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Dirty-South Blues Harp forum: wail on! >
harps for non obs playing; blues
harps for non obs playing; blues
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silpakorn
27 posts
Oct 14, 2010
2:10 AM
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for the same price, if you play just blues that doesn't require special reed settings - would you order one custom harp or 2 manjis ?
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HarmonicaMick
200 posts
Oct 14, 2010
2:28 AM
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I'd order neither, myself. I'd just use a regular Special 20, Suzuki Bluesharp, or something around that price range, and get two of them, or just one and be quids in.
This will sound a bit funny - so forgive me in advance - but anyone would think that before the big companies decided to address the whole custom issue, as well as they could with factory harps, that no one could ever play anything on anything else.
There's not really a non-slightly-stroppy-sounding way of saying that, but, reading this forum, I think it all the time.
Cheers, Mick
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YouTube SlimHarpMick
Last Edited by on Oct 14, 2010 2:31 AM
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harmonicanick
937 posts
Oct 14, 2010
4:55 AM
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I agree with Mick, but my choice would be Golden Melody.
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hvyj
709 posts
Oct 14, 2010
5:10 AM
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I don't OB. But I use a set of custom Buddha Harps as my performing set of harmonicas.
It's not a question of needing custom harps to be able to play. It's just that the custom harps are so much more responsive, precise and have better tone that I am able to play better using them. Mine are NOT specifically set up for OBs.
Btw, the Buddha Harps are terrific for playing blues. Among other things, the precision on the bends makes it so much easier to hit and control all the pitches available on the 3 hole draw, including the blue third. And the controlability of the blow bends is also incredibly good.
Last Edited by on Oct 14, 2010 5:16 AM
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silpakorn
28 posts
Oct 14, 2010
6:01 AM
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Thanks everybody for comments. I'm not trying to start an argument about custom - non custom here. It's just me trying to make a decision which way to go after I was luckily got this extra money and think I'm gonna spend it on harp(s). I was originally about to go for custom but then realized that I could also get 2 manjis with the same money which seems to be one of the best ootb harp at the moment, so I guess what I meant to say when I started this forum is, even though you don't ob would custom harps still make the difference ?-(THANKS! hvyj) or good ootb like manji is enough so I'll go and get two of them.
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hvyj
710 posts
Oct 14, 2010
6:25 AM
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@silpakorn: i used to use Suzuki Hammonds for my performing set which are the very best OOB harps I've ever played (haven't tried Manjis because I only play ET and Manjis aren't ET).
I still like my Hammonds a lot, (I carry them as my spares) but the Buddha Harps are so much better there's no comparison. The Hammonds are excellent, but just not in the same league with the Buddha Harps.
The thing about good custom harps is that playing them really improves your technique. You are not fighting the harp to make it do what you want it to, so your technique gets better which carries over to how you play on any harmonica. Buddha's website used to say "Become a better player with just one custom harp" or something like that which I thought was just marketing BS--but it's not. It's actually true.
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toddlgreene
1912 posts
Oct 14, 2010
6:31 AM
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I'd give a vote for the Manji if your goal is multiple harps. I played two different ones last night:one with just a little gapping, and another that had some embossing and gapping done, and a bolt or two to support the cover plates. I'm not an OB player, either. Very responsive(not as good as a custom that's had complete reedwork, of course)and comfortable to play. A friend who is an OB player had no trouble popping 'em in on either one of the two we tried. I'll be adding Manjis to my working harps.
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Crescent City Harmonica Club
Todd L Greene, Co-Founder
Last Edited by on Oct 14, 2010 6:33 AM
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barbequebob
1337 posts
Oct 14, 2010
9:57 AM
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The thing about a custom is that to get the most out of them, one of the first things needed is more breath control and with customs, the volume of s custom and playability is more like using VERY LITTLE breath force, the volume is like playing a stock harp at full force.
You can get easily spoiled by a custom and not ever want to go back to a stock harp, but the one thing you tend to learn is just how much you need to refine your technique and at a certain point, after playing a custom, you've learned how to refine your technique so much that you can actually get a lot more out of stock harp than you once did because you had to refine your technique.
Many people look at the expense of it, which from a reputable one, is gonna be $150+++ per instrument, which scares some people, but tho the upfront cost may seem very high compared to buying a stock harp at $20-55 each, in the long run, it becomes a FAR better investment because once you;ve refined your technique, insterad of having to replace an entire instrument, replace a set of reed plates, regap or anything else you need to do, you just have to get a single (or if needed 2 or more) reed replaced, and you don't have to set the entire instrument up again and instead of constantly paying $20-50 every few months per key or even every year, just replacing a single reed works out cheaper in the long run because the harmonica is no longer a throw away instrument, but a true lifetime instrument, much as if you buy a guitar and replace the string when it breaks.
The custom is set up for YOUR playing and yours ONLY, and not for 100,000,000 other people AKA the masses, which is what an OOTB harp is, and many times, they will never fully please anyone.
