DukeBerryman
157 posts
Feb 18, 2014
10:32 AM
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I thought I was stuck with a standard set of harps from G to F.
Now, my harps start at Low F, then G, A, B flat, C, D, E.
I still have a regular F, and a High G.
I really like my new Low F! What a relief - I thought I was going to pop a blood vessel playing my regular F.
And, I can use the Low F and regular F on the same song. Same with regular G and High G.
Takes me a while sometimes to get over my thick headedness.
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nacoran
7533 posts
Feb 18, 2014
10:50 AM
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Yeah, low F is nice. I've got a regular F, a low F and a Low Low F. :)
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Nate
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TetonJohn
190 posts
Feb 18, 2014
11:02 AM
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I love my LowF especially when playing solo and singing (i can be close to the mike).
When I'm ensemble playing and need to cut through the mix, the regular F usually works better -- the ensemble playng I'm talking about is around a single condenser mike where the LowF gets pretty lost in the mix when I'm not stepping up to the mike for a solo.
Last Edited by TetonJohn on Feb 18, 2014 12:05 PM
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DukeBerryman
158 posts
Feb 18, 2014
11:32 AM
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@TetonJohn Great trick - you grab the regular F for your break. I was wondering about that, because I usually like a fairly cutting sound. But then I'm digging these lower tones, too.
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HawkeyeKane
2330 posts
Feb 18, 2014
11:36 AM
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Just got a Big River Low F not long ago. Haven't used it much yet, but hopefully soon it'll get incorporated in my routine one way or another.
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Hawkeye Kane
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didjcripey
707 posts
Feb 18, 2014
12:05 PM
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Low d's are pretty cool too.
Can't stand the shrillness and tightness of my high g
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Lucky Lester
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CWinter
106 posts
Feb 18, 2014
12:19 PM
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What brands of Low F are you guys talking about?
I wish they made a Hohner Special 20 Low F.
Last Edited by CWinter on Feb 18, 2014 12:22 PM
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TetonJohn
191 posts
Feb 18, 2014
12:31 PM
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Brands? I have a Lee Oskar Low F from quite awhile ago (maybe before they were made by others? certainly they were the ones I was aware of); more recently a Seydel 1847 (just intonation for big fat chords; YUM!).
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CWinter
107 posts
Feb 18, 2014
12:36 PM
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$110 for a Seydel 1847.
Anyone know of a good quality Low F harp for less than $60?
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rainman
128 posts
Feb 18, 2014
12:48 PM
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At $59.00 the Seydel Session Steel is a great harp. Recently bought a low D I really like.
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SuperBee
1678 posts
Feb 18, 2014
12:54 PM
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I got a brass session. Cheaper than steel. Seems ok. No comment on durability, too soon. they're a chunky design in the face. Not sure how I feel about it, but that's the cheapest lo harp I could find
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isaacullah
2635 posts
Feb 18, 2014
1:28 PM
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@Cwinter: They used to make low Spec 20's, but I think they stopped so that they could sell more Thunderbirds. I have Low D and Low E Special 20's. Great harps! My Low F is a MB Deluxe (also great!), and my Low C is Seydel Solist Pro with Session Steel reedplates. That one is especially mellow and sweet. I think the Thunderbird is probably a great harp, but it's priced way too high to sell well. The Session Steel is probably the best price/quality value for low harps these days. I think the absolute cheapest are Hohner Big Rivers, but I don't know if they come lower than Low D...
@DukBerryman: Welcome to the club of low harp lovers! I couldn't live without mine! :)
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isaacullah
2636 posts
Feb 18, 2014
1:36 PM
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Yeah, a quick google search tells me that this is the lay of the land:
Hohner Big River (down to at least low F): $25-27
Seydel Session brass (down to Low C): $34
Lee Oskar (down to at least Low D): $37
Bushman Delta Frost (down to at least Low D): $37
Seydel Session Steel (down to Low C): $59
Suzuki Promaster (down to at least Low D): $50-$70 (seems to vary widely in price)
Seydel 1847 (down to low D): $90
Hohner Thunderbird (down to Low Low C!): $150
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SuperBee
1682 posts
Feb 18, 2014
2:01 PM
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I thought the big river low tunings were in the past also . I recently bought a lowD but the guy told me he'd bought up all the available (Australian)stock when they went out of production. He had 4 left.
