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Dirty-South Blues Harp forum: wail on! > DaBell Harmonicas
DaBell Harmonicas
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Todd Parrott
1480 posts
Apr 01, 2019
2:25 PM
DaBell harmonicas were one of our sponsors at the Carolina Harp Fest. They are a South Korean harmonica manufacturer, and their harps are really good. They playability and quality is on par with what you'd expect from Hohner or Suzuki, and the harps look very similar to the Manji, but with wooden (birch) combs. I met the owner, Benny Yoon at NAMM and I believe he will be at SPAH this year. The Korean web site is http://www.dabell.co.kr/

Last Edited by Todd Parrott on Apr 03, 2019 7:32 PM
Todd Parrott
1481 posts
Apr 01, 2019
2:26 PM
And I liked them so much, I bought 3!
Sarge
715 posts
Apr 01, 2019
4:42 PM
No info on that site as to availability in the US
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jbone
2876 posts
Apr 01, 2019
7:52 PM
The pics look nice.
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Todd Parrott
1482 posts
Apr 01, 2019
7:53 PM
Yeah, I don't think they're available yet in the USA, so SPAH may be your best bet to check them out.
Sarge
716 posts
Apr 02, 2019
4:48 AM
I corresponded with Mr Benny Yoon and he said they are looking for a US distributor for their harmonicas. So here's someone's chance to get into the harmonica business!
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Wisdom does not always come with old age. Sometimes old age arrives alone.
Rhartt1234
257 posts
Apr 02, 2019
5:06 AM
The chromatics look the same as Harmo
scojo
631 posts
Apr 02, 2019
5:57 AM
Todd, did they OB out of the box?
hot4blues
119 posts
Apr 02, 2019
10:26 AM
Sounds cool (pun optional). First, is it possible a dealer outside America can ship them? Second, are they going to be available in all keys? Third, will they be strictly diatonics, or chroms as well?
SuperBee
5863 posts
Apr 02, 2019
12:21 PM
@Hot4: (Rhartt1234 “the chromatics look the same as Harmo”)

I downloaded the catalog. Oddly enough only the tremolo harps were included.
I found some of their tremolos on Amazon but not the diatonic or chromatic.

Can’t tell if they are made in Korea or sourced from another place. They do look a lot like a kongsheng model etc
Rhartt1234
258 posts
Apr 02, 2019
4:52 PM
Kongsheng.
I knew there was another Asian brand that had that same look.

So Harmo, Kongsheng and Da Bell all made in the same factory.
Todd Parrott
1483 posts
Apr 02, 2019
5:34 PM
They aren't overblow harps right out of the box, but like most harps, they would need setting up. Whether or not they have the ideal reed profiles for overblowing, I don't know, but they are very good quality in my opinion. I don't know if they're the same as Kongsheng, but Benny said they have their own factory in South Korea. Whether or not this is in fact the case, I don't know, but I take him at his word - just passing on the info as best I am aware.

Last Edited by Todd Parrott on Apr 03, 2019 7:47 PM
Todd Parrott
1496 posts
Aug 21, 2019
11:26 AM
Just an update to this thread from earlier this year....

DaBell Harmonicas seemed to be a hit at SPAH this year. Many people were trying and buying them. According to Benny Yoon, they make the reeds and reed plates in their factory in South Korea, and they purchase the combs and covers from Kongsheng.

Now that they're in the hands of a few more players, it will be interesting to hear what others have to say.

It seems they'll soon have them available with maple combs. Benny gave me one of them with a maple comb at SPAH and it's really nice. I still play and prefer Hohner, but it's nice to have another player in the game making good products. And, they are extremely nice, professional folks.

Last Edited by Todd Parrott on Aug 21, 2019 11:27 AM
dougharps
2002 posts
Aug 21, 2019
12:08 PM
At SPAH I tried DaBell in both varieties (maple sandwich and plastic raised edge), Key of A. The vendor would wipe down the harp with alcohol after a trial.

The 6 hole on both varieties easily played an overblow out of the box. Overall, both of the A harps seemed relatively airtight, with the plastic comb version seemingly slightly tighter. They seemed like good harps. I seriously considered buying a couple. For each type the price was one for $30 and 2 for $50 at SPAH prices. In the end I did not buy, because I already am seriously oversupplied on harps.

At the banquet on Saturday I got lucky, and won 3 DaBell diatonics during the youth program fundraiser raffle. They were in the keys of C, D, and A. Each was tight and playable as described above and on each the 6 OB was there with no adjustment.

At the SPAH price they would have been a bargain if I had needed to buy to fill gaps in my harp sets. They are good quality inexpensive harps.

EDIT (08/22/19):
I played each of them again today and they really are good harps! I could use them at gigs, no problem...
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Doug S.

