chromaticblues
293 posts
Nov 15, 2010
6:32 PM
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I'd like to hear what people think about this harp. I have never owned one and have just worked on my first. It looks really nice and seems very nice under the hood. I don't know how much they cost, but assume it's alot! The comb is a piece art. I haven't really played it yet, just tooted a little after the reed work. Seems to have very smooth and consistent reed response. I didn't really play it because it needs to be tuned badly! Seems like a great harp, but I don't know anything about them! I don't know if this is just a good one or are most of them like that?
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pharpo
416 posts
Nov 15, 2010
6:41 PM
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I have two of them. Played great out of the box. (tasted a little funny) Blew a reed on one, the other is beginning to rattle. Nice combs..fairly air tight...they don't hold up well in my opinion.
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Procrastinator Emeritus
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chromaticblues
294 posts
Nov 15, 2010
6:55 PM
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Yeah it seemed to be real easy to bend. Harps that are easy to bend ussualy will blowout faster if you don't play them with great breath control.
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Ant138
647 posts
Nov 15, 2010
11:52 PM
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Apart from the 1847 it's my weapon of choice. I've got 6 of them. They play amazingly well out the box, no sharp corners easy to bend lovely comb. Some people do have problems blowing out reeds on them but i've never had that problem, my oldest one is probably getting on for nearly 2 years old and still plays great. I think the reed tollerance is very tight and its not a harp that needs alot of force to play hence the reason some people blow em out. (there has been a few threads on this subject before)
Infact i have one in Ab that plays aswell as a custom(not for overblows) and that was straight out of the box, i dont know if it was a fluke or what but its the reason i do most of my video's with that Ab harp. I guess i'm just lucky with that one but in general i hardly ever have to tinker with a Solist Pro.
I've just bought a new one in D and it cost me £32.00 I think its its best out the box harp money can buy at that price although i do love to buy the 1847's when my wallet permits it:o)
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http://www.youtube.com/user/fiendant?feature=mhum
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chromaticblues
297 posts
Nov 16, 2010
6:07 AM
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I have only worked on one 1847, but I would buy the Soloist Pro before I bought the 1847. Again thats based on very limited experience with either! Yeah I was amazed at how easy it was to make it play great! Great harp to make customs with! What do think about the tuning?
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pharpo
417 posts
Nov 16, 2010
7:25 AM
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I play often, and don't use a lot of force. I have MB'S and SP20's in my box that I have played for years with no issues. And 2 solist pros that Iv'e had for less than 6 months that are shot. Loved em out of the box....but...
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Procrastinator Emeritus
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chromaticblues
302 posts
Nov 16, 2010
9:11 AM
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Thats to bad! They seem like nice harps. Maybe the reeds are a little thinner than the Hohners. That would cuase them to bend easy and blowout fast.
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jim
443 posts
Nov 16, 2010
9:27 AM
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polish off the milling marks near the rivet and you won't have problems
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www.truechromatic.com
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chromaticblues
303 posts
Nov 16, 2010
9:42 AM
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If the groves are deep aren't you just making that part of the reed thinner than the rest and it will stress due to that. And what ever you remove from one end you have to remove from the other for it to be in tune. I'm sure I'm not telling you anything you don't already know. I've heard this before and have seen some pretty deep scrathes. I agree that they shouldn't be there, but seems like that much metal removal can't be a good thing.
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jim
444 posts
Nov 16, 2010
9:53 AM
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All problems that people experience with reeds come from that.
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www.truechromatic.com
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MP
1004 posts
Nov 16, 2010
10:04 AM
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i love the Solist Pro! shouldn't SEYDEL spell it SOLOIST?
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MP
hibachi cook for the yakuza
doctor of semiotics
superhero emeritus
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jim
445 posts
Nov 16, 2010
10:24 AM
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Es ist "Solist" auf Deutsch :)
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www.truechromatic.com
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Ant138
648 posts
Nov 16, 2010
10:48 AM
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Its funny that some people have problems with Seydel in general. There seems to be a good split on the subject. I asked Ronnie Shellist how the the Manji holds up against the 1847 and he said he thought the 1847 was a great harp until he blew out the 4 hole reed, sent it back to Seydel and it happened again so ????
He's a pro player with superb control over the harp and its happend to him yet i can buy a bunch of em and play the hell out of them for a couple of years and experience no problems what so ever.
I'm sure there is something in what jim is saying about the marks on the reeds, i never thought of that. At the end of the day you play Russian Roulette with any out the box harp these days but my experience with Seydel Soilst's has only been a good one and i hope it continues for many years as its my harp of choice:o)
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http://www.youtube.com/user/fiendant?feature=mhum
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MP
1008 posts
Nov 16, 2010
12:29 PM
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@jim,
of course. thanks.