@hvyj --- The Manji tuning is a comprimise, but it is EXTREMELY close to ET tuning, and the difference between ET and that is that the 3rd of the blow and draw chords are tempered down just 5 cents flatter than equal and all the other notes are 0 cents (ET tuning) and the average person will hardly know much real difference.
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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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MP
911 posts
Oct 14, 2010
10:02 AM
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so, HarmonicaMick and harmonicanick are two completely different people?!
one of you plays drums, right?
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MP
hibachi cook for the yakuza
doctor of semiotics
superhero emeritus
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DeakHarp
231 posts
Oct 14, 2010
11:08 AM
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My Customs are slightly embossed so you get the the best of both worlds ....my cosmetic work ...is nice too ....And everyone loves them ... Watermellon Slim just orderd 3.. Bob Corritore orderd one ... Rj Mischo orderd a set .... Aurthur Williams has one ... Billy Branch has one ...They love them ... and ther are not so expencive ....email me off line or call 217-218-2194 ...
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Have Harp Will Travel
www.deakharp.com
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silpakorn
29 posts
Oct 14, 2010
5:13 PM
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Thanks again guys, I'm a musician myself - classical violin so I 100% believe in what hvyj and Bob said because custom setting is what I'd do to my violin and I totally understand the purpose of doing it, Just like Bob said. But I just can't work out the reason that keep holding me back from custom harp though, probably the feeling that I haven't go through most of the good stock harps yet maybe.. make me feel like I shouldn't spoil myself to soon : ) just a feeling though, in the end I might add some more money and get one manji and one custom.
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bonedog569
86 posts
Oct 14, 2010
6:47 PM
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If I weren't working on ob's od's I'd be probably be sticking with the suzuki bluesmaster. If your taste is towards more of a marine band style than the harpmaster. They are about as responsive as the Manji - and I actually prefer the tone of the bluesmaster to that of the manji. I am talking out of the box -very nice harps.
The manji is a great harp too - don't get me wrong, and if you do want to explore overblowing, the bluesmaster is very squeaky in that regard.
If not - the bluesmaster and harpmaster will save you about $15 per harp.
Try a few different harps out and see what works for you.
If your trust fund just kicked in - go custom - what the hey. I'm waiting on my first - from Buddha
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Joch230
330 posts
Oct 15, 2010
9:58 AM
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@ DeakHarp
You said that RJ Mischo just ordered an entire set of your customs. I met him at SPAH this year and wish I would have gotten to talk to him more than I did. His acoustic sound is so great. He's been around forever but seeing him play a couple of times in person...he really impressed me. I wonder who made his harps before...? I wonder if he wears them out fast. Got any stories on him...I'm guessing you do!
-John
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HarpNinja
700 posts
Oct 15, 2010
11:06 AM
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I LOVE the Manji, but the tuning is pretty much ET and might not be the best option.
I find that when I go to grab a harp for stress relief, it is one of my Manji.
That being said, nothing beats a well done Marine Band. Period. Customs rule!!!
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Mike
VHT Special 6 Amp for Harp Blog
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MichaelAndrewLo
444 posts
Oct 15, 2010
11:25 AM
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Stock harps are planned to break down and don't play to the level of any custom. I don't understand why ANYBODY would NOT buy a custom because as BBQ bob was pointing out it's actually CHEAPER in the long run because you get much greater utility out of it AND it plays much better the entire time. At one point I was having to replace one marine band a month depending on the key I was playing on the most. Even if a reed didn't go out it would go out of tune and then either tune it or get another one. I just did a cost analysis and the decision was made: Joe Spiers stage 3 - $320 total w/ a two year warranty for reed failure and tuning. $30 for a marine band every month, lasts maximum 2 months in playable in tune condition = $360 over two years or $720 if everymonth one is replaced. This doesn't account for the fact that the custom stays in tune MUCH longer, plays much better, and sounds better, and even as the 2 year warranty comes to a close and the harp needs work, the work will be done and last longer than the 2 years extending the cost benefits past 2 years. And even after that the harp can be maintained for a price cheaper than a marine band! Of course if everybody starts buying customs all of a sudden that would make it harder for me to order so by all means, stocks are great to begin with and cheaper too! ;)
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Andrew Larson, R.N.
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barbequebob
1347 posts
Oct 15, 2010
1:25 PM
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Speaking of warranties, the vast majority of OOTB harps are generally warrantied up to about roughly 90 days and if they wanted to be a real b***h about it and enforce it to the letter, if they inspect the instrument under a microscope and carefully inspect it from end to end, especially the reeds, many of the harps that wuickly blew out, they'd see quite a few microscopic cracks AKA stress fractures, which are tell tale signs of a player guilty of using FAR too much breath force in their playing, and in nearly every manufacturer's warranty, you see the line "warrants against manufacturing defects, but such warranty is void if instrument is subject to abuse>" Well, playing too hard is subjecting the harmonica to abuse, and so therefore, the player guilty of doing that basically voided the warranty and if they brought a case like that to court, the player would lose BIG TIME because playing with too much force IS abuse.
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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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