I used to have fun with trying to play fast by playing an abbreviated version of the Marseillaise in the middle and upper registers with a metronome, and by gradually turning up the beats per minute until it starts to sound like a John Mcglauphlin riff. Somewhere after 195, 200 beats per minute, I would crash and burn.
Its like driving your car through the middle of town and going faster and faster and not stopping for any red lights. Somewhere after reaching 75 miles an hour you know you're going to hit something.
I have two Hetrick harps. I must say Matthew did a better job on yours than he did mine. Mine won't do any of that stuff!!!
OK---real question......I have a Golden Melody in "C" from the same customizer as your Manji, do you think that there would be any difference in the two harps?? I mean you have a Manji, I have a Golden Melody. Both are, actually, the product of Hetrick. Do you think there's a difference between the two?
Thanks, Greg ----------
Just when I got a paddle, they added more water to the creek.
@Mandowhacker: your question seems simple but it's complicated since I don't know you, I mean your technique and the type of music you play.
If your technique is strong enough, you should be able to play any over bends on ANY harmonicas (see my video where I play on a $4 harmonica), as long as the reeds are tigh enough to pop the overbends up. Where the things are getting complicated is how fast, how demanding is your play, if you need that the reeds will react fast enough to the slightest demand of overbend. In this case then yes you need a very well and precise instrument, and since everyone is different morphology wise, you need to find the most accurate set up. It just happen that Matthew found the right set up for my kind of playing...
So if you talk to Matthew, saying what you need exactly, what is your kind of playing and the features that you want you should get what you want from him. ---------- Never try to be as good as someone else, succeed to be the best player you can be!
CL......my harps from Matthew are great, they are my "go to" harps in those keys.
I guess what I was getting at is do you think that, once a customizer has set up a harp to your requirements do you think it matters if the harp the customizer started with is a Marine Band, Manji, 1847 or any other stock harp. Does the customizer make them all equal with his work, or do you still have a preference as to which one you want customize?
I was just after a viewpoint of a grand player, such as yourself.
Greg ----------
Just when I got a paddle, they added more water to the creek.
Once again rules can't apply for everybody, but in MY point of view (which is not necessary the truth for everybody) I would prefer to stay with the same material used for the original harmonica. The nature of the metal used is VERY important to match what the way of your playing.
I used to love Seydel (and I have still a big respect for their product) because the stainless steel reed was suitable for my way of playing at the time (as a former oboe player I was using a lot of air and I was playing "brutally" as you can hear in my first videos).....Once I've discovered the overbends, I've found a good customiser with Ben Bouman (he was customising only the Seydels at this time)...It was very good.
But with the time my technique improved (I hope LOL) and I needed something else, a metal more "elastic" less rigid...Steve Baker offered me a Crossover during SPAH 2009 and I liked it, but not convinced....Then Brendan Power offered me the opportunity to try the brand new Manji and that was the revelation: the reeds where reacting very well regardless of the amount of air I was applying on the instrument....Then I've asked to the technician to roughly set up the harp for over bends...And the instrument was reacting the same way, even better.....
So in short I thing it matters to stay in the same brand and same model of harmonica, even if the gapping, embossing, arcing and everything else has been done the same way on other brands, the nature of the metal used is a very important factor....If not you might have some disappointments at the end
---------- Never try to be as good as someone else, succeed to be the best player you can be!
Last Edited by on Aug 11, 2011 9:25 AM