nacoran
2716 posts
Sep 13, 2010
7:33 PM
|
I play mostly Lee Oskars and Special 20s. I don't play over blows. Lee Oksars aren't supposed to be particularly good at OB's, but they are a good, durable harp (although they can catch face hair). The SP20's are really nice harps. I prefer plastic combs to wood. Some people prefer wood. I also have a Seydel Blues Favorite that I love, but it's low tuned so I can't compare it's playability to other harps easily. I hear good things about Suzuki harps but no one around here carries them and I'm usually to impatient to wait for an online order. I get a lot of use out of my Bb harp. If you look at an F, depending on your feelings on high harps you might consider a low tuned one.
If I had to pick one harp to have on a desert island I'd pick my Lee Oskar Bb.
----------
Nate
Facebook
Thread Organizer
|
REM
4 posts
Sep 13, 2010
8:54 PM
|
I'd say go for the Suzuki Bluesmaster(or the Harpmaster), they're good harps and they're a reasonable price. As for the key, if you want to follow along with Adam's youtube videos (which is a great way to learn the harp) then the Bb would definately be a good choice. Otherwise, the key of D is a great key and it gets used often.
|
bluemoose
295 posts
Sep 13, 2010
10:44 PM
|
Probably a bit more than $30 but try a SP20, Bb.
|
Oisin
662 posts
Sep 13, 2010
11:31 PM
|
I'd recommend Special 20 also.You'll notice the difference right away Frank.
----------
Oisin
|
Greyowlphotoart
12 posts
Sep 14, 2010
1:22 AM
|
One of my favourite harps in that price range would have to be my Special 20 in Bb. It has great tone and plays easily. My other choice would be the Suzuki Harpmaster which has a fantastic tone and also plays very well and I really like the GM's as well. With most makes (even the more expensive brands) it's still a bit of a lottery as to whether you get a good one out of the box. I have found that learning to gap my harps has made a big difference to playability. I started doing this to help with overblows but I have to say it can make a big difference generally. Like the recent SP20 Ab harp I bought had the hole 3 draw reed way too high and sounded airy and again a GM had hole 2 blow pushed way down in the slot. But as I said this can be the case with most harps.
Last Edited by on Sep 14, 2010 6:15 AM
|
ness
288 posts
Sep 14, 2010
5:58 AM
|
nacoran spake: "I hear good things about Suzuki harps but no one around here carries them and I'm usually to impatient to wait for an online order"
Man, wander on over to Rockin Rons right now -- he'll put a harp in your hands within 72 hours (in US) without shipping or sales tax.
TNFrank -- Suzuki Bluesmaster would be a great choice, IMO. Well made, durable, trouble-free and the full-length covers are more comfortable. Screw the Hohner brand loyalty -- what did they ever do for you???
----------
John
|
nacoran
2718 posts
Sep 14, 2010
6:30 AM
|
Ness, yeah, I've planned on trying Rockin Rons for a while, but I'm still trying to build up my emergency fund again after my computer met an untimely death. No harps for me. :( I've got SP20's in A,B,Db; Lee Oskars in Bb, C, G, a GM in F#, Blues Harps in A, Ab, Eb and a Seydel Blues Favorite in LLF. I've got C/C# Huang Musettes, but the rest of my harps are Piedmonts. I'm thinking of getting a LF and a good D next.
----------
Nate
Facebook
Thread Organizer
|
KingoBad
372 posts
Sep 14, 2010
8:43 AM
|
A
|
Helix
47 posts
Sep 14, 2010
9:00 AM
|
For strictly blues in 2nd an "A" harp might get the most mileage, for country...probably a "G" harp.
|
ness
289 posts
Sep 14, 2010
9:23 AM
|
http://rockinronsmusic4less.com/content/harps/suzuki/bluesmaster.html
Get a Bb and spend the other $1.30 on something perty.
----------
John
|
snakes
567 posts
Sep 14, 2010
9:49 AM
|
Go to Rockin Ron and get a Suzuki Bluesmaster. You will not be disappointed. I would have recommended a key of A, but you have that key. Get a key of C. My 2 centavos...
|
nacoran
2720 posts
Sep 14, 2010
10:40 AM
|
Do you sing? One of the reasons I like my Bb so much is that it seems to be in that sweet spot in my range where I can sing most melodies either high or low, depending on my mood. It's good to have a harp that fits your vocal range. You can transpose songs to fit it. Bb also plays along well with horns. C and G tend to play along well with a lot of 50's and 60's stuff.
Another consideration is what positions you play in. If you can play in 1st, 2nd and 12th you can play any key with just a set of 4 harmonicas spaced equally around the circle of fifths. It looks like you have mostly keys on one side of the circle.
When I started out I got a set of Piedmonts that gave me 7 keys to start with, G, A, Bb, C, D, E, F I think. I bought a GM in F# because I wanted to try a GM. I almost never touch the thing. I bought Db and B Special 20s that usually sit in the box. I play my Bb Lee Oskar most, probably followed by my D Piedmont for Celtic stuff and my LLF, C and G. I rarely play my E or my regular F. (The regular F is mostly because I have the LLF and my regular F isn't a particularly good harmonica, even for a Piedmont.)
Maybe the best thing would be just to make a list of the songs you want to play, their key, and if you have a harp that will play it in first or second position. Fill in any gaps from there.
----------
Nate
Facebook
Thread Organizer
|
nacoran
2722 posts
Sep 14, 2010
10:54 AM
|
Remember there are some oddball keys. There are 12 keys, even some harps only come in 7.
I'll be quiet now. Happy harpin'.
----------
Nate
Facebook
Thread Organizer
|
Joch230
312 posts
Sep 14, 2010
11:05 AM
|
If you play with a band much, a D harp gets the most use for me. This works with all the A rock and blues in 2nd and all the Em stuff in third.
For just playing alone...the Bb is a nice key. But then, so is an Ab and an Eb for different reasons.
-John
|
Joch230
314 posts
Sep 14, 2010
12:24 PM
|
I have or had 3 Harpmasters. I think they have a good sound but mine haven't really held up well. The A I've already tossed. The F, well I can see where an F harp wouldn't hold up well to hard playing. It's still playable. I picked up my Db Harpmaster last night. I hardly play that key. After having played a custom harp, Manji and a Golden Melody just before playing, it clearly played like a budget model harp. But if I had played it after playing some of the other less expensive harps mentioned, I would have thought it was pretty darn good!
-John
|
Joch230
315 posts
Sep 14, 2010
1:01 PM
|
@TNFrank
I"m fairly certain they have checked for that in my last physical. The Vitamin D treatment seems to be like a new catch all treatment for a lot of things these days. The lady who sits next to me at work was given a long treatment of it for the hives she was getting but it didn't help. I've been taking a new med that slows down my digestion (I have poor digestion). Well one of it's other effects is that it has helped people with fibromyalgia...and it seems to have taken the edge off of it a bit so I can play my guitar a few times a week. But playing a bass would really kill me. Even doing a lot of cupping the harp wah effects can bother my hands. But thanks, I'll be sure to ask the next time I have a physical.
-John
|
