Yes here I am again ;) Well this time its a 2 part question. First... Which key iyho should I go with next? Im looking at either a Bb or a D.I dont play in a band,I just sit around & play/practice. I have a MB in A (a GLH in C but dont use it) Ive noticed that Adam uses a Bb a LOT and it has a good sound..but Im just not sure which one I want eventually I will have both,in fact Im thinking of ending up with 6 or 7,if thats not over kill with cross harp & 3rd and so I may only need like 4 or 5,we'll see. 2nd... I bought the MB in A in thinking it was a deep low sound. Im looking for that deep heart felt sad low tone. I read that A is low tone,B is a step higher & so on.. Well when I got it,to me it seems a bit high in tone. Yes the 1 to 4 holes are a bit deeper...but Im thinking all the way through to the 10 hole as well (if thats possible) Any ideas or thoughts ? Thanks guys ( And ladies please dont feel offended..I use guys in a general term,I'll be happy to hear from you as well)
Well, since you state you aren't in a band and therefore cutting through a mix isn't an issue, you might want to try one of the low, low tuned harps. I have a low F that I do play live, and I couldn't imagine a lowlow would work too well onstage, especially with a loud band. However, I too enjoy the low keys acoustic. The timbre of those long reeds is unique to these low tunings, and has a warm sound. I wouldn't think the key is too important since it's just you, but take into account songs you may already jam with and think that a LL key would sound good over it-try to find the same key in that LL. ----------
Todd L. Greene, Codger-in-training
Last Edited by on Nov 05, 2010 2:01 PM
A low D is pretty cool, because you can nicely jam to songs in A. I have a Hering Vintage. It has quite thick reedplates and a solid feel. I love the sound too.
Just to clarify I am looking to buy either a Bb or a D as well as a low toned harp... hope that helps ;) sorry I wasnt clear on that,looking back on it,I made it seem as though I was assuming Bb or D was a low tone..not what I meant.again,sorry for the mix up
There are low tuned harps. They are a little harder to play, and get tougher to bend the lower you go. I have a low F and a low low F. If you want the high holes to sound low you could go that route. They are tough to bend and they aren't very loud though. (For sitting around they are great.) Hohner, I think, makes harps as low as Low D (so the lowest note on the harp is one octave below the low note on a regular D harmonica.) Seydel goes all the way down to Low Low F on some of their models which is two octaves below the normal F and one octave below a Low F (their flagship 1847 goes down to Low D I think). Low harps are a little more expensive than regular harps and Low Low's are a little more expensive than that (about $100).
High Harps: (lowest to highest) HG, HAb, HA
Normal Harps: (lowest to highest) G Ab A Bb B C C#(Db) D Eb E F F#(Gb)
Low Harps: (lowest to highest) LG LAb LA LBb LB LC LC#(LDb) LD LEb LE LF LF#(LGb)
Low Low Harps: (lowest to highest) LF LLF#(LGb)
-Harps in parenthesis are just other names for the same harp. A F# is the same thing as Gb
There are also bass harps, but they are whole other beasts. The lowest diatonic you'll find in Bb or D would be the Low Bb, which I think only Seydel makes.
@ bacon-fat - good jamin :) real good harp playin' man. Im in Ny just across the river from Catskill. I kinda lost track as to where the chromatic came in though.
Still need more in the way of a Bb or D outside of the low harp ;)
Ohhh,thats real cool. Didnt know about that. Ok,How do I do it ? :) @ nacoran - I see you live in Guilderland..very cool..know of any good harp clubs around?
Last Edited by on Nov 05, 2010 3:44 PM
You need a Google account first. Your Gmail account will work. I'm not sure if a YouTube account will. I know they are merging the two.
Then you click on this map to go to the Google Map page with the map. Hit edit, and then you see a little pin icon up above the map. Click on it and drag the pin to where you want it (it seems to be glitching a little right now, but you still should be able to get the pin where you want it.)
You can zoom in or out with the scroll button. Once you have the pin in the map you can click on it and change the icon and add any text info you want. You can even include a link to your website. Then click done and it will save it.
