Bike&Harp
153 posts
Jan 02, 2018
3:02 AM
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I read somewhere that someone replaced these cover plates with one's from the 1847. Is this possible as i don't have an 1847 to compare sizes etc.
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SuperBee
5163 posts
Jan 02, 2018
4:25 AM
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Yep, I’ve done it several times and seen a lot from my repair clients.
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SuperBee
5164 posts
Jan 02, 2018
4:26 AM
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You need the right hardware of course. The session cover bolts won’t work with 1847 covers
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Bike&Harp
154 posts
Jan 02, 2018
8:12 AM
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Bee: Do you get bolts along with the plates if you buy them (1847 covers) separately.
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Killa_Hertz
2451 posts
Jan 02, 2018
8:38 AM
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I do all of my Session Steels like this. I really wish Seydel would sell them thus way.
Unfortunately you don't get the hardware with the covers. They are a few bucks at Rons.
Also some guys are selling them likeep this. I believe Ben Bouman does.
It's quite a bit of coin to invest in the session steel after you buy the covers and new hardware, but... they're probably one my favorite harp. They're just comfortable to play.
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Bike&Harp
155 posts
Jan 02, 2018
9:18 AM
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Killa: Yeah i love this key of G Blues session steel i have but would like it to have a bit more bite a bit more rasp. Someone said changing the cover plates to the 1847 style gives it a bit more high end. The regular cover plates on the harp have a kind of mellow sound.
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SuperBee
5166 posts
Jan 02, 2018
11:50 AM
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I’m with you, much prefer the 1847 covers. And yeah, it’s a bit of a pill having to pay the extra for new covers. I tried asking around for broken Seydel harps; I was prepared to pay but got no takers
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Bike&Harp
156 posts
Jan 02, 2018
1:40 PM
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Bee: what's the sound difference? If nothing major i won't spend the cash as it'd be a waste of money. If it's a big difference i'll probably try it.
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SuperBee
5168 posts
Jan 02, 2018
2:39 PM
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I find some full length covers sound muted to me, as the player. The worst is the enamelled Suzuki Hammond but the Session is the second ‘deadest’ sounding harp ‘to me’.
I believe I’m in a minority on this. Most posts I see have little but praise for the session.
But that’s not the main reason I dislike them. The main thing I dislike about playing them is the bluff shape of the mouthpiece.
If you’re a lip player who tilts the harp quite a bit I think this won’t bother you. But it annoys me a tongue blocker who plays relatively straight on. I mean it’s no big huge deal I just much prefer the more rounded mouthpiece of ‘traditional’ shape covers. Seems to sit with my embouchure better.
I understand that to get the strength in a full length cover it needs a good square angle, and to get the big sound Seydel have gone for capacity, and if you tilt like 45 degrees it’s fine, probably better than the old style cover.
The promaster is another example of this. About the only full length cover I like is the Golden Melody and I think that’s just a thinner harp so doesn’t bug me. I don’t play them though.
But anyway, that’s just all about me and mainly comfort. Lots of people, majority I reckon, like the session covers and maybe prefer that thing. There are definitely advantages if it suits your approach. Smooth corners for one, no seams.
Soundwise though, I think that’s all too subjective to get into. It’s that same relatively darker sound you get with non-vented covers, same distinctive Seydel sound which I attribute to the combination of chamber size and Reedplate thickness with cover plate capacity.
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SuperBee
5169 posts
Jan 02, 2018
2:56 PM
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Best way to decide I can think of is to try it.
If you like session harp, you won’t hate an 1847, so why not pick up an 1847 as your next harp and just try swapping the covers onto a session.
If it turns out you prefer the session I guess you’re gonna be up for a set of session covers and bolts but you’ll know for sure which way you swing.
I prevaricated for years about the Crossover. I wanted to commit to something, worried I might be missing out. Crossover and 1847, both so expensive. But what if I’m missing out?
Eventually I bought 4 Crossover plus a Tbird for the price of 4 Crossovers. And discovered yes they are great, I really like them.
But then I ran into the problem of what to do when they break; you know that story.
And in learning to repair and setup my harps, I discovered I could make an 1896 play just as sweet as Crossover so that was the end of that. I never bought another Crossover.
I did still have the thing about the 1847 and I bought one. It was ‘fine’ but I didn’t see the extra value and I was already happy and committed to the marine band family by then, so it never caught on with me.
I’ve since worked on a lot of Seydel harps and I know I’ve got an attitude to them. I have built myself a few but they still don’t grab me enough for me to grab them much.
I built a session steel and never felt like playing it, just too different in my gob. I put 1847 covers on it and found it much more acceptable.
Still don’t pick it up much though; just no need.
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Bike&Harp
157 posts
Jan 03, 2018
4:30 AM
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You know i've tried a few harps Hohner SP20, Crossover, Suzuki Manji's, Seydel Blues Session Steel in Powerbender tuning, Seydel Blues Session Steel in Powerdraw tuning. Anyway for me bang for buck the special 20 is probably still my favorite harp. It sounds good, plays well, can be adjusted "easily" for overblows and overdraws. So far my experience with Manji's is they don't overblow and overdraw as well as the Special 20 does. Likewise the Seydel's i've tried. Any way we're on to a whole other subject there.
* When is Adam gonna get rid of this stupid spam prevention thing? I go on tons of sites and forums and no one else has this. It's annoying when you've typed out a long post to have to decipher these.
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Killa_Hertz
2453 posts
Jan 03, 2018
7:27 AM
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Like Bee said .... Seydel reeds are just mellow. The session cover makes it too muted, but even with the 1847 covers it's still mellow. It will get much louder with much better projection with the 1847 covers .... but a Seydel harp will never be "raspy". Best stick to hohner or the manji if you like raspy.
I like the mellow thick tone of the seydels. But it's all subjective.
Btw I always copy my posts before entering the captcha code. That way if it gets deemed I can just paste it.
Nothing worse than a long ass post getting lost
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Bike&Harp
158 posts
Jan 03, 2018
8:25 AM
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Thanks Killa. I like that real loud take your head off rasp. I don't enjoy that muted sound as much unless it's me using the hands to do it. Saying that i still love the Seydel's i have but i was just wondering if changing plates will make a better sound.
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