logansays
65 posts
Jan 21, 2012
12:43 PM
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considering an OTB harp as raw materials , which harps customize the best?
a 100 bucks seydel 1847 when worked on by a customizer compared to marine band also worked on by a customizer..wud the expensive models give better results or the pricing is just for the OTB playability?
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BigBlindRay
148 posts
Jan 21, 2012
5:55 PM
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Hey MBHers
Most of the top customizers seem to work with Marine Band reed plates. I dont know exactly why they do but there has got to be something in it (MB's SP20's, GM's)
Hey! Maybe one of our Custom Harp gurus can explain?
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Mavis and her China Pigs
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scrybe314
96 posts
Jan 21, 2012
8:08 PM
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My experience here is pretty limited as I've only worked on my own harps, never bought a custom one. Out of the SP20s, the myriad of crappy five-dollar harps, and all the others I've tweaked, Huang Star Performers win hands-down. Even a really lousy OOTB HSP can sound comparable to a pristine SP20 with an hour or so's work, and they STAY tweaked for ages. I just dug up an old Star Performer I hadn't touched in years, and with a quick cleaning it played exactly how I set it up.
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"I'm a stray dog runnin' through this town..."
The Stonecutters
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SergZZZ
24 posts
Jan 22, 2012
1:24 AM
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(MB's SP20's, GM's...) From these models we can provide a more competitive final price of the product.
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jim
1172 posts
Jan 22, 2012
2:41 AM
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That depends...
In general:
Seydel 1847
Suzuki Manji, Promaster, Firebreath, Olive, Fabulous
Hering 1923
Hohner GM, MB
For example if you need valves:
The easiest to customize is 1847.
The hardest to customize for valves is Hohner MB, MDb, MBC, and the old meisterkalsse.
If you need overbends, there's no big difference. The 1847 is easier to emboss because of the steel reeds + g.silver reedplate combination. 1847 is also faster to tune because you tune it only one time.
In the end, they can be set up equally well.
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Last Edited by on Jan 22, 2012 2:41 AM
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chromaticblues
1144 posts
Jan 22, 2012
7:03 AM
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It depends on what you are going to play with it!
Pure blues - Hicksville MB's retains a good tone after embossing. They have thicker stiff reeds that last long also!
Modern styles - OB/OD MB's made from 1995-2005.
The present day MB's are the best harp in production today IMHO for tweaking.
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Sarge
96 posts
Jan 22, 2012
7:44 AM
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chromaticblues, you tweaked a seydel solist pro for me and it turned out great.
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Wisdom does not always come with old age. Sometimes old age arrives alone.
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harpwrench
559 posts
Jan 22, 2012
4:12 PM
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logansays says
"considering an OTB harp as raw materials , which harps customize the best?"
The MB/SP20/GM harps work best for me. I've tried them all, and many of them- not just one of each. I intentionally wanted to like something different, but in the end the MB and it's siblings are the ones that win. I also like results I get from the Manji, in some ways even more, but other ways less.
You also need to understand that when comparing customs, you're comparing the work of the technician, not just the model of harp.
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Spiers Harmonicas
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jim
1175 posts
Jan 22, 2012
4:16 PM
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@harpwrench:
I'd add that you're also comparing the owners' personal playing style and preferences....
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boris_plotnikov
682 posts
Jan 23, 2012
6:33 AM
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For the way how I'm cusomizing now 1847 is perfect, because stainless steel reeds are much harder than german silver reedplates and reed remove all overembossed material just by plucking or blowing.
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145nE
46 posts
Mar 30, 2012
12:43 PM
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scrybe314 do you have Star Performer reeds? I need a #10 draw for an "A" harp?
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