? Just shorter. Are they cheaper? They should be.
I've only seen one. Key of C. Broken 4 blow.
It was like holes 3-8 of a Lo Eb 1847. kinda. Richter quirks adjusted for.
Talking about the slot sizes. I had to find a 7 slot reed to replace the blown 4 slot.
Someone said a 7 hole harp would be more useful. I think I agree.
Oh, cupping when playing amped. I guess that's a thing too
ME.HarpDoc
160 posts
Jun 08, 2016
3:20 PM
B&H. I have a Power Drawer in A and G (Brendan's own, not Seydel) I got on sale. Nice idea but I don't really use them. Once you've learned the patterns of draw/blow in holes 7-10, you have to re program your muscle memory to Power. Then, I would think, you'd have to stick with it for all your harps. If that is what you would commit to, go for it.

Re the Big Six, I've never tried one but I've observed a couple of high end players carry them as a pocket harp.
Bike&Harp
7 posts
Jun 08, 2016
5:26 PM
Yeah ME: i don't know about whether to try it out or not. That weird transition area around 7 i've kind of gotten used to with working on an exercise Lee Sankey put up that helps you get used to the change. So i don't know whether it'd be worth it or not. Brendan says in a video it gives you all the same notes to wail on as you have in the low end of the harp. Also there are no blow bends all bends are draws. Plus the flat 3rd in the middle octave that is a pain because you have to OB to get it? Well you can get that with a regular draw bend.

I don't know i'm kinda in two minds about it.

Last Edited by Bike&Harp on Jun 08, 2016 5:27 PM
ME.HarpDoc
161 posts
Jun 08, 2016
5:46 PM
All good points, B&H. True, you have all draw bends but I just went and tried mine out. The bend point on the 8,9, and 10 holes are just as tricky to draw bend as they are learning to blow bend. That's just the nature of the high end. I imagine it's even more so on higher key harps. But once you get it, it would seem logical to continue your low end scale up the line. Again I think you'd have to choose between regular Richter set up or Power and stick with it.
Bike&Harp
8 posts
Jun 08, 2016
6:53 PM
Thanks ME. I was also looking into the session steel with that turbo slide. Have you ever seen that? You can get all the notes that are missing without OB's. It looks interesting as i can't stand to OB with the changed embouchure that involves. You used to be able to order them through the harp configurator on Seydel's website. I see you have to go to the inventors site now to purchase them. It's invented by a guy called Jim Antaki.
MindTheGap
1677 posts
Jun 09, 2016
2:21 AM
On the Big Six, someone told me they got one to get train on getting a fuller amped cup, as SuperBee mentions.

I don't have one, but I read there are two models: Blues and Folk. Blues has holes 1-6 and Folk has holes 4-9 of a standard 10-hole harp. I guess that translates to playing 2nd or 1st position.

It all seems a bit unnecessary, but the culture does seem to be to buy lots of harps - I guess because you can, so why not. I reckon a person could play a lot of the blues repertoire on just holes 1-6.

Last Edited by MindTheGap on Jun 09, 2016 2:26 AM
SuperBee
3831 posts
Jun 09, 2016
3:31 AM
I'm not sure about that 1-6, 4-9 info.
Just to be clear what I meant in my post above, the C harp I saw was tuned like holes 1-6 of a standard C harp.
The slot sizes were the same as slots 3-8 of an 1847.
This is why I had to find a 6 slot reed (sorry, I incorrectly said a 7 slot above.) to repair the 4 slot reed of a big six. I took the draw 6 from a Low Eb (c note) to put in blow 4 of a C big six.
Incidentally, I used a brass reed and the other reeds in the harp were steel. Neither I nor the owner could tell the difference once it was tuned and adjusted. Some repairers say you can tell the difference. Well, maybe they can. All I can say is that in this case, I could not.
I have used reeds from a Lee Oskar to repair a Hohner 365 too, btw. The owner called that harp his 'desert island harp'. After repairing it with the LO reeds in the 9 slot...a 'wailing' note in the 14 hole 365...the owner still loves it.
I just think that if the reed material really made a big difference to the sound, he would pick the difference in a harp he loves that much...he plays out a lot, and has recorded with that harp since I mended it...
Sorry, I know I've strayed from the topic...
I'm not really a fan of the East German harps (they're OK, I just don't enjoy working on them and I don't buy the hype) but I thought the big six was ok.
MindTheGap
1678 posts
Jun 09, 2016
3:46 AM
I'm quoting from the Harmonicas Direct site in the UK...

http://www.harmonicas-direct.com/harmonicas/diatonic/seydel-big-six

The Blues model has the first six holes of a Blues harp for blues playing in the second position. The Folk tuning, also in C, duplicates holes 4 to 9, starting on the octave, which is suitable for playing many traditional songs in the first position.

