HarmonicaSpace : Space Board

Many Thanks on the site change

Sun, 19 Feb 2012 21:02:26 -0800

topic started by Barbeque Bob M

Brad, kudos to you because this new layout loads considerably faster now and much appreciated, more so if you are on an older computer or dialup or both. Nice job!

Feb 19, 2012 21:02 PST
Brutus Maximus said,
I like it! Much faster loading. When you first created HS, MySpace dominated the online environment, so it was appropriate that you set up HS the way you did. Now that MySpace has slipped into the digital dustbin, I think it's a good idea that you modify HS to suit the times.

Feb 18, 2012 07:59 PST
Brutus Maximus said,
I like it! Much faster loading. When you first created HS, MySpace dominated the online environment, so it was appropriate that you set up HS the way you did. Now that MySpace has slipped into the digital dustbin, I think it's a good idea that you modify HS to suit the times.

Feb 08, 2012 19:26 PST
walterharp said,
it is faster.... making it faster might bring in people.. the friending option is probably not so important, probably was more important back in the chat days

Feb 08, 2012 15:15 PST
Jawbone K said,
fwiw Brad, i would go for that, just have a forum. since FB has begun taking over the world it seems like not so many folks want to hang other places and chat etc.

i look forward to new posts here whether it's something i can teach a bit about or learn a bit from!!

Feb 08, 2012 08:09 PST
Brady Mills said,
Thanks, Bob! Glad you like it. I'm trying to simplify it all a bit. Any thoughts on me minimizing the social element of this site and promoting as more of a forum? Our forums have a lot of information, so I'd like to see them utilized more.

I'm thinking we'd still have profile pages, and the ability to add our music -- but I'd eliminate the friending option. I'd make it more of a "follow" option -- so you can follow posts and updates by someone.

Thoughts?

Brady Mills
Owner Brady Mills Graphics
and Creator of HarmonicaSpace

normal C or low C

Sun, 19 Feb 2012 05:57:00 -0800
topic started by kate d
I started playing a bit of harmonica when I lived by myself, I am still very definitely a begginner but now have 4 flatmates!! I don't wanna disturb them but I want to practice. A friend suggested I by a low pitched C (seydel) cos they're quieter, but then I read it can be harder to bend notes on lower pitched instuments, not good for a begginner!

Does anyone have any advice??

Feb 19, 2012 05:57 PST
Jawbone K said,
to me a standard C is very important for a new player since most lessons are geared to aC harp. thinking creatively, why not try practicing in your car say? or if there are woods nearby, take a walk and practicew when you are out in nature.

i do like a low C for some things, and one of my most used harps is a hering chromatic bari in C. you might consider a G or a low F as well, these are keys i use a lot in the duo.

Feb 18, 2012 18:11 PST
walterharp said,
low c is pretty low, kind of difficult as you say...

a low F, E or D might be a better compromise.. low F has the most probability of being used in the future, but is a bit higher pitched. another alternative would be go with a G, that is in the lower range, but pretty useful

My New Year's resolution

Fri, 17 Feb 2012 07:13:20 -0800
topic started by d p
I figure if I put it out there this year I'll have a reason to follow through! So here's mine:

This year I'm going to actually put in practice on my harp! I'm going to start with Harmonica For Dummies and read a chapter a week followed by at least 20 minutes of trying to do what it tells me to do!

Wish me luck!

Feb 17, 2012 07:13 PST
Mondo said,
@Ricardo S: You've stumbled into the right place! Harmonica Space has many experienced players here. Unlike other harp sites, the pros that hang around HS are friendly and willing to help beginners such as you and I.

You might want to pick up the book Harmonica For Dummies. I'm working my way through it right now (just finished chap. 3) and I can recommend it as a good place to start. If you have questions, they can be answered here. In fact, the author (Winslow Yerxa) is a member on this site.

