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Post by jbone on May 5, 2019 20:28:53 GMT -5
A friend sent me two different models made by Seydel last week and I've been trying them out as I have the opportunity. Both harps- one an 1847, one a Soloist Pro Blues- are very well ma]de and great sounding harps!
I think the big limitation on these is going to be cost. I doubt I'll be buying any harps for a long time and then only out of total need. These are repairable which may be the way to go.
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Post by JamesP on May 7, 2019 10:28:20 GMT -5
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Post by jbone on Jun 15, 2019 12:15:50 GMT -5
So while we have not been out gigging lately I still use the two Seydels often when we are practicing here at home. They are standing up well and I think they are fine for either acoustic or amped work. Their tone and sound is closer to a Suzuki Manji than to say a Hohner Marine Band Deluxe, both of which have places in my kit as well. These two harps are well built and perform nicely.
Just a little update!
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Post by whitefang on Jun 16, 2019 6:23:42 GMT -5
I still admit to never have heard of this maker before,and do well remember that HOHNER was the only harmonicas sold in local music stores when I first took an interest( 'bout 64 or so...) and another thing...
I don't think old timer bluesmen Junior Wells, Little Walter, Sonny Boy etc. used ANYthing sold as a "blues" harmonica, And too, I notice NO difference(much if any) in my Marine Band, and the Hohner "Blues Harp" that first came to local shops 'round here in the late '60's-early '70's.
That to me, is as unscrupulous as selling a particular model of guitar as a "jazz guitar". Whitefang
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Post by jbone on Jun 16, 2019 7:59:04 GMT -5
The Marine Band has been like the standard model for a long time. Hohner put covers on one that had no side vents and it gave a somewhat muted tone, and they called it Blues Harp. Sure it was a marketing ploy, I think a lot of their harp models were the same guts with different covers for a long time. Hohner still has the market mostly covered at brick and mortar stores. Some competition from Lee Oskar but Hohner is the big dog I think.
Other companies have made harps for many years. Suzuki has made good products for at least 20 years. Seydel has been around for over a century but only in the past 20 or so years have I seen mention of them. Huang has made cheap harps for decades. Hering in Brazil made some inroads into the US market 20 years ago but ultimately failed when the supply chain never grew to accommodate demand. We see new makers now like Kongsheng, which I think used to make cheap toy harps and has now entered the quality harp market, and Eastop, which makes pretty good quality as well.
I know SBII- Aleck Miller- player the bigger Hohner 365 model, a kind of Marine Band on steroids, 14 holes with the lower end tuned lower. The original harp heroes could get Hohners and that's what they played. The vaudeville harmonica groups of the 30's into the 60's played mostly Hohner chromatics. I've seen guys like Blind Mississippi Morris playing $5 Johnson harps and doing things I could not. Granted the cheap harps will die quicker!
In this day and age of cottage industry customization and repair, harp makers have realized they need at least one or two models which are made to higher standards. Hohner began building the MB Deluxe and Crossover models to address quality issues and demand from pro players. Suzuki has offered several well made harps for a long time and about 8 years ago introduced the Manji model, which competes with the better MB models and Seydel. Lee Oskar started the whole replacement reed plate ball rolling about 30 years ago.
In this age we are seeing a huge explosion of interest in harmonicas and a lot of companies have risen to the occasion. There are plenty of guys out there with the skill and tools to offer repairs, customization, different combs, different tunings, all for reasonable money. My thinking has changed quite a bit in the past year on this. I was leaning toward replacement reed plates, on harps that were decently built in the first place. Last year I had two harps repaired for much less than replacement cost. One was a $270 chromatic, one a $70 special order low D. Both needed individual reeds replaced. They work like new even now, about a year later.
Hohner probably leads sales still, but that could change. With makers in China building better quality these days, and other European makers rising up, it could be a new game before many years.
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Post by whitefang on Jun 17, 2019 5:43:30 GMT -5
Well, as I said, I don't make a living at playing music, so I settle for "off the shelf" harps and would probably just buy a new one if mine became unplayable. Now..... Whether she was being cute or not I'm not sure, but my wife used to like to say she liked my playing the harmonica because..... "It keeps your LIPS "kissing soft!" Best reason for playing one I could THINK of! Whitefang
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Post by jbone on Jun 17, 2019 13:46:20 GMT -5
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