And this squares with the info on the Seydel site, where they show a 'tone table'. Maybe they use a single reed plate size for both models, and put in the reeds to fit.

Last Edited by MindTheGap on Jun 09, 2016 3:47 AM
SuperBee
3832 posts
Jun 09, 2016
4:56 AM
So they're deleting the characteristic 'richter' tuned low end and calling that 'folk' tuning...which really is like cutting the first 3 holes off...so no 'gaps' in the diatonic scale.
The one I saw was richter...as in 1st 3 holes were (blow) C E G and (draw) D G B.
But the slots were like holes 1,2 and 9, 10 were cut off. I can't imagine they changed that between the different layouts...but 'blow 1' on the folk tuned C would be an octave higher than on the blues model.
I have a bunch of 'weltmeister' chromatics here, made by seydel in the 90s. I haven't dared take them apart yet...
Bike&Harp
9 posts
Jun 09, 2016
8:25 AM
I was just thinking of getting a Seydel because i have all Hohner's so far and while they're good i don't think they#re as good SOTB as they should be. I notice the tuning is usually out. Sometimes not by much, other times it is noticeable. The latest harp i bought is a Hohner SP20 'D'. It was great SOTB and i played it for a while before i did anything to it at all. In fact i would have been happy to play that harp forever the way it was. BUT... being a tinkerer i eventually had to take it apart and emboss it and stuff. The point being really that, to be fair to Hohner, sometimes you get one SOTB that you'd be happy to play it as it is.

As for the Big 6, i tend to think it's a gimmick to sell more harps. As i said it's a fun idea, but harps are expensive. You don't really want to be chucking money around just on a novelty thing. Not unless you have loads of spare cash that is! I mean why not just play the bottom six holes of your normal harp?

EDIT: I meant to ask does anyone know why Seydel don't offer the turbo slide thing in their harp configurator? After watching Brendan Powers video on YT showing it being used and where he mentioned going on to the Seydel site and being able to get it, it doesn't seem to be an option anymore.

Does this mean it's only available from the Turbo Slide site? Is there nowhere in the UK you can get these from? I looked on Harmonicas direct but they don't have them.

Last Edited by Bike&Harp on Jun 09, 2016 9:17 AM
SuperBee
3834 posts
Jun 09, 2016
3:08 PM
Dunno with the turbo but as mtg mentioned, the 6 hole harp is preferred by some for amplified playing. Size and playability is very good, and they were cheaper than a 10 hole 1847, so I think it was also a way for seydel to encourage people to try their steel reeds in 1847 format...rather than the cheapo session steel (I'm really not a fan of those...but others love them)
I thought the six I had here was a nice harp. Not at all like the other short harps I've seen which are really just novelty items. The big six is a proper harp, like an 1847, just shorter.
And the more I think about it, I understand why they offer the two differently tuned versions. As a 'blues' player it was hard for me to imagine doing without the first 3 holes, but of course there is quite a group of players who play a different style.
Harmlessonica
240 posts
Jun 09, 2016
4:12 PM
I bought a Big Six recently. At first I thought it might be a gimmick or a waste of money, but it quickly became my primary carry around harp.

For me, the best advantage is more effective wah wahs... one of my favorite harp techniques, and now my bony hands are no longer such a disadvantage.

Here's a clip of me practicing the main line from Salty Holmes' 'I Want My Mama'.


"I Want My Mama"_Practice_21-5-16 from Harmlessonica on Vimeo.



Another personal preference is that the cover plates are shallower than other Seydel harps. I like this because I can get a much better purchase for a better seal and just find it more comfortable and enjoyable to play.

I do also own Session Steels in Powerbender and Powerdraw tunings. I hoped to play tunes that were too difficult on standard harps. It works for some tunes, but other times you still need to overblow for full chromaticism (well beyond my skills). Ultimately, it was the chords which put me off, as sometimes I like to vamp with a melody and the PB is not designed for that.


