jnorem
3 posts
Jan 24, 2014
9:15 PM
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Back when I started playing, the only harmonicas you could get were Hohner, mostly the Marine Band but sometimes I'd find a Blues Harp. And that was it.
Now, well you know. There are some absolutely beautiful and amazing harmonicas to be had, that can do things the old ones couldn't and are made a lot better than the old ones were.
I can't afford those, man. I play the Special 20, have done just about since they first came out. And I'm seeing all these custom improvements to my harp of choice, improvements that any player in his right mind would want to take advantage of. It's just that I can't afford those; I'd have to save up for over a month just to buy one.
I guess Little Walter and Rice Miller used their harps right out of the box, essentially like I do (I do make a few adjustments of my own), and that's the humble origin of those iconic sounds.
I know that straight-out-of-the-box harmonicas aren't much good. I've read the articles, visited the websites, and who wouldn't want to invest in instruments of the quality and capability that the custom made harmonicas can boast of?
So, I'm wondering what is the consensus on playing the straight-out-of-the-box harmonicas versus the high-end custom ones?
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SuperBee
1637 posts
Jan 25, 2014
3:28 AM
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I make a few adjustments of my own. That's about it. My harps play ok. If I have one which is giving trouble, I work on it. Usually I can make it play better. Sometime I have to make me play better.
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Kingley
3415 posts
Jan 25, 2014
3:44 AM
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"I know that straight-out-of-the-box harmonicas aren't much good."
That's not really true anymore. Out of the box harmonicas especially the ones from Hohner are better than they have ever been. I'd happily play (and often do play) an out of the box Marine Band.
Custom harmonicas are good if you want to do certain things. For most straight ahead blues players though there are not a necessity. You also have to remember that just as with amplifiers and mics, you have to bring your game to the table. If your technique is not properly developed then a custom harmonica is not going to make you a good player.
I'd say if you're wondering and want to try one then get a Joe Spiers Stage II harp and see what a real custom harp from a top tier builder is like. If you're going to buy one you may as well get the best and they don't come much better than a Spiers harmonica.
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jiceblues
260 posts
Jan 25, 2014
4:41 AM
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I tried some custom harmonicas .I just couldn't play some of them .I suppose it's because i'm so used to OOTB harps like SP20's or BH's .BTW , OOTB harps are much better then 20 years ago .If you don't overblow , a stock harmonica of good quality like a SP20 a Crossover , a Golden melody or a Manji will do the job .If you overblow , you have to learn how to tweak your harps .That's all .The secret is PRACTICE .
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harpdude61
1958 posts
Jan 25, 2014
5:57 AM
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I agree with Kingley. Since the Golden Melody started coming in the blister pack a couple years ago they have been very much in tune and sound great. I do have to gap the reeds since overbending is a big part of my playing. 20 minutes max on a new harmonica.
Proper technique and practice are much more important.
I got the last set of custom harps Buddha shipped out the day before he passed away. They were great but one bad reed out of 20 and it's useless to me. I sent them to a "so called" customizer to tweak and he ruined them. They would not even overblow when he sent them back.
Maybe Buddha's set up was not optimal for me but I didn't get a chance to work it out with him.
My band plays 40+ shows a year and I don't have the time or money to ship harps and wait six weeks on repairs.
I have learned to retune and gap. Plus I bought some nice combs. I also save harps with a bad reed and sooner or later another reed goes on the same key harp on the opposite reed plate so then I have another harp...lol
If there is a customizer out there that thinks he can really bedazzle me I'll ship him a new GM to tweak and see what happens. Otherwise, none of our fans have ever complained about my harps not being up to par.
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1847
1477 posts
Jan 25, 2014
6:10 AM
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you say you have read the articles but that is not possible
cause if you have, you would have not made the comments
that no one plays out of the box harmonicas.
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i get a lot of request when i play my harmonica
"but i play it anyway"
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arzajac
1264 posts
Jan 25, 2014
6:42 AM
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Harpdude: You're adding a third option to the discussion in a sense. If you are using third-party comb (to make the harp more airtight) and adjusting the reeds to your preference, then we are not really talking about an out-of-the-box harp, nor a custom.
Learning to perform more advanced reed work than just gapping may be something you can think about. If you are already spending 20 minutes tweaking a harp, you may find that spending another 20 or so would be more than worth the effort.
If you value the improved performance, learning to do it yourself would have even greater value if you blow out reeds frequently.
You can send me a harp and for $25, you get advanced service which includes airtight setup/comb, advanced reed work and embossing and accurate tuning. Will it bedazzle you like a custom harp? Maybe. Maybe not. Perhaps it's the sweet spot in between full-blown custom quality and out-of-the-box quality.
But now this conversation may spiral down the path of "harps-cost-enough-I-shouldn't-have-to-spend-an-hour-working-on-them!" I agree. Even the cheap harps are expensive. But, it is what it is...
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Custom overblow harps. Harmonica service and repair.
Last Edited by arzajac on Jan 25, 2014 6:42 AM
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Slimharp
136 posts
Jan 25, 2014
9:13 AM
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jnorem you may have noticed some ootb harps play better than others. I have taken those better playin harps, opened up the covers and sealed the comb and come up with a very very good plain harp. As good as custom, no, but close. Playing blues without going to a lot of over blows and draws, a good playing ootb harp will serve you well. You may want to save and get one custom just to satisfy your curiosity. I suggest Joe Spiers ( he has a web site, be prepared to wait a while after ordering ). IMHO a custom is louder, brighter, much more responsive ( with less breath )bends are very controllable ( which you should be able to do on a ootb )and across the board they are are just quicker. A custom wont make you a better player but it will enhance what you play, as any good harp will.
