I have been given two of these harps the other day. They look and sound formidable at first checkout. More vetting to come very soon. Anybody else tried or have an Easttop harps? ---------- http://www.reverbnation.com/jawboneandjolene
I've got the Easttop 008s and it certainly is not weak or leaky. The model with the metal comb and gaskets is not weak or leaky either. They are very good harps; air tight, responsive, bends nicely and sounds good. ---------- Wisdom does not always come with old age. Sometimes old age arrives alone.
Wow gaskets? Really? Ive been wondering when someone was gonna do that. It seems so obvious. They didn't look like anything special to me at first, but now I'm intrigued. Which model best resembles the MB or SP20? And how do they compare? ---------- 1.21 JigaWatts N' Punch It To 88
I have not pulled the covers as yet even. Not sure about the gasket question yet. I do know in just a bit of fooling around, these appear to be very well made harps and the metal comb model has superior sound projection. More later. ---------- http://www.reverbnation.com/jawboneandjolene
Maybe im dense , but i dont see how the sp20 being made by the chinese (which i didnt know) Makes the comparison of two (aparently) chinese harps not that simple.
As far as the gaskets. That doesn't seem too hard either. I could be wrong. It's been known to happen. ---------- 1.21 JigaWatts N' Punch It To 88
Gaskets have always made a lot of sense to me. If you look at any vehicle engine parts that needs to be water or air tight they have a gasket rather than just metal to metal or metal to plastic. Why? Because that is the easiest way to get a good seal.
I even tried some experiments of my own making some gaskets, but it is kind of hard to do by hand. Cutting gasket board is difficult since you need slots around the comb. So then I tried food safe silicone which kind of worked, but still ended up needing trimmed at the end. All in all I decided the time spent making the gaskets wasn't worth it. However, if the gaskets were made in a manufacturing process it seems that they could be made to perfectly fit the comb and would make a super airtight harmonica leaving only the gapping/reed shape/embossing.
@killa Yeah years ago a guy called Tim Moyer based in the Midwest(i think) used to sell gasketed M/Bs under the moniker "working mans harps" I bought a couple and they were great.I think he stopped doing them because of some issue with the gaskets becoming nests for bacteria or somesuch. Maybe some one else here will remember him and the material he used for the gaskets.I think it was something called micropore? When i played wood combs the best way to airtight them that i found was to dip the combs in a rubber 'fish grade'(i.e non toxic) pond sealer If you did it right the comb would end up with a nice thin flexible coating that the plates could tighten down on to,giving a 100% seal.(this was in the days when you could literally see the saw marks on hohner combs )
Yep, micropore. Sticky stuff, attracted grot. I've mended a couple harps Tim built. Without gaskets. Pretty mean harps anyway. Actually the first harps I was able to overblows 4 and 5 on. Taught myself a bit from checking out Tim's work. I've seen folks use lip balm as a gasket. And just built up grot. IMHO it's only recessed combs that you can make a case for needing a gasket. I dunno, sp20 combs seem to work quite well as they are, but there are other types I think are not so consistent.
I was counseled to use a lot of caution if I took the Blues model apart since the gaskets can be difficult to position right on reassembly, so I didn't take the reed plates off. The covers are held on with barrel screws which are slot not Phillips or other type. Kind of annoying but workable. Here's a little review I did on both the Blues model and the 008S. The Blues has the chromed brass comb. The 008S has a ABS or composite comb.
"We did a few songs tonight in E, A, G, and C, so I could give both harps a workout. Jo was impressed with both and very impressed with the brass comb model. Which I told her was the $75 model and she said it definitely sounds like $75! Makes me want to try a brass comb on a Manji and see how it does.
008S: I compared both of these harps to Manjis in the same key. Granted the Manjis reeds are somewhat used, I would say the 008S sounds every bit as good as a Manji. Manji may be a bit more raw of a sound which both are great. The 008 plays smooth over all 10 draws and blows, sounded good in 1st, 2nd, and 3rd positions, single notes and octave playing as well. Damn fine harp!
Brass comb Blues: Hefty. FEELS like an instrument! Tuned very well all the way up and down. Sounds out very well in 1st and 2nd positions all the way up and down. Next time I have a song to try it in 3trd pos as well. I'm confident it will sound spot on. Volume at the back is very very good. Most ootb harps don't even come close. The density of the metal comb makes a big diff here.
I tried to choke a reed on both and failed. These are some well gapped well tuned vary solid instruments! The fit and finish is excellent.
I think that these harps will likely end up competing in the market. Those cats in China have really done their homework and made a great product. My hope is the quality stays top notch and they will take a place near the top of the board eventually. I know there is bias against Chinese products but this is an exception here."
I make no claim to being anything special, just a guy who had a chance to try out the latest harp. I don't seal, gap, emboss, any of that. I want a harp that kills right out of the box. I have been through a lot of brands and models over 43+ years since my first MB. I've sought the best quality for the best price for a decade or two now. Short of a custom harp and given that I've not tried a Seydel yet, my best ootb harp has been Suzuki Manji. These Eastops are going to compete. ---------- http://www.reverbnation.com/jawboneandjolene
Easttop is NOT Wuxi Suzuki. It is a separate company called Jiangsu East Musical Instrument Co., Ltd., which also makes Bee harmonicas, a cheap brand. Easttop is their brand aimed at professional players.