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Last Edited by Harmlessonica on Jun 09, 2016 4:14 PM
MindTheGap
1680 posts
Jun 11, 2016
3:05 AM
Harmlessonica - Brilliant! Just like I remember the record.

I've more or less given up trying to get the all-enveloping 'super-cup' as demoed by people with big hands and fleshy fingers, and content myself with the 'lesser-cup' where you have the top of the harp sticking out the side.

Last Edited by MindTheGap on Jun 11, 2016 3:10 AM
Killa_Hertz
1568 posts
Jun 11, 2016
5:13 AM
I dont have a ton to say on the subject, other than
1) you have to find out for yourself. One man's ultimate harp can be one that you Hate.

2) The 1847 and Session Steel are some of the best playing and sounding harps on the market in my opinion.

I have and regularly play quite a few models.

Manji - which i find to be great once you replace the comb and do some reedwork, but they still play a bit stiff at times.

Marine Band - They are great. Sound is unmatchable, but they feel a bit weak at times.

Seydel Session Steel - is so much more comfortable to play than the Sp20. Bugger holes, softer smoother comb face, and the reeds IMO have the perfect comprimise between the hohner and suzuki reeds.

The 1847 is more expensive, but by the time i put a custom comb on a manji, we re at the same price anyways. And the classic 1847 comb is becoming my new favorite comb. The way the tines are shaped, the way the wood smells/tastes. The way the reeds respond. It's also a very loud harp. It's just a joy to play. My C Classic had replaced am other C harps in my bag.


I was just playing my A session steel with 1847 covers last night. I hadn't played it in a while as i had been using the manji and crossover A the most recently. I couldn't believe what a great harp it was. I may be shifting back the way of seydel.

But in short, you have to decide for yourself. But im tell you that the stock seydels are quality harps.
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Bike&Harp
10 posts
Jun 11, 2016
9:10 AM
Killa: See this is what bugs me a bit about the harp scene. A Manji is a pretty expensive harp and you think that folks need to replace the comb and do other stuff to it? That to me is just not on. What are we paying good money for? According to what i saw in a video about the Manji Brendan Powers was waxing lyrical about the composite comb and saying it was great.

I don't mind working on a harp like the SP 20's i own but when you start getting up to the price of a Manji or a Seydel Session Steel or 1847 i'd be expecting a higher quality of work and that in the end meaning the buyer doesn't have to start tearing a perfectly good harp apart and replacing combs and all that stuff.

It's not acceptable.

Last Edited by Bike&Harp on Jun 11, 2016 9:10 AM
Tiggertoo1962
140 posts
Jun 11, 2016
11:20 AM
Harmlessonica - love it, bud. When you say the big 6 covers are shallower than other Seydels, what other models are you comparing them with? To make sense of this question, have a look at the question I'm about to pose below

"One man's ultimate harp can be one that you Hate."

You said it, Killa. Sound like a bloody Seydel endorser, you do ;).

If the difference between the Session Steel and the Blues Session is just the reed material, then I hate the Steels with a passion without ever having had one in my hand, cos they're just the wrong shape for me.

Killa - how do the 1847 covers change the feel of the Session Steel? Do they give it a lower profile - i.e. is the "height" of the covers smaller?. Would the covers also fit on the Blues Session? Does the fact that the 1847 covers have a lip to fit into the groove of the reed plate not cause any problems with the recessed Session comb?

Just thinking about trying a set of 1847 covers on my Blues Session harps to see if I can salvage them, instead of having 5 harps I don't like just lying about, so I'd appreciate any advice you can give.

Cheers
Fin

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Harmlessonica
241 posts
Jun 11, 2016
12:13 PM
Thanks MTG and Tigger.

This was a humourous example, but I do feel that more subtle use of cupping techniques with the Big 6 gives the impression of better tone, which I really like.

Tigger, I have many Session Steels and the covers are about 7mm deep. the Big 6 covers are about 5mm deep. I've always felt the Session covers made those harps feel 'fat' in the mouth, especially when aiming for a deep embouchure so I was particularly happy about this when I first tried the Big 6.


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Tiggertoo1962
141 posts
Jun 11, 2016
12:55 PM
Exact same problem that I have with the Blues Session, Harmless. The total depth, including comb, is around 20mm, whereas my Hohners, Suzukis, etc, are about 18 to 18.5mm. Doesn't sound like much of a difference til you convert it to a percentage, but it makes them really uncomfortable for me to try and play them. One of the disadvantages of not being a wide-mouthed frog, I suppose :).


