Since my secret Santa couldn't dig up any Low F sp20 for Christmas I decided to visit my regular music store. This, By the way, is in the second largest city in Sweden. The store is the second biggest in the city and known to be more "Rock n' Roll".
I ask if he got any sp20's in low f. "No, We have some problems with our supplier" Ok, cool howabout a Bb? "Sorry, we only got one sp20 and that's a C." Ok, howabout any Mb, MBD or crossovers in low F, Bb or B. "Nope, You see we have a problem and will probably not carry hohners anymore." WTF. There's a boat twice a day for germany how could you not get Hohner's???
"Well our regular supplier has been bought by a norwegian consortium that runs electronic stores in tin barns. They don't seem to think that harmonicas are rock n' roll..."
Ok, Herings? "Sorry, same there. But we have this nice Harmonica called Lee Oskar. It has got a really blue tone and All Our Other Costumers Loooooves it." Thanks, but no, I find the LO somewhat similar to a horse's cock. Too f***ing fat too fit my mouth and doesn't play that well either.
I guess I have to start ordering from Thomann and pay that 15 euro shipment fee...
Ps. Suzukis, Bushman and Seydels are also non-existing in sweden as it is. ---------- Pistolkatt - Pistolkatts youtube
Last Edited by on Dec 31, 2011 11:21 AM
Too bad you don't have a Rockin' Ron's in Sweden. I heard that one of Ron's customers actually received his harp 15 minutes BEFORE he even ordered it. Dude has the best customer service in the universe. ----------
Well I should too I guess. If I was really sure what I wanted I would order a set immediately. That way the shipping would be a smaller part. Unfortunately I'm still looking for my model. I mean the crossover is amazing but expensive. I got myself a sp20 in E that I liked but it sounds like a toy compared to the crossover. It's not a fair comparison, though, as it's in such a high pitch. That's why I wanted to get a sp20 in B or Bb. Ah well, one more try... ---------- Pistolkatt - Pistolkatts youtube
In the SP 20 category I really love the Harpmaster. As far as the Crossover you are right about the price. I recently got a MB Deluxe in Bb and although expensive it was $10 cheaper than the Crossover and just as good if not better. Well....pretty much the same, how about that? I won't buy another Crossover now since the Deluxe is the same since changing to fully sealed combs. Just make sure it is one that comes with the soft pouch otherwise it is the older version without fully sealed comb. Cheaper (around sp 20 price) harps? Harpmaster (Suzuki. Fantastic! (IMO of course). Your millage may vary. ---------- Tommy
Yes, there's always emigration. I could move to Trossingen, assembling harps by day scrounging spare parts and blowing the blues at night with my Frankensteinian harmonicas. Making myself a name and so on... ---------- Pistolkatt - Pistolkatts youtube
The leading music chain in Oz I went into the other day had a 'sale'. "Any harp prices reduced?" I asked. "Harmonicas are $55" was the reply. "OK, I'll just keep ordering them on the net then," I said. No reaction from the salesperson...
@bronzewailer - Yeah, I know what you mean. Actually, the reason I went to that particular store was because the first time I went there buying a crossover the guy at the counter gave me a 40 SEK discount. That's about 7 usd. Well inside their profit margin but made me really satisfied. But I guess costumer satisfaction as a concept is loosing it's ground... *mumbling* *grumbling* *ranting* ---------- Pistolkatt - Pistolkatts youtube
Pistolcat: Which music store is the one w/ "more rock n´roll"? (I live in the same city and will be glad to know what to avoid.) "Jam" on Första Långgatan have Seydels listed. You won´t find a whole lot of them in the store but they bring them home for you -- maybe somewhat less expensive than mail ordering yourself.
Arnenym is dead on: Sweden is a sorry place for finding a decent selection of harmonicas at reasonable prices. And it´s not getting better.
The prices and the attitude they have in many music shops (not all) is scary. But we have internet shops...
Dragspeloteket (The accordeonteek) is despite their name a very good shop. Itwas a Dutch shop from the beginning but have moved to Sweden recently.. They sell all harps at 1/2 - 2/3 of price you pay in shops. And he have a excellent sevice. It's a small shop and sometimes he not have all harps at home but it's worth waiting.And he sells reedplates and other parts too.
Ok, got my harps jan 12 but i couldn't get pick them up until today. Ordered them jan 3 but the twelfth night holiday came in between so. A Sp20 in B and MBD in Bb. Perfect shape and well wrapped up. Got them cheap, IMO, 680 for the both of them. Free shipping. I'm definitely going to get my Harps from there (dragspeloteket.se) now on. ---------- Pistolkatt - Pistolkatts youtube
Last Edited by on Jan 15, 2012 3:32 PM
Haven't played them that much but I really like the sound and feel of the mbd. Easily compares to the crossover and greatly surpasses the mb. I haven't tried any OB:s on it yet, though. The sp 20 is cool. It has not got as full a sound as the mbd but in return it's really grit bluesy. Very responsive but maybe a bit more unforgiving.
For both harps I have to say that I haven't really went all out on them since I'm not yet ruiling out the "break in period myth" as ...well myth. ---------- Pistolkatt - Pistolkatts youtube
