I have bought a few on Ebay. I would not pay very much for them. I would buy a used MB for about $10. I would probably add a few dollars if it was pre-war. I would pay $20 for one from the Hickville period because they customise very well.
I would pay a little more if it was in really good shape or if I could see that it was enjoyed - if you can tell by the photos that the harp was played a lot. I have bought quite a few and none of them so far have had a blown out reed. I reckon if the owner blew out the harp they would discard it instead of keeping it.
They need to be cleaned up and worked on. For the price of the harp you posted that is up for auction, you would be better off buying a brand new MB and working on it yourself. Or buy a higher-end harp and having to do less work. These used harps have a lot of potential but you can't expect them to work well unless you do a lot of work on them. I'm happy with the results I get and I enjoy doing it, but they don't compare to a real custom harp. And I believe that the top customisers can get they best results from modern-day harps and not have to rely on using old stock.
Here is the first of three videos on what I do to a used MB I bought on Ebay. It's very basic work:
Arzajac: thanks for the vid. I have some MBs I want to re-work. I like your simple method. I don't have the electronic cleaner. Where do you buy one and its price ? And is it necessary, or can something else be used in its place ? ---------- And I Thank You !! K.C. castlehomes69@yahoo.com
@Logansays to answer your question the prewar harps don't really need to be "customized". I would say for the most part buying old harps on Ebay is a waste of money! The harps made today are better than ever before. If your interested in Marine Bands there are a few variations that are great for doing certain things. I would say the version made from 1995 to 2005 is the best all around. from 2008 to now are very good quality wise (if not the best all time), but the tone is a little more metallic. The harps made from the 50's to the the early 90's are the harps that have that sweet bluessy tone. Now these harps are also the most difficult to play and the quality is the worst out of all the era's. I have noticed the harps made in the 60's seem to be better and they became less useable as time went on untill the factory retooled in 1995. What does this mean? If you don't want to learn how to emboss harps and do a bunch of other crap. You just want to play the harp. All you have to do is buy new Marine Bands! It really is just that easy. Everyone that is considering spending $100+ on a custom or spending the next two years learning how to make your remember Joe Filisko started all this in the 80's because Marine Bands of that time were terrible! He was trying to figure out how to make the harps of the day play like prewar Marine Bands. Buy a prewar Marine Band and buy a new one set the reeds and test them one after another. The tone is alitte softer, but the playability of the new Marine Band is better and the new harps are louder. If you love blues and can't leave well enough alone. Then try a 60's Marine Band and emboss the slot about half way in. That will improve the playability without comprimising the Tone. If you emboss the slot tight it makes it play easier, but looses the sweet buttery tone. I can't think of any other way to describe it.
recently bought a prewar marine band from blue moon harmonica...the only part of it not original is the comb...it has the star of david on the lower cover...it is in the key of C and will outplay both of my custom harps in C....I cant believe that a harp 75 years old can play this well
I bought a 1950s (Hohner) Hoosier Boy harp for about $20. I'm restoring it and giving it to my nephew. It's a Marine Band harmonica with different cover plates.
There is a lot of soul in these 50, 60 and 70-year-old harps. It's really something to hold an instrument that old in your hands. That being said, it's not that hard to get an out-of-the-box modern Marine Band to play that well.
If you lay off the embossing that makes them too bright and retune it to 7-limit Just Intonation, you can get that mellow, make-the-hair-on-the-back-of-your-neck-stand-up effect. Not the best setup for playing amplified, but a great harp to have in your collection.
While I am a fan of these vintage harps, no way I'd pay $159!
Andrew. You are a frequent poster on MBH and a tremendous resource so please do not take it personally when I politely disagree with you. I have had very good success with the pre-war Marine Bands. I have restored dozens of them and have had nothing but positive feedback about them. George – thanks for the love. And here’s the kicker. I have had HarveyHarp and Greg Jones customize a few of them for me but the vast majority of the pre-wars I own have had no reed work done to them at all other than cleaning and gapping. I have mint condition pre-wars that I generally don’t do any work on other than clean them up. I also have pre-wars that were less than perfect when I got them so those I restore. I am not a great overblow player but I can easily overblow all of them. They play like butter. The tone and responsiveness is wonderful.
The pre-war in question that sold for $159 was an A harp in very very good condition. The most common keys are C and G with the A’s, Bb’s, D’s, E’s and F’s being less common. I would say that the A’s hit the sweet spot of being desirable and hard to find so that combined with the condition apparently resonated with at least one buyer. I agree that $159 is a bit high for that harp but could see myself paying $50 to $75 for it.