Good luck and keep harpin'

Feb 08, 2012 07:40 PST
Ricardo S said,
Hey guys! I hope this is the right place to post this comment. Anyhow, I am absolutely new to harmonica, a good friend of mine gave me a Hohner Marine Band (in the key of G) some years ago and it has been sitting inside a drawer ever since, so I figured now was the time to start learning. I watched a couple of youtube vids but I can't seem to get any basic bends or really get to play something that will encourage me to actually play. I would appreciate any beginners' tips and some motivation from other experienced players How did you start playing for instance? Any good advice?

Thank you so much guys! I hope your playing keeps improving!

Best regards

Jan 31, 2012 04:15 PST
Jawbone K said,
we have something in common- we'd rather be busy than bored. as if the current cd is not a big enough project here, we began working on the next one recently. 10 originals, some from a while back and some brand new. and now after a conversation with a friend and supporter last night we're about half decided to start yet anOTHER project as well! this one instead of all originals with old blues friends will be a public domain old chestnut type project, with 2 brothers behind us on drums and bass. it does remain to be seen if these two guys can fall into the blues groove with us. i'm thinking blues and gospel stuff ala St. James Infirmary, John Henry, etc etc. we've never actually worked with these guys but their background is more solid rock. should be intewresting if we do decide to take it on!

Jan 29, 2012 20:35 PST
Mondo said,
. End of week four and I've not finished chapter three. Damn. Looks like I may have to "modify" my resolution a bit. At least for as long as I'm in demand. Since the new Blues-Rock band only needs me to mentor their bass player (not take over the position) I'm sure that at some point they'll be happy and I'll have to be on my way.

. Until that time, I'll move along as best as I can with my practice. But I'm not going to let another year slip past me like I've been doing. Just "wishing" that somehow the skill would reveal itself to me. (silly... I know). I did better when I was just practicing in the car, which I figure I need to start doing again. Gotta get that embouchure back, weak as it was.

. Question: I have an upper and don't know if I should leave it when playing. Anyone out there have experience with this?

Jan 25, 2012 23:25 PST
Mondo said,
. Half way into the third week and just into the third chapter. Finding time to read is a challenge as I'm now in three bands and playing bass 3-4 times a week. (more, if I can get it!) But it's worked out so far as there hasn't been anything to actually play until this chapter. (Note reading! Already? Well, my old guitar teacher would be proud that I'm finally gonna take music notation seriously. Hahaha...)

. On a parallel note, I bought a Snark SN-1 for my guitars and liked it so much I got an SN-2 (with built-in mic) to use with the harmonica. I've always been disappointed with my lack of bending ability. It just never sounded like the notes were moving as much I thought they should. But this thing has shown me that I am actually pulling hole 3 down a bit!

. Woo-hoo!

Jan 02, 2012 07:46 PST
Jawbone K said,
hats off to you Mondo!

i am struggling to teach 2 kids how to work a harmonica, 1 is 8 and 1 11. my resolution is tho learn enough about how to teach so i can actually get them playing a song or 2.

so far it's been very tough for me just in the fact that i know instinctively from decades of playing how to make the harp sound a certain way, but having to break it down into one bit at a time has been a real stumbling block. and kids are quick to boredom as well, so i have to keep their attention as well.

they are too young to independently watch teaching video on youtube i think, so it's a face to face thing mostly.

good luck to both of us on our chosen paths!!

Jawbone and Jolene's Cd is in the IBC!!!