Gasketing with micropore tape was a fad that swept through the harmonica community about 15 years ago and then was quickly abandoned when players discovered that comb flatness was preferable. I'm a bit nonplussed to see it being taken up by a manufacturer after all this time. =========== Winslow
I was never that into the technical aspect Winslow. I guess my question will be, on this one I have, eventually will it work without the gasket. Time will tell. That issue aside so far the 008s seems a worthy product but it's early days. ---------- http://www.reverbnation.com/jawboneandjolene
The link that 1847 posted is for the 008K, a step down from the 008S. I bought a 008K at the Bean also. It's a fine harp for the price. ---------- Wisdom does not always come with old age. Sometimes old age arrives alone.
does suzuki have a patent on their design? is this produced under license from suzuki? if it is not produced at "their factory" in china, then it must be sanctioned by them to be produced, or did they totally rip off the design, and no one is complaining.
i have one around here somewhere, not sure what the heck i did with it. i got it several years ago. it is exactly the same as the manji harps i have, right down to the case it comes in.
can someone take the covers off and see if there is a laser serial# on the bottom reed plate?
all things being equal, suzuki offers a one year warranty no questions asked, how do you beat that? it is in everyone interest to buy a genuine suzuki of your choice
i personally prefer, seydel harmonica's, we know for sure where those are made.
you can always tell a german..... but you can't tell him much.
---------- if i type in the correct captcha why is my post lost in cyber-space ---------- if i type in the correct captcha why is my post lost in cyber-space
Last Edited by 1847 on Dec 20, 2015 9:55 AM
some of their harps look suzuki like,and some look huang like,so it will be interesting to see.
also,they make a mini-chord.if that ever comes to the states,it would be fun!
i don't really have any brand loyalty. i used huangs back in the 8o's and 90's when xxxxxx was so bad. i use suzuki the most,but i use bushman and hering too.
i can't wait to try east top. ---------- www.shakeylee.com
sarge, can you look to see if there is a serial # on the bottom reed plate, laser etched? ---------- if i type in the correct captcha why is my post lost in cyber-space
I took delivery of a 008s this morning. First impression taking it out of the box looks like a well constructed harp. Has some nice weight to it, about the same as a Suzuki Hammond, heavier then a Manji. OOTB no better then a average to slightly better then average harp. I got one in C...It will require gapping and profiling to play nicely. I did a quick gapping without taking the reed plates off the comb and it has potential. I don't see it putting the Suzuki Manji or SP20 out of business yet. Will give you another review once I take it apart and adjust it more. I could only get the 6 overblow barely with some squeal OOTB..4 and 5 could not overblow OOTB. Of course you might get a better one then I did. I am sure it is like any other OOTB harp...Pot luck. More to come.
no serial numbers or markings. I took the plates off the comb. low and behold there are 2 indentations in the comb on both sides near the 9 and 10 draw slots. imperfections..I don't think I can even sand them out as they are fairly deep imperfections... Not good
I saw Deal Extreme on the video. If it's the same Deal Extreme located in China (or "DX" as their commonly known by) they're known for selling huge quantities of cheap/crap electronic products, not musical instruments. ---------- "The blues are the roots of all American music. As long as American music survives, so will the blues."...Willie Dixon
The chromatics look like Suzukis from the outside at first glance. However, looking at their profiles you'll see subtle differences. If you open them up, you find that the reedplates fit but they use different screws. The slide and mouthpiece are quite different and cannot be interchanged.
Unless Suzuki has a design patent on the look of their chromatics, there's no actionable infringement. =========== Winslow
As long as the perimeters of the channels are air-tight, it doesn't matter that there are areas of the comb that are depressed. In fact, Hohner, Seydel and Suzuki combs are full of designed-in holes and depressions, to save weight and plastic. I think I remember reading that a thin, light comb cools faster and warps less than a massive plastic comb.
I did some more gapping and reed profiling to the harp. I usually do this to my SP20's and Manji's and get them to play very well.
Compared to a Manji, SP20, Marine Band deluxe or crossover, I prefer any of those. I just cant adjust this thing to play comparable given the same amount of time I put into it so far.
The video above is what to expect unless you get real lucky with a OOTB. It will most likely be airy on the low holes and difficult on the 10 hole.
Again I only bought 1 harp in C but that is what I found.
Also, Danny at newharmonicas said the comb was normal and all of them are like that.
528, you must've got a dud. I have 6 of the 008s harps and all of them play great. ---------- Wisdom does not always come with old age. Sometimes old age arrives alone.
Just got mine today.PLAYS really well ootb, overblows on holes 5 and 6 from the get go. The bends on holes 2 and 3 are right there.I may gap a reed or two at some point but all's good for now.Reminds me of a better playing Manji.Great service from Danny at New Harmonica!
Key of B harmonica, actually got the overblows tongue blocked for the first time ever.I don't play many overblows but I always try to get ootb harps to do it just as a quality check.Was pleasantly surprised by this harmonica.I guess you got the bad one of the bunch.I usually have good luck with C harps of any brand.