And finally, there is something to be said for the historical or nostalgic value of pre-wars. If you listen to the golden oldies of the blues artists of the 30’s and 40’s it is a safe bet they were playing Marine Band. To me, it’s kinda neat to be able to play on period authentic instruments from that era. I am also a golfer and have several sets hickory shafted golf clubs. I enjoy breaking them out once in a while and playing with them. You would be very pleasantly surprised at how solid they are and how little they differ from modern equipment.
That’s just my take. No disrespect to anyone who has a different opinion. ---------- Tom Halchak www.BlueMoonHarmonicas.com
I don't think we disagree on this that much. The pre-wars and Hicksville harps were wonderful out-of-the-box. I completely agree with that. In fact, when customizers first started working on harps, the goal was to make modern harps play as well as those vintage ones.
But there is no reason why a brand new modern harp can't be set up to play as well if not better than those harps. But, I concede there is no nostalgia there, just a well-playing harp. There's a reason why my nephew is getting a 1950s harp and not an out-of-the-box Marine Band.
Some restorations can be a lot more than you bargain for! I've opened up great looking harps to find corrosion or other damage caused by the years. I guess my preference is to start off with a modern harp and avoid any surprises.
But your customers don't have to worry about that since you assume the risk when you obtain the harp and restore it. That $159 ebay auction was for an "unrestored" harp. Too rich for my blood!
I paid tom $75.00 for that harp....it has a new beautiful comb....it has an awesome tone....the covers are in great condition....it was curiousity that made me want to buy this harp....for those of you who saw forrest gump....buying a harp is like a box of chocolates,you never know what you are going to get.....well I got a piece with almonds....home run!!!!
It didn't need restoration. It was damn near unplayed. ---------- David
____________________ At the time of his birth, it was widely accepted that no one man could play that much music so well or raise that much hell. He proved them all wrong. R.I.P. H. Cecil Payne
Here's a prewar Seydel that'll probably go for $500 when its over. ---------- David
____________________ At the time of his birth, it was widely accepted that no one man could play that much music so well or raise that much hell. He proved them all wrong. R.I.P. H. Cecil Payne
You said here's a prewar Seydel.....I don't see a picture or a link I'd love to see it, and hope to find a prewar Band Master someday to restore, with as little as little work as possible. I think getting my brother in law in Germany involved would help, he loves going to flea markets anyway.
I actually bought that particular pre war in A..DOnt know why it shows 159 USD...!!! I got it with a buy it now price of 65 i think..and it came in absolutely mint condition!!! much better than the pics....so that was a very good price for me..! A lot of pre-wars and mouse ears have been showing up on ebay these day.
Andrew. I'm happy to hear that we mostly agree. Wouldn't want to offend you. You're too nice a guy.
George. The box of chocolates analogy works both ways. When I send a harp out I never know how the customer is going to like it. I am immensely pleased that you are happy with it.
David. You're assessment of the Pre-War A is right on the money. I too would like to see the Seydel. I have two antique bandmasters that I am working on right now.
---------- Tom Halchak www.BlueMoonHarmonicas.com
Last Edited by on Jan 26, 2013 6:02 AM
It was a Bandmaster-type boomerang (rectangle shaped with boomerang shaped vents) still in the wrapper. I can't find it now.
Like mechanical watches, Harmonicas are a mature technology. The diatonics were a mature technology as soon as Kratt put a plastic comb on one in the 1940s, although I would argue it was a mature technology by 1898. The differences we talk about, the ones that can be quantified in playability and tone are usually minute.
However, awesomeness is an intangible quality that applies to harmonicas. One harmonica can play as well as another, but not be as awesome as the other.
This is an extreme example, but I think it illustrates the folly in defining a harmonica's value only by the way it plays, and nothing else. When you buy something old, you buy a connection with that history. Some don't care, but some do and those who do set the market value for these things. Those who don't are usually baffled by the price and they are not the ones who set it.
The watch from circa 1900 does calendar and moon phase. The modern watch does the same thing. The difference? Although the old watch has a gold case, the new watch will keep much better time... thus, if it were a harmonica it would play BETTER. Price difference... the new one you can buy now for $85. The older one, which does not keep as accurate time, is buy it now for $72,000 and I absolutely guarantee there ain't anywhere near $70k worth of gold in it. ;)
---------- David
____________________ At the time of his birth, it was widely accepted that no one man could play that much music so well or raise that much hell. He proved them all wrong. R.I.P. H. Cecil Payne