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MP
hibachi cook for the yakuza
doctor of semiotics
superhero emeritus
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chromaticblues
307 posts
Nov 17, 2010
7:04 AM
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I finnished working on my first Seydel Blues Soloist Pro. VERY NICE HARP! I'm not going to go into all of the other sydels other than this is the only one I have any interest in. Ok I now know what jim was talking about polishing the milling marks. I remember reading a post someone hear had stating the MS series Hohners have bad filing marks from the factory tuning process. Well all the sydels have one thing in common. There is one guy at the end of the line with a rusty axe tuning all the harps! LOL No but seriouly they are some pretty agressive tuning practices going on there. SO I tryed to do what jim suggested. It wasn't as bad as I thiught it would be. I tuned it to my tuning and WOW! What a difference. Man that is a sweet sounding harp. It isn't as loud or raspy as a Marine Band, but has better note definition. It had a real nice warm mellow tone. Not as in your face as a MB, but a perfect harp for slow blues.IMOH Its had to describe tone differences, but didn't have the upper midrange overtones that MB's do ( it didn't sound as bright). All the reeds responded well and consistent with buttery bends. As I said in my earlier post harps of this nature have to be played differently. Its almost to easy to bend! I don't really believe there is such a thing.
Overall I thought it is a very good harp. The first harp that didn't say Marine Band on it that I was impressed with! I don't know how much they cost, but if you can afford it I think you'll like them.
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WestVirginiaTom
19 posts
Nov 17, 2010
8:35 AM
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Not an endorsement; just a statement: Rockin' Ron's advertises the Solist Pro for $39.95 with free shipping.
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MP
1011 posts
Nov 17, 2010
8:50 AM
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@chromaticblues and jim,
how did you polish off the milling marks by the rivets?
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MP
hibachi cook for the yakuza
doctor of semiotics
superhero emeritus
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mlefree
19 posts
Nov 17, 2010
9:30 AM
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@MP: Wow, I've had this thing in my mouth for 3 months and I just noticed the spelling!
I got my 12-hole Solist Pro at SPAH and haven't put it down. Several more just like it are on my Santa list.
I customize my own Marine Bands so I'm pretty picky about how my harps are set up. So far I've had much fun playing my 12-holer that I haven't felt the need or wanted to take the time to even crack it open.
Michelle
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jim
450 posts
Nov 17, 2010
9:31 AM
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I use them to make alt tunings - and I tune down near the rivet along the reed. This usually removes most of those scratches (leaving only my - but they go along the reed...).
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www.truechromatic.com
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chromaticblues
308 posts
Nov 17, 2010
9:33 AM
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MP I used a Dremel on the lowest speed with 600 grit flat wheel. I put a feeler gauge under it and did a little at a time. It wasn't nearly as hard as I tought it would be. I was lucky on this one. The draw plate had every reed sharp and they tried to flaten it at the rivet end and either got tired of doing it or thought they were done! I don't know. I set the tuner at different setting and it just didn't make sense. I think it was just tuned very poorly, but sharp so me removing the marks at the rivet end didn't mean I also had to remove metal at the other end. So it wasn't as bad as I'm sure some are. It took about an hour to tune the whole thing. Which is twice as long as most tunings.
Last Edited by on Nov 17, 2010 12:18 PM
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MP
1013 posts
Nov 17, 2010
11:51 AM
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thanks guys,
i think seydels are tuned to A-444. that may explain the sharpness?
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MP
hibachi cook for the yakuza
doctor of semiotics
superhero emeritus
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chromaticblues
309 posts
Nov 17, 2010
12:24 PM
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Yeah I though it was tuned higher thats what I meant when reset my tuner. On my tuner you can go from 442 to 443 with one touch. I tried that then went to 444 and tried that. that was closer, but the way the note layout was sharp and flat made no sense. I tune all my harps to 442. So I didn't spend to much time worrying about it. Thats good to know though. So removing those marks and tuning to 442 means you should have to remove material at the other end. Thats a good thing.
Thanks MP I didn't know that!
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slobie
28 posts
Nov 23, 2010
2:30 AM
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great tone ,play great ,but last about as long as it takes to play the song. very fragile reeds blow out very easy !!!!!
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MP
1024 posts
Nov 23, 2010
12:37 PM
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no problem chro.
jim or BBQBOB or david payne or a ton of other guys could have furnished you with that info.
that kind of info is one of the best things about MBH.
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MP
hibachi cook for the yakuza
doctor of semiotics
superhero emeritus
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Sikira
5 posts
Nov 24, 2010
3:08 AM
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Hola guys,
I have had 1 solist go flat on 4 blow in less then 2 weeks. After examination it turned out to be a fracture on the reed. I then purchased a solist pro in the same key "A". That harp was toast within 5 days. Same read going bad. I went to the store with both harps and complained and got a new solist pro. I am quite afraid to play on it as I don't trust it.
It has a good fat tone, especially when amplified. It is however a bit heavy to play on and 4 blow is a weak spot. As a reference, this two harps are the only one that I have managed to wreck. I am trying to understand why 4 blow is the read that fails and one theory could be due to 4 draw bending. Even thoe I like this harps, I'll probably spend it on more rugged
harmonicas.
/Arman
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