Philosofy
393 posts
Aug 01, 2011
3:32 PM
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What is the best harp to keep in your pocket? I'm thinking the main attributes would be: difficult to crush, holds up well to abuse, etc. Something just to practice on, that may or may not be kept in a pocket case. I have a Bushman that seems OK, and Golden Melodies might be good, too.
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tookatooka
2400 posts
Aug 01, 2011
3:42 PM
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I would thank any harp would do but keep it in a case otherwise lint and dust particles will get into it and you'll breath them in. The nicest case (slim and rounded) is the Suzuki ProMaster case IMO.
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eharp
1387 posts
Aug 01, 2011
4:09 PM
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i beat the hell out of my delta frosts- in the car year round, played after eating, used with serious dirt/mud on my hands...
the things wont die!
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shadoe42
44 posts
Aug 01, 2011
4:32 PM
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I have a set of 5 Lee Oskars that sit in my car all the time.
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The Musical Blades
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2chops
15 posts
Aug 01, 2011
5:00 PM
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I have a variety of harps that I keep in my Jeep for when I'm on the road. A couple of SP20's, a Blues Harp and a cheapie Chicago Blues. All seasons, all work fine. I have a Huang Star Performer in C that I keep in my lunch box so I can get a little work out in while on breaks. I tweeked it a little and it doesn't sound too bad. Plus if something happens to it I won't be upset cause it is what it is.
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Rockerduck
15 posts
Aug 01, 2011
5:09 PM
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I keep a Suzuki Bushman and a Delta Frost in my pocket, I agree they seem indestructible and strangely similar. I keep guitar picks in my pocket too and they get into the back of the harp. I have to tamp them out every once in a while. I prefer Suzuki Manji's when I perform or record. I bought the Bushman and Frost a couple of yrs. ago, so they are my toss arounds.
Last Edited by on Aug 01, 2011 5:10 PM
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groyster1
1237 posts
Aug 01, 2011
5:41 PM
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@shadoe
lee oskars are like sherman tanks
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nacoran
4420 posts
Aug 01, 2011
6:51 PM
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I think closed back harps, like LO's or Sp20's are better for the pocket. They are a little better at keeping lint out. Now, if you are setting it on a dashboard or something, maybe you want something with plastic covers so you don't burn your lips! (Plastic covers are surprisingly crush resistant too. They bend but don't dent or break. They play very quietly compared to regular harps, so they are good for playing in public when you aren't trying to be heard. You can throw Piedmont covers on a Sp20 and have a quiet, durable, lint resistant.
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Nate
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JInx
25 posts
Aug 01, 2011
6:52 PM
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The case is shaped like a photon torpedo, very pocket good
Last Edited by on Aug 01, 2011 7:32 PM
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eharp
1389 posts
Aug 01, 2011
6:57 PM
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"when you aren't trying to be heard."
you're kidding, right?
why would one NOT want to be heard?
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arzajac
595 posts
Aug 01, 2011
7:08 PM
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This is a pre-MS system Hohner blues harp. It's small and is no trouble to pack anywhere. It's basically a Marine Band with smaller coverplates. It's a cheap coverplate that crushes very easily.
I get them on Ebay and most of them have a crushed coverplate. But I drill them for screws and use M2 12mm screws as posts to support the coverplate in the back.
This one cost me less than 10 dollars and happens to be one of my harps that plays the best. So, I play it a lot. I retuned it to Powerbender tuning.
So to answer the question - what harp do I carry in my pocket? I pack a harp that is small, cheap and plays very well.
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Last Edited by on Aug 01, 2011 7:10 PM
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Big Daddy Ray
72 posts
Aug 01, 2011
7:46 PM
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I just grab one of my normal harps. I play GMs. If I want to take a harp somewhere with me in case I get bored somewhere and want practice time I just grab one and take it. Most often I take my customized G but have started to really like my A and D more than I used to.
I strongly suggest carrying it in something though. Even a small bag with a pull string works fine. You can either make one in about 5 minutes or go to a candy store and buy some of that gold nugget bubble gum that comes in a cloth bag. Give the gum away and use the bag. I recently out a couple of mine under a magnifier lamp to see what was making a couple holes to stick. Some of the issue was pocket lint.
