2 Old Standby’s that appeared to be unplayed. 1 Blues Harp in good condition 1 Marine Band from somewhere around late fifties to late sixties. Good condition.
All 4 were purchased for just over the amount that I would pay for one of my regular harmonica purchases. (Top of the line OTB Hohner, or Seydel) I don’t really care much about the money TBH. Even if they don’t play for shit, and they look cool in my harp case, whatever.
What is your guys’ experience with this sort of thing? (NOS harps a thing? Vintage harps a thing?)
What is your guys opinion on pre war harps? (I plan on purchasing a Pre-war from Blue Moon in the near future. Tom I’ll be in touch)
Hope this isn’t a divisive topic around here (it probably is)
Not too much experience. I have a pre war 270 and a pre war 260. The 260 was a gift and appeared in very good condition except for a broken comb and dried and curled windsavers. When I removed the windsavers on the comb side of the reedplates though, I found all the black mould which had grown on the reeds. I did a pretty quick restoration job; repaired the comb and cleaned everything and replaced the windsavers. The thing plays ok but noticeably better on the sharp plate than the C plate. The button-in play is really quite good.
The 270 I scored on eBay for what I thought was a decent price ($30 AUD) and maybe it was a very good price as a ‘collectible’ but imho it was about what it’s worth. I restored that one too, and probably destroyed its collectibility in the process because I fitted a ‘power comb’ which cost about twice the price I paid for the harp. This thing had been fumigated I think, with frankincense. Frankincense is one of the most repellent ‘clean’ smells I know, but at least it’s not naphthalene. I spent a long time trying to remove the smell and it still has a tiny remnant several years later. I can’t store the harp in its box because it still reeks like a cathedral. Otherwise the harp plays pretty well now but the mouthpiece is quite worn, with the brass showing through the nickel plate. My modern 270 plays every bit as well as the prewar, a fair bit better really, but I paid $180 for that.
I bought a prewar ‘songband’ which is like a Marine Band but with covers like a ‘blues harp’ and a weird metal band which was shaped to wrap around the tines of the comb, presumably to protect against swelling. The reeds and reedplates are same as a Marine band of that era. They turned out to be very badly bowed so after my initial attempt to rebuild it I put it aside as needing more work than I cared to put into it at the time.
Generally I’m a fan of 2nd hand stuff but with harps I will not pay big prices. I usually buy known quantities and I’m only interested in stuff I can use or sell. Some folks like to collect for the sake of having a collection. I fight that urge, and I’m fairly successful with it.
I have a hypothetical view about prewar harps. While I don’t doubt they were well made (and certainly compared to the 70s-90s Hohner stuff their prewar and 50s product I’m sure was far superior), I think the reputation may be influenced by the fact that most which people play have been restored and benefited from personal attention of someone who really cared. So I think most prewar diatonic harps these days are essentially custom harps.
I have seen lots of comments about prewar diatonics to the effect that they are very smooth to play. I have no experience of that.
Put it this way; on a Facebook group of people who are into harp repair and maintenance, the topic of replacing brass reeds with steel arose. Some people claimed the tone was markedly different. Most said they couldn’t pick the difference. I’m in the latter group.
A friend gave me a Hohner Chromonica II that had that odor too Bee. I found that putting baking soda liberally in the case it came with eliminated most of the smell and I can now play the thing. I let it sit with the soda in it for at least 2 weeks, then shook it out and did a gentle rinse. I don't know what genius thought it would be a good idea to do that.
I have also been given a coupe of Old Standby, a Koch 10 hole, a 270, and some others, most of which I passed along. I'm not a rebuilder nor am I interested in learning and spending the time. ---------- Music and travel destroy prejudice.
Ive bought many pre war marine bands and old standbys on ebay and several NOS from Hicksville ny era......Ive been very pleased with what Ive found.....its hard to believe hohner let the marine band quality fall off in 80s and 90s
I got a Hohner Lancer that seems like it was never played, and a Polish harmonica (I was trying to figure out more about the company for a friend). The guy said it was rare (even although I knew my friend had one in mint condition). Fifteen minutes after the auction was over he posted another auction with another one!
He'd said he didn't know much about harmonicas so he didn't know what kind it was. It looked like a tremolo but when it arrived it was actually an octave. Looked like it had never been handled. I suspect the guy had a bunch of nos ones.
I have had very positive expereiences with buying used harps off eBay - in particular pre-wars. Just take them apart, clean them up and you are ready to go. And I concur - the Hicksville Era harps are good harps. There are enough harps to chose from that you don't have to buy junk. Just be patient and look for the good stuff. They are out there. ---------- Tom Halchak Blue Moon Harmonicas
I have one Hicksville era. Smells of mothballs. If not nos its virtually unused at least. Doesn’t play very well. I haven’t bothered working on it because i have plenty of harps and this one is like the first harp i ever had...Hicksville era marine band key of G..so I’m letting it sit on the shelf
The first thing that comes into mind about buying the old harps is health safety. I know there are many ways to make it sterile and clean, but I prefer to get new harmonicas. Here, I read blues harp reviews but all are very expensive, but yes, quality and features are also outstanding.
I've had pretty good luck with the NOS and "nice" vintage harps on Ebay (even better in antique stores).
I think most Ebay sellers are pretty honest. Although I was recently burned with a "mint" Butterfield album that showed up scratched with a split jacket... The seller was in denial and I had to use the dispute process to make it right.
I have ended up with plenty of disappointing vintage harps. They may look great on the outside but be mess up under the hood. The junkers go into the parts box.
I have also bought plenty of rough vintage harps that I knew would require hours of TLC. Any harp I buy (especially 2nd hand) gets taken apart and serviced, sealed, gapped... I'm not exactly a germaphobe because I often play funky old harps before I clean or restore them, just to hear what I'm starting with.
Honestly, unless you really enjoy working on 2nd hand harps I think buying new or custom work is a better value.
If you enjoy tinkering with harps, used ones are great for experimentation and practice. You're not out much if you screw up, and you might just end up with something that sounds great.
I work on harp innards just as an occasional hobby, but once picked up a GM for under $10 (shipped) on Ebay. Ground down the reed plates at the front, sanded, shaped the reeds, etc, etc. Ended up with a great playing harp.
Here's a video of me a few years ago getting kinda goofy about an unopened package of NOS Old Standbys. It's a 5 minute video that should have been less that 2 minutes.