Comments on: The Blue Tongue Harmonica Store Learning The Harmonica http://chesterton.id.au/blog/2007/11/15/the-blue-tongue-harmonica-store-learning-the-harmonica/ Press Belly Button to Begin Fri, 13 Aug 2010 13:03:51 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Bruce http://chesterton.id.au/blog/2007/11/15/the-blue-tongue-harmonica-store-learning-the-harmonica/comment-page-1/#comment-681 Bruce Fri, 04 Dec 2009 20:01:55 +0000 http://chesterton.id.au/blog/2007/11/15/the-blue-tongue-harmonica-store-learning-the-harmonica/#comment-681 I've been "stuffing around" with harmonicas for nearly half a century, but I certainly don't class myself as an accomplished player. I've played most brands of harmonica over the years....Hohner of course, which includes Marine Band, Special 20, Chromonica 270, Cross harp, Blues Harp MS, etc. Of the Hohners, I like the Special 20 best. DO NOT BUY A HOHNER MADE IN CHINA....totally different Blues Harp than that made in Germany....you get what you pay for..... Lee Oskar green Natural & Orange label. Both are at least on a par with the Special 20, but the great thing about Lee Oskars is the fact that there is an abundant supply of replacement reed plates available. Nice quite air tight harmonicas. Seydel also make top quality harps, but I find that the slightly different spacing makes me concentrate a lot harder when playing. I think if you settle on a Seydel, then you should perhaps stick to that brand, simply because of the spacing difference. Having said that, I really like Seydels...extremely well made and air tight. I have one 1847 Silver which is rarely played, but I love it! The cheap Sedels I wouldn't bother with. I have a Seydel "Mungo Gerry" which is a pig to play....lungs aren't big enough! I have to say that my all time favourite harmonicas are made by Suzuki. I have a Pure Harp MR550 with the Cherry wood covers.....simple beautiful harp. Exceptionally well made, air tight and with a beautiful sound. I bought it because I just wanted a top quality harp that was a bit different to the run of the mill. Of all the brands of harp available, I find Suzuki suits me best. As with all harps & models of harp each produces a slightly different sound, which is great, but the Suzuki is my preference. I have 4 Suzuki Pro Master MR 350's both valved and non valved. These harmonicas are extremely air tight....great for ageing lungs...and the combs are aluminium which make them "weighty".....really nice to hold in my opinion. I find Suzukis very hard to put down! I’ve been “stuffing around” with harmonicas for nearly half a century, but I certainly don’t class myself as an accomplished player.
I’ve played most brands of harmonica over the years….Hohner of course, which includes Marine Band, Special 20, Chromonica 270, Cross harp, Blues Harp MS, etc.
Of the Hohners, I like the Special 20 best.
DO NOT BUY A HOHNER MADE IN CHINA….totally different Blues Harp than that made in Germany….you get what you pay for…..
Lee Oskar green Natural & Orange label. Both are at least on a par with the Special 20, but the great thing about Lee Oskars is the fact that there is an abundant supply of replacement reed plates available. Nice quite air tight harmonicas.
Seydel also make top quality harps, but I find that the slightly different spacing makes me concentrate a lot harder when playing. I think if you settle on a Seydel, then you should perhaps stick to that brand, simply because of the spacing difference. Having said that, I really like Seydels…extremely well made and air tight. I have one 1847 Silver which is rarely played, but I love it! The cheap Sedels I wouldn’t bother with. I have a Seydel “Mungo Gerry” which is a pig to play….lungs aren’t big enough!
I have to say that my all time favourite harmonicas are made by Suzuki.
I have a Pure Harp MR550 with the Cherry wood covers…..simple beautiful harp. Exceptionally well made, air tight and with a beautiful sound. I bought it because I just wanted a top quality harp that was a bit different to the run of the mill.
Of all the brands of harp available, I find Suzuki suits me best. As with all harps & models of harp each produces a slightly different sound, which is great, but the Suzuki is my preference.
I have 4 Suzuki Pro Master MR 350′s both valved and non valved. These harmonicas are extremely air tight….great for ageing lungs…and the combs are aluminium which make them “weighty”…..really nice to hold in my opinion.
I find Suzukis very hard to put down!