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 16:55:51 -0800
topic started by Jawbone K
LIFESTYLES of the POOR and INFAMOUS, produced by yours truly, Jawbone and Jolene, has made the first cut in Memphis for best self-produced cd honors, passing from a field of 74 into a field of 30. we will find out in early February if we make the next cut.
this cd is a labor of love consisting of 10 original songs penned and arranged by us. the cover art and all content is from our own experiences. it was humbly recorded with a Mac computer and software and mastered by a friend with some good editing software. the cover art is from a street artist who has worked locally for a long time. some 8 or 9 years ago i told him a drawing of his would end up on the cover of my first cd, and while this is not the first, i have managed to get his art out there a little bit anyway.

here's a link to the cd:

http://kunaki.com/Sales.asp?PID=PX00B6NTF2

we also have a couple of songs at our reverbnation page:

http://www.reverbnation.com/jawboneandjolene

and we have some video at our youtube page by the same name.

if all goes well this cd will end up as a digital download as well. meanwhile, take a listen to the free stuff and if you want one you can message me or hit the top link to get one direct from the jobber.

Feb 10, 2012 16:55 PST
Jawbone K said,
update update update.......

our cd was in the top 30 picks at IBC, but did not make it into the top 5, or logically, win. this is not bad news really, in checking out the competition we saw and heard on youtube a lot of very talented and experienced players, solos, duos, and bands. the winners definitely earned their place and we are grateful to have been ranked near them at this competition.

we had not even considered submitting this cd to the local blues society but since they volunteered, we thought what the heck, what can we lose? and it has been a great ride. we are continuing to write material and we have 2 new projects on the drawing board. one is a public domain effort with bass and drums, the other is a new all original project with full band, guest artists, the works. now if we can just find the money.....

Jan 02, 2012 18:33 PST
Jawbone K said,
Ok, end of the line for Jaw and Jo. the top 5 were picked:

BLUE LUNCH, CLEVELAND, OH; SAXOPHONE SHOOTOUT II......

BAD INFLUENCE, FREDERICK, MD; UNDER THE INFLUENCE.....

MIKEY JR, JERSEY SHORE; IT AIN'T HARD TO TELL....

DAVE KELLER, RHODE ISLAND; WHERE I'M COMING FROM....

SUZIE VINNICK, TORONTO, CANADA; ME N MABEL....

We want to congratulate all the folks who made it to the top 5. We prefer to believe that we were #6!

From where we're sitting, getting to the top 30 WORLD WIDE was just awesome for a couple of gray headed part time musicians. the cats we were up against were full time players with thousands of dollars worth of gear and recording stuff.

Our cd initially cost $65 to record in a friend's spare room, through 2 mics and 2 channels, into a MAC computer. Mastering was done free by another friend.

For a total GRASS ROOTS effort to go the distance it has, that's just a life time achievement for us personally. Sure, we'd have loved to keep going, but there is no bitterness here. We have been in such good company all this while. We thank all you well-wishers for sending your good vibes our way.

SEE YOU NEXT TIME!

Need an explanation on Gary Primich song "Vermit"

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 19:23:58 -0800
topic started by Ana R
Hi guys,

Long time since my last posting but that doesn't mean that I wasn't practising and working hard on mastering some new techniques and songs:)

Tonight after work I decided to make a break with the "Smokin' joint"....and just to be sure I'talking about song here:).... cause 19 rounds is way too long to play after a long working day..... so I started learning a new song...it's Gary Primich song called "Vermit".

What confuses me is that after two normal rounds of 12 bars there is an 8 bars following with 7 bars of progression which I'm not familiar with...it's not that I can't play it cause I can, I just do not understand if this is something common in blues songs which I need to be familiar about, or this is something that band just made up on the spot and that kind of progression is not regular one.

I'm not sure I managed to explain what troubles me but I do hope someone will try to help:)

I am pretty much bad with music theory but I think I will be able to understand even if you explain it in technical terms... if I don't there is always my friend google to give me a hand:)

Have a great night and thank you in advance!!!

Kisses from Belgrade

Feb 08, 2012 19:23 PST
walterharp said,
very nice job on juke in spite of the beers! the start is especially strong nice to hear you making progress

Feb 07, 2012 10:46 PST
Ana R said,
Thanks Walterharp!!!

