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Dirty-South Blues Harp forum: wail on! >
What is your favourite Harp?
What is your favourite Harp?
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Harp boy in progress
40 posts
Dec 28, 2010
6:13 AM
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just woundering about the harps this time. what makes it good, why is it good, and would you buy more of them? Is it a custom or ootb?
Nick
Last Edited by on Dec 28, 2010 6:13 AM
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Harp boy in progress
42 posts
Dec 28, 2010
6:44 AM
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my most favoured harp is the hohner marine band that i coustomise myself with putting bolts in to make it airtight.
Nick
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Gig74
34 posts
Dec 28, 2010
6:51 AM
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Hey Nick, I've been playing about 8 months so i'm certainly no expert, i have 9 different harmonicas but I love my crossover and manji the most and would certainly buy more in different keys. The problem is which to choose, as I find them very similar maybe the crossover sounds a little bit more mellow compared to the manji being a little brighter in tone, in my opinion. Love them both though and they look great too :o)
Also like my suzuki harpmaster, cheaper but I don't think in any way worse.
I'm just glad I don't play other instruments or I'd be bankrupt trying to find the right one for me.
It is lovely when a new harmonica arrives in the post though, I think trying new harmonicas is part of the pleasure of learning.
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Bart Leczycki
1 post
Dec 28, 2010
6:56 AM
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Hi All, It's my first post here.
My name is Bart Leczycki, I'm full time musician and teacher from Poland.
Many years (about 15)I played on Golden Melody only. I tried Marine Bands, Lee Oskars, Herings, Huangs, many Suzuki harps. 2 years ago I found Seydel 1847 Classic. Now I don't try to find better instrument. Why Seydel 1847? shortly:
- 3-4 times stronger stainless steel reeds (!)
- very loud and BIG TONE!
- amazing smooth, swelling free wooden comb
- perfect, tip of the top quality
- great setup for overbending
- compromized tuning (I play many kinds of music)
- every key and every tuning what I can imagine (Low C, Paddy Richter, minors)
- this instrument gives me a lot of inspirations and comfort on the stage and studio also.
Just out of the box :o)
I don't like spend my time for regepping, embossing waxing... I'd like play the music!
I think everyone should look for the best harmonica for himself and find right one.
All the best
==============================
www.myspace.com/bleczycki
Last Edited by on Dec 29, 2010 8:19 AM
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The Gloth
545 posts
Dec 28, 2010
7:07 AM
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Welcome on this board, Bart !
For now, my favorite brand of harps is Suzuki Promaster half-valved. I love the way it sounds, it's just that sometimes it's a bit too quiet, and sometimes the valves block the sound (because I blow too hard).
I want to try Seydel half-valved, I think I'll get a 1847 and a Solist pro, so I can compare.
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OzarkRich
307 posts
Dec 28, 2010
7:09 AM
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Hohner Meisterklasse.
It has an aluminum comb so it won't swell like wood, or feel cheap like plastic. It doesn't have any sharp edges with the full length cover plates. The comb is flat and air tight. It looks and feels like a real instrument. I like the tone of an aluminum comb but prefer brass, although brass is too heavy, especially with a bullet mic.
I'm looking forward to my B-Radical (if it ever comes).
Welcome to the forum Bart!
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Ozark Rich
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Last Edited by on Dec 28, 2010 12:11 PM
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Rich
8 posts
Dec 28, 2010
7:16 AM
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Hi Nick.
I've been playing for just under a year and have tried a couple of different harps. Personally, I have Marine Bands, Marine Band Deluxe, Lee Oskar and Hohner Proharp MS.
By far and away the best I have is the Marine Band Deluxe and I've decided to stick with them.
My next MBD's will be from Anthony Dannecker. He sands, tunes and gaps them before selling and they are only about £5 more than standard. Not quite 'custom' but a significant step up from standard and removes the chances of buying a dud one.
(There was a thread a while ago about Dannecker, might be worth a look?)
Rich
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boris_plotnikov
376 posts
Dec 28, 2010
7:34 AM
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All stock harps sucks. My favorite harps now is Seydel 1847 silver customized by me. I also keep loving Hohner Golden Melody customized by me till I sign endorsement with seydel ((: I love feel of GM a bit more, but start to prefer 1847 because they loud, always in tune and no corrosion.
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Excuse my bad English. Click on my photo or my username for my music.
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nacoran
3502 posts
Dec 28, 2010
10:02 AM
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For feel, I like my Seydel Blues Favorite, but it's in a LL key so it's hard to compare it's tone to other harps. I like the sound of different harps for different things. If I'm playing something where I want a sweet, gentle tone, I prefer something with a closed back. For more rocking sound I prefer open backs.
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Nate
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groyster1
628 posts
Dec 28, 2010
10:30 AM
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sp20s are the best value,in my opinion the manjis and the 1 crossover I have are only a lttle better but higher price I have 2 custom mb1896 and 1 custom sp20 all superior to my ootb harps
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boris_plotnikov
377 posts
Dec 28, 2010
11:22 AM
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Bart, glad to see you here!
Do you really play ipanema using stock 1847??? If yes, I'm shocked
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Excuse my bad English. Click on my photo or my username for my music.
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PT
75 posts
Dec 28, 2010
11:28 AM
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I play the Seydel 1847 Silver and Noble models that I half valve. I have recently recorded 12 tracks for my new CD using these harmonicas and could not be happier with the sound! The CD should be out in about 2 months.
PT
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"Life...10 Holes & 20 Reeds At A Time"
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robbert
22 posts
Dec 28, 2010
3:04 PM
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This question is still ongoing for me. I've been playing more or less seriously for about 10 yrs now and started with Lee Oskars and Special 20s. When I first dabbled in harmonica in the mid 70's, it was Marine Band, of course.
The Lee Oskars and Sp. 20's served me well, but in the last few years I've been hankering after a better quality, more reliable harp.
I've also come to the conclusion recently that I need different harps for different styles of playing and different styles of music. For Blues, I pretty much like to wail, for singer/songwriter accompaniment, I like to croon, and for world music it goes either way.
Trying to find the all- purpose harp, as I get into the subtleties of playing, becomes more of a question. But I guess it's just a stage of experimentation that I am going through...
Right now my harp case contains several Sp 20's, Lee Oskars,a custom MB, two B-radicals, and a 2016 chromatic harmonica.
My favorite diatonics are the B-radicals. They are pricey, but the quality is superb. I have an A and a C. the C overblows more readily than the A, but both have the capability. The b-radical, like an airtight, customized harp usually requires less air, so I've been having to adjust my air pressure, that is, play them with less air pressure. They are very reliable, responsive and loud, and durable(I've put them through some punishment).
Although I am happily committed to obtaining the full Harrison run of five B-radicals(C, G, D, A, Bb),I am also interested in trying a Seydel, at some point. They seem to be very fine quality.
I've tried the Suzuki Firebreath. Nice tone, but I wore it out very quickly.
I think getting harps and learning how to customize them for one's own playing demands is a great way to go. It takes time and practice, but in the end, is probably worth it.
Due to serious time constraints, I put all my effort into playing, but at a certain point, the stock instruments were not enough. Not being able to really customize harps very well myself, I bought a couple of customized instruments, one of which was very good, the other, only moderate, and waited for the B-radicals to become available.
They just seemed like a very good investment for my limited budget(you'd have to be richer than I am to try all the choices out there!!)
So I guess to date,my ootb less pricey choices are Lee Oskars, and Special 20's, and my specialty choices are B-rads, although a good custom harp seems to be a fine choice for an upgraded instrument.
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