Comments for Chesty's Blog http://chesterton.id.au/blog Press Belly Button to Begin Fri, 04 Dec 2009 20:01:55 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 Comment on The Blue Tongue Harmonica Store Learning The Harmonica 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!

]]> Comment on The Blue Tongue Harmonica Store Learning The Harmonica 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.

]]> Comment on The Blue Tongue Harmonica Store Learning The Harmonica 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 :(

]]> Comment on The Blue Tongue Harmonica Store Learning The Harmonica 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

]]> Comment on FreeSWITCH and Voicemail by Sharad http://chesterton.id.au/blog/2007/12/30/freeswitch-and-voicemail/comment-page-1/#comment-584 Sharad Thu, 10 Sep 2009 05:41:45 +0000 http://chesterton.id.au/blog/2007/12/30/freeswitch-and-voicemail/#comment-584 I have our own designed softswitch so I want to use only voicemail feature of freeswitch. Plz let me know how can I acheive this ? Regards Sharad I have our own designed softswitch so I want to use only voicemail feature of freeswitch. Plz let me know how can I acheive this ?

Regards
Sharad

]]> Comment on Eee PC Ubuntu WiFi On/Off by Matt http://chesterton.id.au/blog/2008/03/15/eee-pc-ubuntu-wifi-onoff/comment-page-1/#comment-466 Matt Tue, 26 May 2009 13:39:41 +0000 http://chesterton.id.au/blog/2008/03/15/eee-pc-ubuntu-wifi-onoff/#comment-466 chesty, i am experiencing the same problem I installed this eee-osd scriptpack but dont know how I can open it...it isnt in system tools or in accessories hope you will help thanks Matt chesty, i am experiencing the same problem

I installed this eee-osd scriptpack but dont know how I can open it…it isnt in system tools or in accessories

hope you will help
thanks

Matt

]]> Comment on FreeSWITCH and Voicemail by Santa http://chesterton.id.au/blog/2007/12/30/freeswitch-and-voicemail/comment-page-1/#comment-443 Santa Sat, 02 May 2009 02:35:14 +0000 http://chesterton.id.au/blog/2007/12/30/freeswitch-and-voicemail/#comment-443 To use make sounds-install you must be in the directory where you untar-gzed the tarball, otherwise it won't work. Btw, there are also 48 KHz sounds files, for which you can do make cd-sounds-install instead of sounds-install and cd-moh-install To use make sounds-install you must be in the directory where you untar-gzed the tarball, otherwise it won’t work.

Btw, there are also 48 KHz sounds files, for which you can do make cd-sounds-install instead of sounds-install and cd-moh-install

]]> Comment on Keeping Fresh by GT http://chesterton.id.au/blog/2009/03/01/keeping-fresh/comment-page-1/#comment-412 GT Sun, 08 Mar 2009 06:15:22 +0000 http://chesterton.id.au/blog/?p=52#comment-412 I set up @sydtrainservice a little while ago, but haven't really touched it in a while. If you're interested in combining efforts let me know. I set up @sydtrainservice a little while ago, but haven’t really touched it in a while.
If you’re interested in combining efforts let me know.

]]> Comment on FreeSWITCH and Google Talk by Robert Clayton http://chesterton.id.au/blog/2007/12/31/freeswitch-and-google-talk/comment-page-1/#comment-409 Robert Clayton Tue, 03 Mar 2009 04:14:29 +0000 http://chesterton.id.au/blog/2007/12/31/freeswitch-and-google-talk/#comment-409 Chesty, Were you ever able to get jingle audio working with FreeSwitch? If you were able to would you not now be able to call FS from a jingle client and use FS as an IVR system? Robert Chesty,

Were you ever able to get jingle audio working with FreeSwitch?
If you were able to would you not now be able to call FS from a jingle client and use FS as an IVR system?

Robert

]]> Comment on My Telephone Setup by Scott Ellis http://chesterton.id.au/blog/2008/03/03/my-telephone-setup/comment-page-1/#comment-395 Scott Ellis Sun, 11 Jan 2009 10:39:55 +0000 http://chesterton.id.au/blog/2008/03/03/my-telephone-setup/#comment-395 I noticed that you said that you used Pennytel. Did you get this working with FreeSwitch? You seemed to have another provider in your example. I am trying to get Pennytel working but with no luck yet! Scott I noticed that you said that you used Pennytel. Did you get this working with FreeSwitch? You seemed to have another provider in your example.

I am trying to get Pennytel working but with no luck yet!

Scott

]]>