]]> By: yrsoclvr2 http://chesterton.id.au/blog/2007/11/15/the-blue-tongue-harmonica-store-learning-the-harmonica/comment-page-1/#comment-628 yrsoclvr2 Sun, 18 Oct 2009 08:38:55 +0000 http://chesterton.id.au/blog/2007/11/15/the-blue-tongue-harmonica-store-learning-the-harmonica/#comment-628 Started learning the harp a few months back and randomly purchased a Hohner Special 20 in A. Great sounding harmonica, airtight with a big brassy sound for about $38.00 before CA tax. Downside to the Special 20 - it quickly goes out of tune if you play it too hard. Sent it back to Hohner within the warranty period and they replaced it. I also sent it back because the two hole draw choked and would not sound. Was told by Hohner that I did not have the right technique. However, the replacement harp has a 2 hole draw that sounds pretty good. This make me think that it was really the harmonica and not me. On the other hand, an acquaintance gave me a Hohner Blues Harp in the key of C and it's unplayable. The instrument is extremely leaky and attempting to play it makes me feel like a goldfish out of water desperately sucking air to breathe without success. Further, the pearwood comb is rough and the reed plates are not flush with the comb making it very uncomfortable to play. It's worthless unless it's professionally modified. I now own a Suzuki Bluesmaster in C and although it is relatively inexpensive it is made very well and sounds great. The 1-6 draws bend quite easily although the 3-hole bend is not smooth and is flat on the bottom bent note. Still, I look forward to purchasing their Promaster series when I save up enough money as they have been getting great reviews online. As for the people giving free blues harp lessons on youtube, what they don't reveal is the fact that their harps sound great because they have been modified, customized and adjusted to give the clean notes and easy overblows. I'd like to see them do the same thing with a Hohner Blues Harp right out of the box. Even the pros would have a hell of a time bending the notes (let alone attempting to overblow and overdraw) on the instrument. I was discouraged at first when I couldn't bend the notes like what I'd heard on the youtube videos until I found out that most inexpensive to medium priced harps don't play well or bend easily out of the box and have to be carefully tweaked (to say the least) in order to do so. Cie la vie! Anyway, good luck learning the instrument. Started learning the harp a few months back and randomly purchased a Hohner Special 20 in A. Great sounding harmonica, airtight with a big brassy sound for about $38.00 before CA tax. Downside to the Special 20 – it quickly goes out of tune if you play it too hard. Sent it back to Hohner within the warranty period and they replaced it. I also sent it back because the two hole draw choked and would not sound. Was told by Hohner that I did not have the right technique. However, the replacement harp has a 2 hole draw that sounds pretty good. This make me think that it was really the harmonica and not me.

On the other hand, an acquaintance gave me a Hohner Blues Harp in the key of C and it’s unplayable. The instrument is extremely leaky and attempting to play it makes me feel like a goldfish out of water desperately sucking air to breathe without success. Further, the pearwood comb is rough and the reed plates are not flush with the comb making it very uncomfortable to play. It’s worthless unless it’s professionally modified.

I now own a Suzuki Bluesmaster in C and although it is relatively inexpensive it is made very well and sounds great. The 1-6 draws bend quite easily although the 3-hole bend is not smooth and is flat on the bottom bent note. Still, I look forward to purchasing their Promaster series when I save up enough money as they have been getting great reviews online.

As for the people giving free blues harp lessons on youtube, what they don’t reveal is the fact that their harps sound great because they have been modified, customized and adjusted to give the clean notes and easy overblows. I’d like to see them do the same thing with a Hohner Blues Harp right out of the box. Even the pros would have a hell of a time bending the notes (let alone attempting to overblow and overdraw) on the instrument.

I was discouraged at first when I couldn’t bend the notes like what I’d heard on the youtube videos until I found out that most inexpensive to medium priced harps don’t play well or bend easily out of the box and have to be carefully tweaked (to say the least) in order to do so. Cie la vie!

Anyway, good luck learning the instrument.

]]> By: chesty http://chesterton.id.au/blog/2007/11/15/the-blue-tongue-harmonica-store-learning-the-harmonica/comment-page-1/#comment-611 chesty Fri, 02 Oct 2009 03:10:45 +0000 http://chesterton.id.au/blog/2007/11/15/the-blue-tongue-harmonica-store-learning-the-harmonica/#comment-611 It's cool, too bad i couldn't see anything. I haven't picked up the harmonica for an age :( It’s cool, too bad i couldn’t see anything. I haven’t picked up the harmonica for an age :(

]]> By: mike pazz http://chesterton.id.au/blog/2007/11/15/the-blue-tongue-harmonica-store-learning-the-harmonica/comment-page-1/#comment-607 mike pazz Thu, 01 Oct 2009 00:57:52 +0000 http://chesterton.id.au/blog/2007/11/15/the-blue-tongue-harmonica-store-learning-the-harmonica/#comment-607 Hey Man! I am the guy in that youtube video! I think I've gotten a lot better then then.. what do you think about this song with jesse lenat http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u2w_LO13pes Hey Man! I am the guy in that youtube video! I think I’ve gotten a lot better then then.. what do you think about this song with jesse lenat http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u2w_LO13pes

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