gmoney
2 posts
Sep 19, 2013
9:27 PM
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I'm a beginner, well, intermediate beginner if there is such a thing. I'm taking a blues harmonica class and I need a couple new harps, Bb and an F. I thought you might have some advice as to which I should get.
I already have a Crossover in C, which I love, also a Blues Harp, and a Lee Oskar (it took me a long time to get off top dead center with the harmonica). I also a few Marine Bands with the new combs in G, D, and A, these are nice but a little harder to play than the Crossover.
I'd like to expand to some other models and brands and I've been curious about the Hohner Blue Midnight, the Big River, and some of the Seydel models.
For the keys of Bb and F do any of you have favorite models? If so, what are they? Do you have any opinions of the Blue Midnight, Big River or a Seydel model in general?
Thanks,
GMoney
PS: I've enjoyed reading the old posts. Lots of great information.
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1847
1094 posts
Sep 19, 2013
9:58 PM
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key of F... hands down seydel session steel
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there's a new sheriff in town
i get a lot of request when i play my harmonica
"but i play it anyway"
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STME58
545 posts
Sep 19, 2013
10:01 PM
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I have a Suzuki Pure Harp and a Seydel 1847 Nobel in low F. I like them both. They are easy to play, came set up well enough to overblow and both have a quality feel for different reasons. The all wood Pure harp is unique and feels good in the hand. The Seydel has a heft to it, and I really like the surface finish of the covers. I don't like the way the 1847 cover edges slope up away from the slot in the reed plate at the ends to create an effective beard grabber!
I also have a Suzuki Hammond in F. This harp was discussed in another thread and I agree with what was said about it. I like the full covers. My Bb harp is a Pro-Master. It was a so so harp until I replaced the comb with a Blue Moon aluminum comb. Now it is one of my favorites.
Looking at the Pro-master and Hammond combs they seem to be of the same design except for the black anodize on the Hammond. I think the process was out of control when my Pro-Master comb was made though. It is interesting that others have had problems with Pro Master combs but not Hammond combs.
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gmoney
3 posts
Sep 20, 2013
11:36 AM
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Thanks for the thoughtful reply STME58. I hand't thought of the the Suzuki Hammond. There are lots of positive posts about it. I guess they pay extra attention to the Hammond since it's represents their harmonicas and their organs. The anodize sounds like it would be better than plain metal. I'll do some more research into this model. After my first couple of harps, it's easier to be patient and take the time to do some research.
@1847 Do you prefer the Seydel Session Steel for higher keys in general? Have you tried them in lower keys?
Also, it sounds like Seydels and Suzuki's (the hammond at least) arrive with a better setup than most stock harps.
Is the Olive comparable the the Hammond in terms of quality? Is the Olive's tuning OK for blues?
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1847
1095 posts
Sep 20, 2013
12:03 PM
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the higher keys are not short scale as on some
of the other brands. i like the tuning seydel uses also
i have every brand of harmonica for the most part
my gig bag has 14 harps all session steels
with 1847 coverplates.
i have a full set of the 1847 silver
i use those at home so as not to wear out my gig set so quickly.
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there's a new sheriff in town
i get a lot of request when i play my harmonica
"but i play it anyway"
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gmoney
4 posts
Sep 20, 2013
3:52 PM
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Thanks for the advice! I decided to go with Seydels. As I fill out my keys I'll get other models/brands to round out my experience. Next will be Hammonds in whatever key I'm missing. I'm intrigued by them, but I think it's better to focus on one new model at a time.
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Oisin
1042 posts
Sep 21, 2013
4:05 AM
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Special 20?
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Oisin
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SuperBee
1429 posts
Sep 21, 2013
5:04 AM
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Good old marine band 1896 for me.
there's nothing I can think of about Bb to set it apart. As far as choosing a 'special' model for it. F I guess might be a special case because its relatively high.
F is a key which can be a challenge. No doubt there are differences between harps, intrinsic issues of quality, quality control and engineering. But there are also the challenges of making the necessary adjustments of approach to get the best from a particular instrument.
I think I went through several different models before I started to get the hang of how to play an F harp. When I found one I could play, I soon found I could play the previously 'unplayable' one.
But aside from that, I got a good deal on an 'old' 1896 when they were superseded by the current model with the sealed comb. It's an awesome harp.
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SteamrollinStan
51 posts
Sep 21, 2013
5:06 AM
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SP20's....cheap, reliable, easy to fix..if clogged,basic repairs easy, I believe about 86.56% of harp dudes use 'em.
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nacoran
7152 posts
Sep 21, 2013
8:42 AM
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I really like the Seydels, but most of my harps are Lee Oskars and Special 20's because they do the job at a better price point. I love long cover harps. I've got a blues Session Steel/Turboslide, a Blues Session and a Blues Favorite. They are all great harps.
edit: and Bb is my favorite key, but that's mostly just because it fits really nicely with my vocal range. It's the one key that I can choose to sing most songs either high or low.
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Last Edited by nacoran on Sep 21, 2013 8:43 AM
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gmoney
5 posts
Sep 21, 2013
3:52 PM
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I have a Special 20 in C, and Marine Bands in A and G. I really like both models. The Marine Band is a bit tougher to play and I haven't begun tweaking them yet for fear of getting lost in the process and not having time to play, or ruined harps. I feel like the SP 20s are a known quantity for me now. Great harps, but I want to explore some other models. This is all still new and exciting. Hohners, Seydels, and Suzukis, and I hope I can stop there.
@SuperBee I can relate to what you're saying. I've noticed that I can play the Marine Band better after playing the Crossover for a while. But I can't yet make the Marine Band sound as good as the Crossover. By good I mean the MB is not as tight and responsive. I'm not sure how much of this can be overcome with playing ability vs. mechanical tweaking. But I do like the mellower, darker MB sound. I realize there's difference in construction, but I think my ability to play both is revealing as to how my skills are progressing.
I'm going with Seydels Session Steel for this phase b/c of the full covers and the steel. (My crossover slipped out of my shirt pocket and onto my laptop screen in such a way as to take out a little nick out of the screen. So a smoother harp would be nice) Seydel also makes a summer and winter edition session steel that have a different color combs, because...impulse buy. But they're color coded.
Learning harmonica is a fascinating process. Thanks for wisdom!
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