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Dirty-South Blues Harp forum: wail on! >
Lee Oskar sound
Lee Oskar sound
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praefect
1 post
Jan 29, 2010
10:11 AM
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Hi guys,
I just got back to harmonica after a 10 years stop, really enjoying it, I'm doing it more seriously this time and it's going well so far.
The point: I bought a bunch of Lee Oskar (7 keys) because that's what I was using 10 years ago, I remember I had a couple Marine Bands but never liked to use them (rough wood, not airtight, etc.)... Now I had a hard time finding the LOs here in Canada, had to get them over the internet.
Anyway, now I realize that everyone is using Marine Bands, and I know it's a personal preference but I have a hard time believing that most people use them without modification and like them, I understand a pro like Adam will prep them and use them, especially if he's been using them for years, why change now? but I mean rookie like me, I've found an old Marine Band in C and I can't even use it properly (I sound awful) and when on the LO I'm starting to sound as good as I ever did 10 years ago...
Now, Am I missing something? Will I grow out of them? Am I sounding as good as I can or would I truly have a better tone with the MB, I'm getting a tube amp this week for my green bullet, I never played amplified before..
Also I don't play chords much so I'm ready to try a golden melody, the ergonomics look way better than most other harps.
Please teel me some of you are using LOs at a pro/semi-pro level! I'm getting used to them!
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toddlgreene
655 posts
Jan 29, 2010
10:19 AM
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I've played them for 20 years. i have now re-tuned them to Compromised so the chords sound better. I like them fine, even though my customized MBs have a raspier tone and are super nimble now, and are my first choice. The Lo's not a bad harp. Learn to do gapping, and you'll be fine with them.
Edit:very few folks can successfully overblow on LOs, which may/may not be an issue with you, due to the way the reeds are made.
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Todd L. Greene, V.P.
Last Edited by on Jan 29, 2010 10:36 AM
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MrVerylongusername
856 posts
Jan 29, 2010
10:41 AM
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I agree, sometimes it seems heretical on this board to say anything negative about Marine Bands... now where's my list?...
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nacoran
922 posts
Jan 29, 2010
11:08 AM
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I'm not a pro. I've never even played a MB, but I've played L.O.s, GM's, Special 20's, Blues Harps, Seydel Blues Favorites (both with a custom comb and with the standard comb) and cheap Piedmonts and BluesBands. Here is how I pick:
Cheap Plastic vs. Plastic vs. Composite vs. Wood vs. Custom Wood
I hate stock wood combs, and as beautiful as it is, my custom sealed wood comb smells too chemically for me. It does play great. Cheap plastic combs, like Piedmonts, taste awful for a few days, then they are fine. The Composites taste funny, but not in a bothersome way. Good plastic combs, like on Special 20's, GM'S and L.O.s don't have a taste and are a breeze to clean up.
Metal vs. Plastic Covers
I only have ever seen cheap plastic covers which tasted awful. They are actually more durable, imo, than cheap metal covers, but not as well as a good metal cover.
Cover Shape
I love my Seydel Blues Favorite cover. It is the most comfortable harp in my hands hands down. Second place goes to the GM. The standard sandwich design is fine on better harps but sharp corners and edges are a drag. The L.O.'s weird holes on the end seem to only be their to catch mustache hair. Open backs project sound better but closed backs sound warmer. I have never tried a harp with side vents. On sandwich models I actually try to carefully bend the lip of the cover foreword and then down so that the whole front of the harmonica is one continuous smooth surface.
Recessed vs. Extruding Plate
I choose recessed. I don't like the feel of the plates on my GM or Blues Harps, although my Blues Favorite's are much smoother and are very comfortable. The combination of wood and extruding plates and sandwich cover has kept me from ever playing a MB.
If you like the sound of MB's but don't like the wood the SP20 would be a good option.
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XHarp
260 posts
Jan 29, 2010
11:17 AM
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praefect, asking a question like that on this forum is opening an age old can of worms.
They have differences, select the one that best fits you adn your style. Mod them if you need to but make sure that basic feel of the harp suits you OOTB.
If you are looking to relate to advanced or profesional players using LO's ?.... Look to Lee himself. He plays them with outstanding clarity, precision and professionalism. That should be good enough to seal your designs on them.
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"Keep it in your mouth" - XHarp
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barbequebob
409 posts
Jan 29, 2010
12:54 PM
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Every harp has little different quirks that you do have to make subtle adjustments to in terms on your embouchure as well as playing technique so, truth be told, there's no such thing as a perfect harp for everyone because every player is different with different needs.
LO's, like most Asian made harps, tend to sqeal during the overblows, with LO's especially because of torsional problems, but with gapping and/or putting nail polish on the riveted end, it can be done.
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Sincerely,
Barbeque Bob Maglinte
Boston, MA
http://www.barbequebob.com
CD available at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/bbmaglinte
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toddlgreene
664 posts
Jan 29, 2010
1:03 PM
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I haven't incorporated OBs into my playing yet(actually just successfully hit one a week ago-but on a SP20), and like my LO's just fine. Praefect, if you were to set out to learn one thing from the many resources available, it would be gapping. Makes a world of difference, and can quickly fix what seems like a 'dead' hole on a new harp.
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Todd L. Greene, V.P.
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praefect
2 posts
Jan 29, 2010
1:26 PM
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I will look at gapping right away. thanks
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snakes
438 posts
Jan 29, 2010
2:16 PM
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Not everyone plays Marine Bands - especially non-customized Marine Bands - on this forum. Perhaps I only speak for myself, but the only MB's I'll consider are customs. I don't do any harp work myself, though. My 2 cents.
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hvyj
116 posts
Jan 29, 2010
4:30 PM
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Personally, i do not understand the appeal of a harmonica that's put together with nails, is leaky and has an unsealed wood comb that swells and is uncomfortable to play. So, it's a mystery to me why so many players like Marine Bands. But, to each his own.
There ARE pros who play Lee Oskars. Ricard Hunter and Lee Oskar come to mind. When I met Junior Wells, he was playing Lee Oskars. LOs are great harps. They are a little too bright sounding for my taste, but they are very good instruments with excellent compression and good durability. I prefer ET harps anyway.
I like Suzuki Hammonds. That's primarily what I've been using for the last couple of years. Best out of the box harps I've ever played. The custom harps i have are made using Golden Melody reedplates and covers. I agree that the ergomomics of the GM design are "way better than most other harps." Both LOs and GMs are ET. So are the Hammonds.
Btw, Adam has YouTube lesson on gapping that's very good. It's .016 in his series
Last Edited by on Jan 29, 2010 4:35 PM
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