HawkeyeKane
546 posts
Dec 09, 2011
12:02 PM
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I came across this while posting in another thread. It's the only place I've found them since coming across it too. Pre-MS style Blues Harps! Anyone know when Hohner brought these old girls back, or have I just had my head up my arse on this?
Hohner CASE OF BLUES Harmonica 5-Pack
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Hawkeye Kane
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HarpNinja
1979 posts
Dec 09, 2011
12:07 PM
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"The Blues Harp has a wood comb for full tone and is available in 12 keys. Replacement parts are available."
I am sure these aren't MS harps. Are you meaning the cosmetics are different? Hohner has several multi-packs like this that are internet only purchases.
For example, they use my pic on the MB 5 pack, but up until this year the only place you could get that 5 pack was at a limited amount of internet stores. I think most of them are becoming widely available.
In NY I found several of the 5 packs at a Sam Ash.
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Mike
Quicksilver Custom Harmonicas
VHT Special 6 Mods
Last Edited by on Dec 09, 2011 12:18 PM
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HarpNinja
1980 posts
Dec 09, 2011
12:09 PM
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WTF!? I zoomed in...it appears to have nails!
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Mike
Quicksilver Custom Harmonicas
VHT Special 6 Mods
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lumpy wafflesquirt
483 posts
Dec 09, 2011
12:13 PM
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it does say
"NOTE: These are not Blues Harp MS that feature replaceable reed plates."
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"Come on Brackett let's get changed"
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HarpNinja
1981 posts
Dec 09, 2011
12:17 PM
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I meant to say, "aren't"...I just thing it is weird it is not MS, but it has replacement parts.
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Mike
Quicksilver Custom Harmonicas
VHT Special 6 Mods
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Adam Hamil
16 posts
Dec 09, 2011
1:03 PM
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This looks to me like this dealer is using an old pic. I'll bet if you order them they'll be the MS models. In one of the other pics, where they are in the case, you can see that they are MS. Hohner hasn't made them like this for many years and prob never will again. Any New Blues Harp will be MS.
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C. Adam Hamil
Free Reed Instrument Technician
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HawkeyeKane
547 posts
Dec 09, 2011
1:09 PM
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Exactly! The nails were what caught my eye! That along with the lack of an "MS" on the cover plates. I haven't seen Blues Harps like this in ages. My buddy Bruce has a few of them, but they haven't been sold in the entire time that I've been playing harp. I even checked Hohner's website and the MS ones are the only ones listed there. Bottom line, if the original Blues Harps are back, I'm prolly gonna try and get some. I love 'em. So did Johnny Cash if I recall correctly.
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Hawkeye Kane
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MrVerylongusername
2105 posts
Dec 09, 2011
1:10 PM
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@Adam
No - as Lumpy says, it specifically says they are not MS harps.
Nothing on HohnerUSA site regarding this though. Very intriguing.
First fully sealed marine bands and now, potentially, the resurrection of some favourite handmades.
Fingers crossed for old style proharps...
Last Edited by on Dec 09, 2011 1:11 PM
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HawkeyeKane
548 posts
Dec 09, 2011
1:15 PM
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I just wrote MF's tech support staff to get some kind of clarification on this. Man, this is weird!
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Hawkeye Kane
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HarpNinja
1982 posts
Dec 09, 2011
2:06 PM
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I called Hohner. I caught someone on their way out the door, but he said that he is totally unaware of any changes to the Blues Harp.
He said he'd get back to me Monday as there was no one around to ask about these. This is the same guy I talk to every time I call, and I have no reason to not believe him. I also can't think of any reason why they'd not be direct about this.
So I guess this part of the mystery waits until Monday.
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Mike
Quicksilver Custom Harmonicas
VHT Special 6 Mods
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Littoral
437 posts
Dec 09, 2011
3:30 PM
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The mystery is interesting but I thought the originals played too loose and cheap. I don't have to have a high class custom but a tobacco chewing biker harp, I just don't play that.
Maybe I'll take one out of the box and rehab it enough to see what it can do -like the good old days.
Maybe they were ok...?
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arzajac
698 posts
Dec 09, 2011
7:03 PM
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I buy them on Ebay used. I try to only get the ones from the Hickville period - the time when they came in vinyl cases and had three nails in between the reed slots on the draw side, not two. The clean up really well.
The coverplates are inferior to Marine Bands', but I just like them better.
Is it true that the design was inspired by Paul Butterfield?
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jdblues
40 posts
Dec 09, 2011
11:25 PM
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I've never seen or played a pre-MS blues harp. I'm curious, what is the difference in playability and sound between those and the Marine Band?
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Adam Hamil
18 posts
Dec 10, 2011
9:19 AM
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If you look at the pic closely you can see that it was "fixed". They cut and pasted pics of the old pre-MS blues harps with the new 7 harp case. The middle pic of the harps in the case makes it very obvious that these ARE the MS models. I've have spoken with the service dept manager at hohner and he said that it's an old pic. I'm sure it will be updated soon.
As for the note at the bottom of the description, I think someone just made a mistake. Or they just don't know what they're talking about. Big dealers like MF don't always know the minute details of the products they carry.
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C. Adam Hamil
Free Reed Instrument Technician
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timeistight
254 posts
Dec 10, 2011
10:21 AM
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@jdblues: According to Pat Missin,The only real difference between the Marine Band and the older Blues Harp is in the covers...
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groyster1
1621 posts
Dec 10, 2011
2:28 PM
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you can get the marine band covers from hohner which have replaced on one old blues harp it sounds much better have 3 others I plan to do the same
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MrVerylongusername
2134 posts
Dec 28, 2011
8:46 AM
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Did anyone ever get to the bottom of this?
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HawkeyeKane
575 posts
Dec 28, 2011
9:05 AM
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I only wrote MF and not Hohner on the subject. But I've never gotten a response.
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Hawkeye Kane
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