I ordered a Suzuki Olive in the key of A from Rockin' Ron on Tuesday, and it arrived today (Thanks, Ron). I must say that I am thrilled with it. First, the covers are a very deep olive green that is very rich looking. I was expecting kind of an army green, but it is very nice.
The first thing I tried was the Juke riff, and it was much easier to play than with my Suzuki Bluesmaster. The Olive bends much easier as well.
As we know, the key of A harp can be harder to play than a higher key, especially for a beginner like me. I play in a classic rock band, and a lot the songs are in are in E, and the Olive is really going to help me when I play it in second position.
Who knows, I might finally be able to play Juke!
Last Edited by on Jan 26, 2012 11:56 AM
Can anyone tell us the advantage of the Olive over other harps other than looks. Is it more airtight than a Manji, for instance, or does it project better. Just wondering, as I am always in shopping mode with harps, but have to spend my dollars wisely.
Got one in C. Gaps are wide enough on the bottome end that bending is tough. Comb has flat tines and feels like a MB. Plates are a bit sharp like a MB. Tuning is spot on with no beating octaves. It has a nice modern tone. Ob'ed OOTB, and has the 7 OD, but needs work.
Nice harp, but I find other similarily priced harps to be just as good and more comfortable. It isn't a blues harp, IMO, and it feels a little stiffer than brass or SS.
Totally worth checking out if you dig GM's or full length covers (me!). ---------- Mike VHT Special 6 Mods Quicksilver Custom Harmonicas - When it needs to come from the soul...
Last Edited by on Jan 26, 2012 3:44 PM
I took the covers off and tried to gap it without putting much time into it. One and two draw and bends aren't doing it for me. The 3 draw is now very sweet...lots of snap. If you've played any of my customs, it is pretty much the same.
The rest of the harp plays fine/good/well within gigging tolerances. However, the OBs didn't benefit from gapping as much as I had thought they would. The OBs are still pretty much the same...breathy and not real solid. I will try gapping tighter at some point.
The 7 OD is still useable as are the 8, 9, and 10. They don't pop as well as other brands (with just gapping), but there was much less squealing than other brands. I think the ods might be useable for passing notes as is.
The reeds are very very stiff to work on. They take a lot more pressure and patience to gap than brass...they are a lot like stainless steel, IMO.
I also sanded down the corners of the plates.
The comb continues to feel like a stock MB - kinda sharp and dry. That isn't good or bad, just a comparison point.
I've thought about commenting on cost, but it is a fairly similar price point to other "pro" quality harps with screws and composite/sealed combs. I do think there are $50-60 harps that offer similar if not better results OOTB, but it is by no means a bad harp.
I do caution that I am a Hohner endorser, so I do have a bias, but I have a record of giving credit where credit is do for both customizers and other harp brands. I like the tone and shape of the Olive. I like that it is ET and can OB alright. I think a GM is a better fit and nearly half the price for jazzier players, especially if you OB.
IMO, the Olive's main benefits over a GM are maybe a longer reed life (although I've never seen real science/evidence to support this). ---------- Mike VHT Special 6 Mods Quicksilver Custom Harmonicas - When it needs to come from the soul...