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Harmlessonica
242 posts
Jun 11, 2016
3:04 PM
Not only that, Tigger, but also the profile of the cross section is steep, so you really feel the curvature. It's the sort of thing you only appreciate once you've had the chance to try various brands of harmonica.

I'm glad I went ahead and bought the Big 6 (after months of deliberation) and at some point I want to try more of the other brands of harp - you never know which might end up being 'The One'...

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SuperBee
3840 posts
Jun 11, 2016
5:33 PM
The more you tilt those bluff harps, the easier they fit.
I still don't like them.
My two least favourite of the popular 'good quality' harps both have this square profile. That may be what I dislike but I find plenty else to grumble about.
The session steel....I'm sure it's a pre-reunification production line...
Not really but it's a budget model...I mean the session is a budget model and the session steel is thus a budget harp with steel reeds.
I have wild imagined ideas about it all...
But rather than dwell on that I am gonna go work on some of my neglected harps.
Tiggertoo1962
143 posts
Jun 11, 2016
11:28 PM
Heading for the Thomann music festival today in Treppendorf. Thomann must be one of the biggest music shops in Europe (got lost the first time I was in there) and they carry Seydel harps. Unfortunately they don't do Seydel spare parts, but I might as well take one of my Blues Sessions with me and ask if there are a set of 1847 plates lying around.

If not, at least I can do some measurements, check out the 1847 profile, and decide whether it's worthwhile getting a set sent over from Klingenthal.


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Tiggertoo1962
144 posts
Jun 12, 2016
1:59 PM
Well they didn't have any 1847 cover plates lying around, but I got the salesman to pull an 1847 out the drawer so I could have a look at it.

Strangely enough, he wouldn't let me take the harp apart without buying it, but it looks to me like the 1847 comb is thinner and the covers thicker (deeper? higher?), so the net result of 1847 covers on a Session would be an even thicker harp. The profile at the front is also just about as steep as on the Session, so I don't think that's going to be a solution for me after all. If any of you guys hear of someone in Germany who's looking for some 2nd hand Blues Sessions, you can let them know who I am ;).

OT - while I was in the shop anyway, I bought a Marine Band in A, intending to convert it to screws and fit the comb off my Crossover, which now has one of AZ's custom combs on it. Bollocks to that idea. The thing plays perfectly OOTB, so I'm not pulling it apart until either something goes wrong, or I get to the stage where I want a harp set up for overblows and blow bends. I'll maybe run some fine sand paper over the front of the reedplates to round them off a bit, but I don't need to remove the covers to do that.

Suppose I'll just have to keep buying MBs until I find one that isn't playing so well. Poor me ;)



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SuperBee
3847 posts
Jun 13, 2016
4:10 PM
Just thinking about comments above about tearing down what should be perfectly good harps...
It's really not obligatory. Folks do this looking for the last bit of performance they can get from the harp. If that's not fun for you, don't feel you have to go there, or that you're missing out by not doing it.