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Icemal
15 posts
Aug 01, 2011
7:48 PM
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I wrecked a few Bluesmaster in my pockets, I wont do that again. Still have them, maybe one day I'll meet someone who's blown reeds in theirs and will sell me the covers.
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nacoran
4422 posts
Aug 01, 2011
8:03 PM
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eharp, they are good for playing in doctors offices, the bus, or libraries, of course! I actually find lots of times I'm out in public trying to pick out a new piece and being able to play really quietly is a virtue. That said, I don't put plastic covered harps in my pocket if I'm heading somewhere where I expect to play with other people. I also find plastic covers are good if I'm practicing something over and over and over, since they are the easiest covers on lips that I've found. Still, they aren't good for shows. I wonder sometimes about the possibility of putting a plastic coating on the outside of a harp cover, although I suppose if you are going to all that trouble you might as well go with something like Teflon.
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Nate
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Gig74
61 posts
Aug 02, 2011
7:58 AM
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I usually carry around a Suzuki Harpmaster in a wee leather seydel sleeve. I've done it for about a year and it's still good as new, unlike the seydel which got pretty squashed one day. I guess a bushman delta frost is pretty much the same as the design is close to identical.
Greg.
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Living the dream and learning the blues one little trouble at a time.
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garry
84 posts
Aug 03, 2011
3:22 PM
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tookatooka is right, it's the case that matters. i use the beige plastic case that golden melody's used to come in (and may still, i'm not sure). it is rigid enough to protect them, airtight enough to keep the lint out, and takes only a little more space than the harp itself would. my pocket harp is a special 20, and to fit in the case, i used a file to round the back corners a bit. but it's worth it. i've been carrying the same special 20 C harp every day for probably 7 years now, and it's still going strong.
i keep a stash of these cases in case this one wears out (the plastic hinge eventually breaks from flexing, but i can fix that with a little athletic tape and epoxy).
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walterharp
674 posts
Aug 03, 2011
6:41 PM
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i think bushmans are pretty sturdy, but i am not a fan of any case that allows a harp to rattle in your pocket.
just got a crossover, and those neoprene cases are pretty impressive
summer is nice, cargo shorts make it easy to carry harps around
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nacoran
4431 posts
Aug 03, 2011
7:02 PM
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Walterharp, yeah, I don't like harps rattling in the cases.
What pants you wear makes a difference. I always try to keep any loose harps in a different pocket than my keys and any change, or any other harps. The more pockets you have the more places for harps. It's useful for shows. :)
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Nate
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Todd Parrott
610 posts
Aug 03, 2011
7:59 PM
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I try not to keep any loose harps in my pocket, because there is all kinds of risks, like coins, lint or debris slipping inside the cover plates... Once I had a Spiers GM in the jacket of my sport coat, and as I was walking around the grand piano, SMACK!, I bumped into the corner of the piano and it crushed the top cover plate in... so since then I've been much more careful.
If Hohner still made the old style GM cases, those are great for fitting comfortably in a pocket.
I like the new cases that the Crossovers come in, and sometimes use the elastic belt loop to wear it on my belt. I was wearing it the other day to go walk at the park, and I came upon a band practicing under the picnic shelter, and was actually able to jam with them, so wearing it on my belt came in handy. You never know where or when you may need your harp!
One last thing about the Crossover case... since it's padded and zips up, if you do drop it, the harp is still protected. I've dropped plently of harps in the cases before where the case pops open and the harp goes rolling across the ground or sliding across the floor. That's never a good thing!
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didjcripey
120 posts
Aug 03, 2011
8:17 PM
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Lee Oskars; just about indestrucible, and easy to clean when they get full of crap (I don't like them rattling around in a case either)
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Lucky Lester
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Big Daddy Ray
86 posts
Aug 03, 2011
9:21 PM
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Nacoran, that is why I love my cargo pants! There is a pocket on each side by my knees. One of them has a smaller pocket on the outside of it for pens and is just wide and deep enough for one of my GM's!
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