Last Edited by SuperBee on Feb 18, 2014 2:02 PM
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isaacullah
2638 posts
Feb 18, 2014
2:07 PM
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eek! If that's true, then the Session brass is the true low-cost leader. I can understand why Hohner would offer an expensive harp for double-low tunings (i.e., below Low C), but why would they take their relatively affordable Low harps out of production and replace them with a very expensive model instead? That seems to me to be a way to simply give away market share to your competitors...
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Last Edited by isaacullah on Feb 18, 2014 2:08 PM
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DukeBerryman
159 posts
Feb 18, 2014
2:45 PM
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Mine is a Lee Oskar, but I'm kinda liking the idea of steel reeds for these low harps. I also had a Suzuki Promaster in G, and I think those would be great down low.
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Gnarly
908 posts
Feb 18, 2014
3:48 PM
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Suzuki makes low F, that is as low as we go--Hammond, Manji, Promaster, Firebreath, heck the Pure harp comes in a Low F.
When I heard Hohner was discontinuing their Low tuned Special 20's, I bought Ron's last three Low F harps. They weren't cheap, it was about $100 for the three.
I think of regular F as sort of a novelty harp now. D is about as high as I usually want to play.
Last Edited by Gnarly on Feb 18, 2014 3:49 PM
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bigd
518 posts
Feb 18, 2014
3:55 PM
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I have a Low F Sp 20, 2 LF Golden Melodys (they were briefly made) and a LF GM created for me by Joe Spiers.....I love LF's ......Especially if the rest of the instruments are subtle, spare, and jazzy on tunes!
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dougharps
563 posts
Feb 18, 2014
3:59 PM
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I like my Seydel 1847 Low F (I put plates that were on sale on a comb I already had.
I have a backup I bought, a Delta Frost comb and plates that I put old covers on to make a second Low F harp. I like the DF pretty much, and it was very inexpensive!
Sweetwater DF
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Doug S.
Last Edited by dougharps on Feb 18, 2014 4:02 PM
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SuperBee
1685 posts
Feb 19, 2014
12:38 AM
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Hohner website says of BR "Available in all 12 keys plus a high G."
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Rubes
802 posts
Feb 19, 2014
1:12 AM
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ok......mines a Hammond......nice rich tone....good for all that stuff in C ha! (even do Foofighters 'Times like these' with it)
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SuperBee
1687 posts
Feb 19, 2014
2:29 AM
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i'm just starting to get into the lo F; took me a while to be able to play the low bends. I gave my session a whirl today on caldonia...pretty good...i thought it'd be too slow or run me breathless...and i think it wouldve once... but its OK. i have a t-bird too.
the standard F still has claims. i dont think id like to play messin with the kid or sloppy drunk or that pogues song...whatsit?...the one about cuchulainn...on a low F
its good to have a choice though.
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DukeBerryman
160 posts
Feb 19, 2014
11:57 AM
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I was forced to get one because I was working on "Love Is A Losing Game" by Amy Winehouse which is in C major. The regular F just sounded too bird-like for a torch song like this.
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nacoran
7543 posts
Feb 19, 2014
12:56 PM
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I've got a Marine Band low F, a Sessions steel hybrid low D harmonic minor and a Seydel Blues Favorite LLF. All of them are great.
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Nate
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Sherwin
121 posts
Feb 19, 2014
6:06 PM
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Got a low F Firebreath a few years ago.....what was I thinking?
I was in my gotta try all the different models and makes phase.
I did just receive a low F M.B., purchased on ebay, nice sound and tuning still good, great shape.....just a little leaky. After a bit of work I'm sure I'll be happy with it.
I'm still an idiot.
Michael
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Destin
64 posts
Feb 19, 2014
8:22 PM
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I like the low F it reminds me of a clarinet.
I have at hohner that has both the low and high register. I think it's the Richard Sleigh sig.
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Pistolcat
595 posts
Feb 22, 2014
7:42 AM
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I was an idiot and got a Thunderbird LLF, so now I have a F, Low F and Low low F. Got a really nice deal on the LLf though. 90 bucks. Wow, now that I see it in print it doesn't seem that cheap. Oh, well.
Here's a noodeling clip with it if anyone wonder how it sounds.
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Pistolkatt - Pistolkatts youtube
Last Edited by Pistolcat on Feb 22, 2014 8:14 AM
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Pistolcat
596 posts
Feb 22, 2014
8:16 AM
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@ Frank - Yeah. Check this out. He got almost half a million hits. Its not too shabby though, check out his other videos. Some are really good.
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Pistolkatt - Pistolkatts youtube
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