Last Edited by dougharps on Aug 22, 2019 10:09 AM
Todd Parrott
1505 posts
Oct 18, 2019
11:25 PM
Just reviving this thread as there may be some helpful info here. I picked up some more DaBell harps at SPAH also, and we also raffled some at the Paradise Coast and Great Lakes events. The feedback so far has been very positive. As I've stated earlier in this thread, I'm a Hohner player, but I'm very happy to see another great quality harp enter the market. At SPAH, Bertram Becker from Seydel seemed to be really impressed with DaBell also.
groyster1
3455 posts
Oct 19, 2019
12:13 PM
I bought 3 eastop harps when they were first available.....$12.99 apiece with free shipping from china......one has already gone south...….it could be that these harps could be disposable.....just saying
Gnarly
2711 posts
Oct 19, 2019
5:21 PM
Diatonics are easy to repair—if Todd says they are good (seconded by Doug), I would say try them if it’s convenient.
BTW, one year warranty on Suzuki harps—but they are expensive!
groyster1
3456 posts
Oct 20, 2019
9:58 AM
@Gnarly......but suzukis have a warranty......DaBells don't just like east tops...….that was the point I was trying to make......disposable harps
Gnarly
2712 posts
Oct 20, 2019
6:54 PM
Good point!
Gnarly
2713 posts
Oct 20, 2019
6:55 PM
Some folks don’t like to work on harps!

Last Edited by Gnarly on Oct 20, 2019 6:55 PM
thunder58
11 posts
Oct 23, 2019
9:26 AM
Thank you everyone for your input . I ordered one( Story LF# )from Rockin Ron . Hope it works out for me

Last Edited by thunder58 on Oct 23, 2019 9:34 AM
groyster1
3458 posts
Oct 23, 2019
3:09 PM
@Gnarly.....Ive had limited success on gapping reeds....Ive changed reedplates and combs.....I really think I could retune a harp that's gone flat because its been demonstrated to me...….the rest is beyond me
Gnarly
2715 posts
Oct 23, 2019
5:39 PM
I think folks should do what they can, and if they mess up, send them to a professional.
Gapping in particular is so personal it seems like all players should try—do it at first on a less expensive one!
WinslowYerxa
1657 posts
Oct 24, 2019
4:43 PM
@groyster1 - You're throwing shade by guessing. Until something is known, why cast aspersions?

@Rhartt1234 - Harmo is David Herzhaft's US-based private rebrand of Jiangsu East Musical Instrument Co., founded in 1997 (East Top being one of their three harmonica brands, along with Bee and Dunhuang). The Jiangsu East factory is located in Huai'an.

Kongsheng, founded in 2007, is a separate company from Jiangsu East. Brendan Power has done business with both and can attest that they are separate makers. To me, their harmonicas, both chromatic and diatonic, play very differently. Their factory is located in Zhutang, about 170 miles from Huai'an.

Dabell, as noted, is a Korean company that gets some parts from Kongsheng. I first became aware of their activites about five years ago from Victor Yuen, although at the time no company name was given.
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Last Edited by WinslowYerxa on Oct 24, 2019 4:44 PM
groyster1
3460 posts
Oct 24, 2019
5:05 PM
@winslow…….yes its all speculation.....I did buy 3 east tops at very low prices......one has already gone south without even played very much and unable to do anything with it......just saying......irregardless how well these harps play if they go bad what do you do?
Steve Harvell
252 posts
Oct 24, 2019
5:10 PM
I chatted with Benny from DaBell Harmonicas tonite and he said there is a one year warranty on both the Noble and Story models.
Philosofy
928 posts
Oct 25, 2019
10:43 AM
What is the difference between the Noble and the Story? I know the Noble is a maple comb, the Story is plastic. Also, the Story has a recessed reed plate. But are the reed plates exactly the same?
Philosofy
929 posts
Oct 25, 2019
10:59 AM
Another point: it seems both models are vented, but the Noble has some kind of cover support. (I only have the Story.)

What components are made by Kongsheng? The covers?
Steve Harvell
253 posts
Oct 26, 2019
7:20 PM
Hello Philosofy....I chatted with DaBell Harmonicas today and here is what Benny said (The reed is phosphor bronze and reedplate is brass. Right now, we get only the covers from kongsheng.) Benny did say they are tooling up to start doing their on covers very soon!I will open up one of each and compare the reed plates tomorrow, if they are the same they are utilized in 2 completely different ways , in one recessed and the other on top of the comb...one wood and one plastic... they are two completely different animals in their playing...The Story is quick to respond and not as warm as the Noble...but I love them both for what they do?

Neither of these models have the cover support and they both do have vents but they are shaped differently...you can go to Rockin Rons website and click to enlarge these models and you can clearly see they both have the vents but the shape and length are different on each...hope the helps..


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