You can check a video that a friend uploaded on youtube but start looking from 1:58.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P3YRimGgKJs

It's a video from my birthday where I played after few beers too many:) and with not enough practising before the party:)

Any way, it would be nice to hear your opinion:)

Feb 04, 2012 10:16 PST
walterharp said,
i have not heard it anywhere else, but there is a lot of music out there!

you record any of your recent playing? would be interested to hear how you are progressing!

Feb 03, 2012 01:04 PST
Ana R said,
Thanks Walterharp.

So, that isn't some sort of a usual form of break in song?

Is it only specific to that particular song?

Feb 02, 2012 19:26 PST
walterharp said,
it is not normal... something the band added to that specific song

good luck

Alternate Tuning "Kniri 221"

Sat, 04 Feb 2012 10:55:24 -0800

Trying out Juke through my new JT-30 SUKM

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 17:10:56 -0800
topic started by SUKM // R
thank you Ant for this fine review //

SUKM // Rharley

Jan 26, 2012 17:10 PST
pat s said,
Outstanding !! What key was that?

Mar 25, 2011 18:48 PDT
walterharp said,
cool!

Mar 23, 2011 15:28 PDT
Tony W said,
Nice job on Juke!

keep it in your mouth

Wind saver please help!

Sun, 22 Jan 2012 21:02:21 -0800
topic started by Andrew T
Hey yall how do you fix windsavers in Chromatic harps? I have a few where the paper-ish stuff is lifted way off the reedplate and those notes sound like shredding paper or playing underwater or something like that. What would you do? Thanks.
~~A.T.

Jan 22, 2012 21:02 PST
walterharp said,
try here

http://www.angelfire.com/music/HarpOn/maintwind.html

Registration is now open for Hill Country Harmonica 12'

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 21:29:41 -0800
topic started by jeff s
"I was absolutely inspired by everything...." Paul L, Hill Country Harmonica 2011 attendee

"...a north Mississippi blues harp homecoming"

Hill Country Harmonica 2012

Returns again to Waterford, MS from May 18th through 20th, 2012

Registration is now open for the 3nd Annual Hill Country Harmonica 2012 in Waterford, MS. This is a two-and-a-half-day intensive workshop & retreat for blues harmonica students of all levels, featuring at least 19 workshops, multiple jam sessions, and nightly concerts.

Headlining this year's event are...

Grammy Award Nominee &

W.C. Handy award winner

Billy Branch
and his Chicago band, The Sons of Blues

--

Delta Groove Recording Artist and

West Coast legend,

Mitch Kashmar

--

Piedmont Blues Legendary Harp Player & Board

Member of the National Council for Traditional Arts

Phil Wiggins

--

Hill Country Harmonica Founder,
Modern Blues Harmonica Recording Artist &

the leading online Blues Harp Instructor...Satan & Adam's

Adam Gussow
--

2011 Blues Critic Awards Nominee,
from Greenwood, Mississippi

Dr Robert "Feel Good" Potts

...in addtion to Mitch, Adam and Phil, also teaching and performing at this year's event are Todd Parrott from North Carolina, returning from Austin - Jimi Lee and teen phenom Brandon Bailey from Memphis.

plus additional workshops on...

Playing the harp through a microphone & amplifying for the blues harp

harmonica repairs

tabbing/improving your playing through technology

"Last year's event was an amplified player's tour-de-force and this year won't let off that gas with Billy Branch, Adam Gussow, Dr. "Feel Good" Potts, not to mention Mitch Kashmar, who the late, great William Clarke called "my absolute favorite blues harp player of his generation, and one of my favorites period", says event director Jeff Silverman. "BUT we're also privileged to have Phil Wiggins joining us--one of the world's finest acoustic player/teachers and a world renowned master of the Piedmont Blues Style. Plus, we have Todd Parrott, a gospel/blues player who is, along with Jimi Lee, Brandon Bailey and the rest of our facilitators, giving us the opportunity to make the multi-level learning aspects of this event truly world class. It's a "must-be-there" weekend for anybody who plays the blues harp, from the raw beginner to the professional player alike."