If you have any problems let me know. Check out the how-to page for some other good hints (the link is just under the forum creed).
Xpun, there used to be a harmonica club up here, but I they don't meet anymore. (I think they were mostly chromatic guys). I haven't seen many other harpers around here. There are a couple small venues around here, but not much harmonica going on. :(
@ Nacoran - Ever go to Lark fest? Been a couple years for me,but I loved going. Maybe we can start up a new club in Albany or something if you might be interested. Let me know. I think Im going with a Bb next. & thank you all for the input on the low harp stuff..Oh yeah..Im marked on the map now thanks to Nacoran.
If we can find a few more harpers in the region maybe we could try to organize a club. I haven't been to Lark Fest in a couple years. I seem to remember the weather wasn't great this last time around.
MB deluxes are only sealed around the combs edges.
wet players have shown me their MB deluxes where the teeth of the comb stick out from the untreated wood swelling. ---------- MP hibachi cook for the yakuza doctor of semiotics superhero emeritus
Last Edited by on Nov 07, 2010 9:03 AM
I'm a big fan of Hohner's SBS-tuned harps (Steve Baker Specials). They have the first three holes duplicated an octave lower than the rest of the upper 9 holes, which are tuned like holes 1-9 on a regular Richter Diatonic. The result is that you have a 4th octave at your disposal, lending another dimension to your playing without having to switch harps. Richard Sleigh calls them the "Stretch Limo's" of the Marine Bands. You can play Sonny Boy II's "Bye Bye Bird" on them which makes them worth the price all by itself.
A SPAH I discovered the Seydel 12-holes Blues Soloist Pro which is tuned like the first 12-holes of the Hohner SBS. It also has a number of features which make it a superior insrument IMO, including a fully sealed comb, screw rather than nail construction and nice, slippery stainless steel cover plates. They're less expensive than the SBS, too -- not much more than a new Manji or Cross-Over (and they are actually in stock). What's not to like? Try one -- you'll like it, I'm sure. I love mine.
Ok I know my MB 1896/20 is not fully sealed,found out the hard way..& yes I too am a victim of the combs teeth being swollen (all of them) the have since receded save for the teeth between holes 1&2-2&3-3&4-4&5 & 5&6 with the teeth between 2&3-3&4-4&5 being the worst. I was gonna send it back to be fixed but the cost of shipping was a bit much. I still play it with no troubles BUT.. those teeth now seem to be lose although it still seems air tight. (I love my harp) so..should I send it back or just shave it down or leave it alone? (Talk about us goin off topic LMAO)
Last Edited by on Nov 07, 2010 10:19 AM
hmmmm Xpun3414. you have a real problem here. sometimes, only sometimes, if you leave the harp alone to dry out for a long time, where it'll get air, the teeth may shrink back to size. probably not, but it's worth a shot. the reason your harp is air tight is precisely because of the swelling.
if you shave it down, the comb might receed and then you're up the creek. also, if you shave it down the finish goes too and more moisture gets into the wood.
i don't know what hohners policy is about swollen harps, but you could ask.
if hohner won't replace the harp, i think your best options are just keep it and deal wth it, or...get a new sealed comb installed by one of the several customizers who post here.
good luck ----------ps. you probably feel like i felt after the shop said i needed a new radiator. MP hibachi cook for the yakuza doctor of semiotics superhero emeritus
Last Edited by on Nov 07, 2010 11:45 AM
You could always order a custom comb. There are a bunch of guys on here who make them, either sealed wood or a range of other things (Corian, Dymond wood, acrylic, even solid metals, there is even a guy on the net, I don't think he's been on the forum, who makes them out of titanium) or you could seal the comb yourself. It's much easier to do with a deluxe that already has screws than a regular old MB. Click on the link for the Thread Organizer in my signature for a list of customizers. For combs the guys who jump to mind first are Randy Sandoval, Buddha (Chris M.) and Chris Reynolds.
Not all of them do combs, but a bunch do, and as customizations go, combs are pretty inexpensive.