The manji was mentioned.
They are fine just as they are. Usually.
Sometimes there is a problem. They have a warranty I believe.
I work on harps all the time. 90% of what I do is replace broken reeds. Most of the rest of what I do is cleaning, set gaps, adjust reed shapes and tune reeds.
I started doing that for people because I liked it when they said 'wow! That harp plays better than new'.
But if I didn't do it, people would still be happy to get their old harp back.
I've been going through my gig set.
I was surprised really. Because I focus so much on harp tech work, but of my 13 gig harps..there are 3 standard marine bands, stock, original combs, nailed together.
3 crossovers, stock.
A stock Low F 1847.
So that's 7 out of 13 harps in my gig set which are standard harps. I've probably done a little gapping and I've repaired the crossovers as in replacing broken reeds.
The other harps are all pretty basic too except for the spiers and Zajac customs (1 of each). And think of how much those cost, compared to a manji, crossover, even an 1847. At least twice as much.
Where is the best bang for buck?
Honestly, probably those higher grade stock harps!
We try to make something closer to a custom (like the >$200 harps from skilled builders) by getting custom ultra flat combs and working our reed plates and slots etc...and we have fun..but we're not doing it, usually, because the harps are lemons. Many of us can't play well enough to take full advantage of the high-precision instruments we create. I had to really lift my game re playing splits for instance, just so I could tune my customers' harps.
And tuning harps...it's really quite a strange activity when you consider how they are affected by the way one plays...
The game of modifying harps is fun for some, but I think it's often a folly. Look at MTG, who plays stock Lee Oskar harps, gapped and that's it I understand, and focuses on playing technique and facility, understanding how to make music. Really, that's where it's at.
Please don't feel you are missing out by playing stock quality harps.
If there's something wrong with the harp, that's a different issue. But most of those higher priced harps play fine. And stock marine bands and sp20s are usually pretty good for me.
I have a thread going about working on my harps. That's because they are old and many are out of tune and (were) dirty. And I'd like to practice/try out some things I think I've learned about his they work.
But that last part is because it's fun for me. If it wasn't fun, I'd just be cleaning and tuning. these are all harps I think play well...that's why they're in my gig kit.
Bike&Harp
11 posts
Jun 13, 2016
4:50 PM
Bee: How do you replace reeds? and what tools do you use? I see some guys who use a salvaged reed with rivet still in place and they hammer it in and i've seen others who ream out the hole and use a nut and bolt for the new reed.
SuperBee
3848 posts
Jun 13, 2016
6:48 PM
I've done both those things, and now I usually use a new reed and a rivet. Because Richard Sleigh convinced me it's easier.
If I can avoid using a screw, I will. But I made about 200 repairs with screws including quite a few of my own harps, so when I get one of those I can't use a rivet. I mean...one of my customers breaks 4 and 5 draw and plays a lot...some of the harps are back for their 3rd or 4th new reed...typically I'd mend the 5, then a month or two later I'd see the same harp for the 4, but they're still hard on the 5, so a couple months pass and it's back for a new 5. I've done over 40 repairs for this player...anyway, I just take out the screw and fit a new reed, which sounds easy but it's actually probably still easier to use a rivet than replace one of these that already has the screw.
MP showed me how to recycle reeds and use the rivet that's already in the donor reed. It's easy enough but for Hohners a new rivet is easier for me.
For seydel I try to reuse original rivets even when I use a new reed.

I can explain all this, but I've been at it for several years,so things that seem obvious to me now didn't always seem so.

I started out using screws. I believe Joe Spiers uses screws. I have a Zajac custom on which every blow reed is attached with a screw.
Screws are a bit more work and more tools. But they work well.

Rivets are a hammer and an anvil and a couple of punches. And some judgement. And the odd prayer and curse. I've repaired about 65 with new reeds and rivets, probably 30ish with recycled reeds.
I'm deliberately trying to do less work on other people's harps at the moment. I've done about 100 repairs this year.

The tool Richard Sleigh produced for rivet work is very good. It's not cheap. If you break reeds, this tool will pay for itself. The more reeds you break, the faster it pays for itself. When I started to repair my harps, I felt I was breaking too many reeds and couldn't afford to keep buying new harps..especially because I'd decided crossovers were the way to go.
Ironically, since I started repairing them, I break far less than I used to. But I got into repairing for others once I realised my repairs were reliable. And there is more to replacing a reed than just attaching it. But I worked that out as I went. And that made me a better player too. That's my belief anyway.
In any case, I was doing enough repairs that I felt the sleigh tool was worth getting. I've not regretted the purchase for the briefest moment.

I think MTG asked the question about repairs and tools and I answered in detail there. I'm not sure the thread name.. 'Replacing reeds' maybe, or 'repairing harps'
Bike&Harp
12 posts
Jun 13, 2016
7:41 PM
Bee: Interesting stuff. I'd love to study with someone like you and learn all these tricks and tips! I know a little bit and can gap and emboss and stuff. I have had the odd mishap here and there, but not too much. I heard that using a new rivet on a reed was virtually impossible. I don't know how true that is or not. But i saw a video of a guy who used a customised de-riveting tool that would remove the reed from the plate but leave the rivet still attached to the reed. Then you just tap it in with a hammer. I know nothing about reed replacement. If i have a catastrophe i would need to replace the whole plate, which seems a waste. But what can you do?
SuperBee
3849 posts
Jun 13, 2016
9:11 PM
sounds a bit like MPs video.
thats something i thought about rivets...if it goes bad...i can resort to using a screw.
i bought some rivets from hohner. they come as a stick of 50-60 and you snap them off with pliers. one end is tapered...
if you tap out the old rivet carefully, then use a flat punch to flatten the area around the hole in the plate...shrinking the hole really...then slide the tapered end of the new rivet in through the back...and then you need an anvil or equivalent with a hole to receive the rivet so you can lay the plate on it with the rivet over the hole and tap it in until the back is flush. then install the reed over the tip of the rivet and repeat the process...thus tapping the back of the reed plate so that the reed slides up the rivet until its seated flush against the plate. once you are happy its lined up with the slot, you can lay the back of the plate (the side without reeds) on the anvil (not over the hole), and punch the top of the rivet to make it spread and grip the reed and reed plate firmly.its good to hit it straight. keeping it aligned is the trick.

