Suzuki ProMaster in my opinion. It is rounded and slips easily into the pocket. It's a very sexy shape.
Second comes the Suzuki BluesMaster case. It's not nicely shaped like the previous suugestion but it is made from a thick grade high quality plastic. It's a bit like a miniature coffin and rather chunky. It's a shame the harp doesn't fit more snuggly though as it has a tendency to rattle when running.
The DeltaFrost case is similar but black. Having said that some DF's come in cardboard boxes.
I find Hohner cases cheap and nasty and badly let down by the thin plastic insert which does in fact hold the harp securely.
I bought a cheap hering that came in a sheath made from plastic fake leather stuff,but it has out lived the harp and is my carry around harp case,i like the sheath,im thinking seydel makes one that might be even better.
I always thought that the Blues Harp case was a good one. It holds the harp securely and has vents at the bottom which allow moisture to evaporate.
Some of the Chromatic cases I've seen are really nice though. I've got a cheap chinese Belcanto Chrom and the case is lovely...velvet lined. The harp's not too bad either. ---------- Oisin
Those generic ones don't grab me. I prefer my one of a kind case. It was lined with a dress from a girl my bass player was sleeping with after a gig. He stayed up till the sun rose cutting it up and gluing it in the box. Also the 2 harps on the case are from sonny terry. Walter
---------- walter tore's spontobeat - a real one man band and over 1 million spontaneously created songs and growing. I record about 300 full length cds a year. " life is a daring adventure or nothing at all" - helen keller
I agree that the ProMaster is the best stock pocket case I've carried, but for me it's more important for the pocket case to fit most any model of diatonic I might use as a walking-around harp. Best I've seen for that are the cases that Sousa Bands and the Mars Music house brand harps came in, a decade ago. Made to hold an Oskar-size harp, close to the size and shape of Hering Blues cases, but much sturdier. I line them with some closed-cell foam, that roughly 3mm white shipping wrap stuff, using two-sided tape, so that the harp doesn't rattle, even smaller ones. Sleek, silent, and sturdy, so I wish I had more of them.
Right now I'm walking around with a Seydel Blues Session in the little sheath in which it's sold, like Hobostubs mentioned. The Blues Session works well in there, anyway--stays clean and its MS-Meisterklasse-style coverplates resist crushing well. I need a pocket case that I can nap on repeatedly :)
Yo Bro's I only play Hohner Sp-20's now days i bought this Adventurer Harp and case when i was on Holidays many years ago when i needed a Harp in a Hurry they had no SP-20's:)
But if i need to take 1 Harp with me i use this case to put it in, it's been around the Block a few times but the plastic insert is still intact and functions as it should keeping the Harp from rattling around:)
---------- them fancy new Plastic Cases they got no sole:(
I'm looking for a good soft case to throw in my suitcase for traveling. Does anyone have a good suggestion? I googled harp cases and found the Lee oskar that holds 7. Doesn't someone make a soft bag that holds harps and roles up?
now they don't put them with 1847 as far as I know - those come with boxes. Silver/silver+ used to have those leather cases. ---------- www.truechromatic.com
Joe_L: She ended up wearing some old clothes Jamie had. She loved it that he cut up her lovely green velvelt dress for the harp case. She lived in a commune that made essential oils. This was up in Sonoma County, Ca, aka Hippy Land. They were crazy days to say the least. Coming direct from Newark, NJ, I thought I landed on another planet. The older black bluesmen from the bay area use to love to come up and play because they had their choice of lovely women and the best reefer in the world. To bad things always have to change. Sonoma County today is nothing like it was back then. I lived with Judy in a small house on a gravenstien apple orchard with a spring well, and wood stove for heat. The rent was $100 a month. That was in Sebastopol. Walter ---------- walter tore's spontobeat - a real one man band and over 1 million spontaneously created songs and growing. I record about 300 full length cds a year. " life is a daring adventure or nothing at all" - helen keller
I agree with tooka,the promaster case is a quality case to carry around,its just a shame im not keen on promasters.
i usually carry my seydel solist pro's or 1847's in a seydel harp slip which is ok but my harps could crush in one of those.
eaglemusic here in the uk sell em for £2. i wish seydel did a decent hard case,the solist pro and 1847 cases are basically cardboard with leatherette,nice but not great for transportation.
i know sirsuckalot on here was selling some cool custom leather slips on the forum a while ago,they looked real nice. (by the way tooka,i got my man bag!!) ----------
I just use an old CD wallet. I sewed some elastic in there to keep the harps in place. It holds 10 harps. Not perfect, but it works. ---------- ------------------ View my videos on YouTube!"
isaacullah thats cool.I was out looking for cigar boxes at thrift shops and not only found a cool cigar box,But i found a CD wallet looks like the seydel folding case as far as shapes,I got it for 3$ took out the Cd keepers,I was trying to decide on elastic or glue some foam in it,but it sounds kinda like your idea,they look allmost like the regular folding cases.
Tooka: I been carrying a manbag since 1997. In California, it's de rigour. :) If it helps to reclaim my image, I used a stitching awl meant for sewing leather cowboy chaps or pirate ship sails or racing car upholstery... :) ---------- ------------------ View my videos on YouTube!"
Jim, I like those! I'm not sure it's his taste as much as the artists. Aside from putting his name on it and the requirement it needs to hold a harmonica he seems to give the artists free range.
I agree that the Promaster case is good and even better is the small coffin shaped box for the Folkmaster. Some years ago I purchased some Buckeye leather cases ie 3 of the single slot holsters & a 4 slot wallet. They are beautifully made cases & are also tough & resiliant. Every day during the last 3 years I have carried harps in my pockets in the single slot holsters & have found them to be excellent. They look even better as they age. The only negative is that I would not use them for harps that have no back supports on the cover plates but the work well with Bluesmasters, Harpmasters,Promasters, SP20s & Lee Oskars. I intend to get a few more but am hesitant as I understand the company has changed ownership & service is dreadful. Perhaps others may be able to confirm? Check the cases out at:-
I had a cool idea for a display for harmonicas. If you worked it up right it might even work at a show, but requires a glue gun! I was thinking of you got a nice looking metal stand, maybe something shaped like a bird perch, and then glue a small magnet to the end of each harp you could hang them so the crowd could see all your pretty harmonicas.
The quest for the best individual case comes down to what harp you have. If you have a harp with a really strong cover and a relatively closed back a pocket works great. If you have a softer shelled harp you'll need a more sturdy case. I like that L.O. cases are designed to interlock, but i'm not sure how useful it in since the sharp corners making it pocket unfriendly. At least they tried.