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Slimharp
137 posts
Jan 25, 2014
9:25 AM
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Interesting how often posters go off topic from what the original post is, including me, in this very post.
Harpdude61 send your new GM to Joe Spiers and have him do a stage 2 or 3 on it. You may not be Bedazzled but you will have a smokin harp.
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groyster1
2516 posts
Jan 25, 2014
2:45 PM
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agree with slimharp....I have one custom done by him...but also consider arzajac also...hes done fundmental service for me....it seems to me that hes a perfectionist....a + trait for a harp builder
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jbone
1475 posts
Jan 26, 2014
6:04 AM
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I have had a couple of custom MB's. They were very nice and I liked them a lot but the problem was, I didn't want to play stock harps any more and I could not afford to go all custom. Those harps sad to say fell by the wayside. One walked away one evening and the other is someplace in a drawer with a blown out reed. I am not interested in a $100-plus investment in a single harmonics unless it's a chromatic. I appreciate custom harps like I appreciate high end fishing gear, but my rods and reels come from Walmart usually.
I am a stock player. I want a harp I can pull out of the box and play a gig with. For some time that was a tall order. I pretty much left Marine Band behind over quality issues in the 90's. I may try a Deluxe or Crossover one of these days but at the moment I am researching different Suzuki models and typically use the Manji as my go-to for most of what I do. While it's true they cost more than Sp20 or MB, I feel like I am getting a good work horse harp and the replacement reed plates are a real plus.
I am with you jnorem, I am old school and when I started this it was a really inexpensive hobby or avocation. Recent times have given us a lot more options and the cost has risen. There was a time when every dime I made gigging went to replacing harps, buying mics, getting an amp worked on, etc etc. These days I have managed to keep cost lower. I don't gig as much and I have developed better playing habits so as to avoid blowing up reeds often like in the old days. I have the gear I need. When we play out it's usually low volume and small or medium rooms.
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http://www.reverbnation.com/jawboneandjolene
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000386839482
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wa7La7yYYeE
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Slimharp
139 posts
Jan 26, 2014
9:21 AM
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jnorem - for me a self tweaked Sp 20 is fine. customs are great. My motto, get a decent working harp and play.
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jnorem
5 posts
Jan 26, 2014
4:04 PM
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One thing that just occurred to me: I do not like the Marine Band-style reed plates slightly raised from the comb, I just find it uncomfortable. The Special 20 comb is just right for me. All the custom harps I've seen are in theMarine Band style.
Last Edited by jnorem on Jan 26, 2014 4:05 PM
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Slimharp
141 posts
Jan 26, 2014
4:17 PM
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I have several custom 20's from Joe Spiers. Yeah I dont really like the exposed reed plate ridge at the MB comb either.
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chromaticblues
1533 posts
Jan 27, 2014
9:45 AM
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@ jnorem
Click on my username and check out my SP 20 prices.
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HarpNinja
3724 posts
Jan 27, 2014
10:53 AM
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Lots of guys do custom SP20's. I know I do (although I am not taking orders, just noting that I customize them for myself).
My thoughts:
The old guys played stock harps, which were better than the harps that were out there in the 90's, when customization became an option.
In the last 5 years, stock harps, including Hohner 1896 Marine Bands became way better...I would argue that the new stock Hohner's are their best EVER. Not only that, a wealth of the work that went into customs in the 90's, which were largely Marine Bands, have been taken care of by companies. You can get a Marine Band Deluxe or Seydel 1847 with screws, sealed comb, and open covers.
Nowadays, though, players demand more out of the instrument than back in the day - overbends, valves, more play on the top end, the ability for consistent harps that range all 12 keys, easily hitting notes in pitch, etc.
Personally, I overbend a lot. I set up the most important keys for that and spend less time on keys I almost never use. My point being customs aren't all or nothing.
I don't take public builds anymore (I do some builds for friends and Matt Smart, and then offer completed harps). I had more requests than I wanted to handle, and would rather have some free time and the time to gig again.
Saving for a month isn't really that big a deal. Should you decide to order one though, go with someone with a great rep and remember you usually get what you pay for. Sometimes, just going with an optimized harp, which Dave Payne sorta invented, is in enough itself.
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Mike
My Website
My Harmonica Effects Blog
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MP
3076 posts
Jan 27, 2014
3:09 PM
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I think it's awful harpdude61 had his Buddha harps ruined by a so called customizer.
Though I've replaced a reed on a B-harp once I don't like to mess w/ other peoples work. I simply don't know enough in the OB OD area. I had to chamfer the reed in question w/ substandard tools. It worked great but I wouldn't do a whole harp like that.
I agree that Hohner is putting out its best harps ever.
It is rare I receive a newer expensive harp OOB harp that is a lemon. But I have. Two Olives, One MBD, and one Crossover.
So jnorem, if you are curious enough to check out a custom choose the customizer with the best reputation.
Check out the way he plays. The best guys have youtube videos and have a very high profile. you must take the customizers playing style into account. He should knock you out whether a straight ahead blues player or a more modern OB OD player.
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Affordable Reed Replacement
Marks Harmonica Tune-up
Click user name MP for contact info
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