If you are a blues harp player or even a blues lover in general, dollar for dollar, player-for-player, this is THE place to be in the summer of 2012!

Hill Country Harmonica is a 2 ½ day event from May 18^ththrough May 20^th, 2012 at the Foxfire Ranch in Waterford, Mississippi. Onsite and offsite camping (with showers and facilities) are available! There are additional motels nearby. (Foxfire Ranch is 50 miles south of the Memphis International Airport & about 20 miles north of Oxford, MS and easily accessible by major highways.)

Registration is $175.00 for player/students, $50.00 for non-players accompanying a player. Children 12 and under, accompanied by a registered parent or guardian, get in FREE!

For additional information on this event please visit www.hillcountryharmonica.com

PRESS INFORMATION CALL
JEFF SILVERMAN @ 516-232-0596 or Email jeff@harmonica411.com

wanna be to player

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 19:52:11 -0800
topic started by joe p
What event made you go from a Wanna be Harmonica player to a harmonica player????Steven Tyler playin Milk Cow Blues At the Binghamton Arena in December 1979, was mine..Perry had just split the band, and Tyler went tough on the harp and call and response with Crespa....A stage light shined off his harmonica and hit me in the eye;sittin high on the side..I knew then that I was gunna learn that Old Standby that old one legged Jaybird left at my Dads beer Tavern....I really couldn't Play shit until the Fall of 86 when I bought a book in downtown Norfolk VA..I became obsessed and hit open mics and blues jams everywhere..Talked with Nat Riddles a few times...He told me the best way to practice is to record yourself and listen back.....The harp opens many musical doors..You can make it your main axe, or bridge off from it to anything.. joe

Jan 17, 2012 19:52 PST
walterharp said,
hearing john mayall on room to move

then a couple years later, sonny terry and i thought wow, could really do something with that little instrument

Jan 15, 2012 06:06 PST
Jawbone K said,
one event was at triple nipple in horseheads ny, j. geils with magic dick in '73.

there have been many many hooks that put me on stage for real. hanging at jams and getting up live, sometimes sounding really bad but finding out what i didn't know and needed to, eventually working with bands and duos on the street and in the clubs, it was not a single event really.

saw anson funderburgh with darrell nulisch in dallas in about 1980. darrell blew me off but i chatted with anson and realized, this is a regular guy. so is mike morgan, the vaughn brothers, and a host of other dallas guys.

i lived in a city with a jazz school for a lot of years and the washouts jazz students would take over the local jam sometimes and funk it up. the only way to play with them cats was to take some big chances and hope you sounded ok, at least until you learned enough about music and harmonica possibilities to actually live up to what they were doing.

i was 4 years old when i first heard live harmonica. but i was 17 when i decided to try and play one. 36 when i played my first gig with a band. i'll be 57 in 3 weeks and just had a cd my wife and i did go to IBC in the top 30.

i grew up in ny state but have lived in texas and arkansas since '79. the south is where i really began the journey to harpman.

Use a C harp to play in E

Mon, 09 Jan 2012 08:04:56 -0800
topic started by joe p
I love the challenge of this position..Unpredictible, and full of bad notes to navigate around...Anybody else use this...?? joe

Jan 09, 2012 08:04 PST
John P said,
This is 5th position which puts you in E minor. If you are playing in E minor and not doing any bending, then just avoid draw 5 and draw 9 and it will actually be hard to hit a bad note.

Jan 09, 2012 07:46 PST
Barbeque Bob M said,
Joe, I'm very much into groove and tone along with playing more refined for versatility. You seem to have the mistaken notion that you have to play very hard to sound good and that is a flat out lie and most guys who play too hard have very thin tone, poor projection, never play resonantly, blow out harps fast, and also feedback quicker when playing amplified. Breath control is very important for not only better tone and tone control, but for tonal color variety for both acoustic as well as amplified and a 5 minute lesson from Big Walter Horton I had from him using one of my harps, he played quite soft and from then I took that very valuable lesson to other stuff by other players and found much of what was being played was not played very hard at all.