for screws you need to ream out the hole in the plate and tap a thread into it. you also need to ream the reed. then fit a screw, align the reed, tighten the screw, trim the screw. there is a bit more to it, mainly about keeping things straight and flush and well-lined up, and some options about using a nut...sometimes thats good to do but its not always practical.
with screws everything is slow and steady...until you strip a thread. with rivets...it can be slow and steady too...up to a point...but richard's jig makes it as easy to take care as possible and minimizes the skill required and danger of error
SuperBee
3852 posts
Jun 14, 2016
7:25 PM
When replacing reeds on seydel harps, I try to recycle a used rivet.
This is because seydel have larger holes and the reeds hang loose on the rivets. I guess it's a steel thing. They seem to rely on the clamping between the rivet head and the plate.
It's quite easy to pop a used seydel rivet into a new seydel reed. Not so easy with Hohner.
Incidentally, I see more reed alignment problems with seydel harps...I mean where the reed has shifted after leaving the factory. Related to that big hole in the steel reed I expect. Not common, just more common.
I have used Hohner rivets in seydel, but they have to spread a long way before they grip, and alignment...as in centring the reed in the slot...is trickier. Lee Oskar harps use fatter rivets than Hohner too, iirc.
Re Using a rivet in a donor reed for a Hohner is more reliable with a little preparation. If you can manage to have enough of the business end of rivet protrude to enable you to work on...you can file it to create a slight taper, and also after shrinking the hole in the reed plate, you can use an appropriate size drill bit to create a slight reciprocal taper there...this will help locate and guide the rivet during the crucial early phase of initiating the rivet into the hole. Once it's going into the right place, it's not so difficult to complete the journey.
Killa_Hertz
1583 posts
Jun 14, 2016
7:32 PM
Sorry Tigger i wasn't ignoring you.

In my opinion the 1847 plates Make a huge difference. Put it this way. Messure the difference in the holes on the special 20 and the holes on the session. Very minimal difference right? But to your mouth and playing is a pretty big deal. Well the 1847 covers have the groove down the middle so your lip rests in there aswell as your finger. To me they feel much better. Like a beefy marine band. It may Take some getting used to. At first i thought the 1847 was to big and i didnt care for it much. Now i think the marine band is too small. It's all relative.

Now having said that i can play with the regular session covers just fine. And kinda like em. But now that ive had the 1847 covers on one there's just no going back. I suggest trying a set. In the states they go for about $15.

Bike
i agree with you that you shouldn't have to do anything to these harps. And you don't have to. But I'm just a tinkerer at heart. And also after you have made and played a really excellent air tight harp there's just no playing stock harps.
Drive a suped up car around for a while then try going back to the station wagon.

But these days even the 1896 is like $45. So what r you going to do.

I know not everyone agrees, but the session steel is one great playing harp. And with the recessed comb there is no need for custom combs or any of that.

Im ordering a rocket tomorrow. Ill let you know how i like that.

But having said all this, i met Steve Guyger the other night after watching him play. I also met a few other harp players at the festival. And birth Steve and this one other player both play bone stock marine bands. This one kid had great tone and could really play. But when i started taking about gapping and reedwork he had no idea what i was talking about. He said "oh you mean modifying harps? Yea thats cheating." I was blown away.

Guyger is the best player ive ever seen. His tone and the things he can do are amazing.

So do what you feel is right bro. I still like tweaking. Lol. I have a stock C 1896 that i tried playing as soon as i got home from that show. I couldn't play it for shit.

So......
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Last Edited by Killa_Hertz on Jun 14, 2016 7:35 PM
Killa_Hertz
1584 posts
Jun 15, 2016
3:29 AM
Tigger i had a harder look at the two covers on the harps. I noticed a big difference. The 1847 cover is taller at its highest point, BUT the 1847 cover has a longer angled grade. Which means to get more of a purchase on the harp with your lips/embouchure.

I will take pictures later when i can, to show you.
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