As far as what lasts, since you play far too hard, nothing is going to last with you at all and that's a truth you need face up to and start working on breath control. The Seydel 1847 with stainless steel reeds can withstand more abuse from really hard players more than some others, and they are warrantied for 2 years, but if you've blown one out in less than thaat, you are clearly guilty of playing far too hard and no harp is going to withstand that and you're just in flat out denial.

I used to be guilty of doing the same thing you've been doing until that lesson from Big Walter, and I haven't blown out a harp in about at least 7-8 years.

Jan 08, 2012 09:58 PST
Winslow said,
Nowadays called fifth position, it's been in use since at least 1929. I first heard Charlie McCoy use it on a 1969 Gordon Lightfoot record.

Basically you can use all your second-position licks (G on a C harp) to play in E minor, as long as you're careful about avoiding Draw 5 and 9.

Jan 07, 2012 10:01 PST
joe p said,
yo bob,,i hear ya,,what do they call the position,,,4th maybe...By the way, i don't over bend that much,,especially when i play this pos..'''..I am a big Rice Miller fan and I try to get the max tone out of the min wind all the time..Sometimes i prefer a cheap leaky harp over a top notch one....I am gunna guess that the brass went down hill about ten years ago;the last time I bought decent harps...I am just going to have to live with the new,, more delicate stuff ,, or skip around the sour notes..I only wish I kept more of my old ones...I always gave them away..   It sounds like you are a real technical player..I am a groove and tone player...Whats more durable the manji or seydel stainless?

Jan 07, 2012 07:12 PST
Barbeque Bob M said,
Well Joe, the position has the notes in a minor key, but it can be played in a major key, but you absolutely have to have spot on intonation and articulation in all of your bends to make it happen and players who play too hard generally have bends that are often horribly out of tune and here's another example of where breath control is important for everything you do in your playing and you need to get this stuff down ASAP.

declining durability

Sun, 08 Jan 2012 09:52:49 -0800
topic started by joe p
I have been playin harp for 25 yeARS,,WORE OUT MAY OF THEM...I used to count on about 10 hard playing sessons out of a marine band type of diatonic;;not to mention many practice sessions before a reed went flat....The cover plates used to be very discolored before one went.....Now, no matter what brand I buy, thEY don't last AT ALL....HOHNER, HERING, OSCAR..dOESNT MATTER, THEY ALL STINK AS far as durability is concerned. Todays harps are made to play easy, and the brass is bad.....ANY MODELS OUT THERE THAT OFFER A MORE DURABLE REED??...KAZZOO

Jan 08, 2012 09:52 PST
Winslow said,
Harps overall are manufactured to a higher standard of playability than in the past.

If this is happening across all brands and models, then the common denominator is you and your playing style. Maybe you're playing with too much breath force for the reeds. That's a personal choice, but it means you're going to chew up harps fast.

Have you tried the stainless steel reed modesl from Seydel? Players who use them are reporting superior durability. I have a couple of them and they do play nicely.

Jan 08, 2012 08:19 PST
Mondo said,
Interesting conclusion, Joe. A good trombone starts ~$1,000 and goes up from there! That's a lot of harmonicas. Just snooping around eBay I found several steel Sedels, including a set of 5 1847s with case for $539.95

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Seydel-1847-Noble-Harmonica-STEEL-REED-5-HARP-SET-CASE-/230474487075

Don't give up, Bro!

Jan 07, 2012 19:58 PST
Mondo said,
Interesting conclusion, Joe. A good trombone starts ~$1,000 and goes up from there! That's a lot of harmonicas. Just snooping around eBay I found several steel Sedels, including a set of 5 1847s with case for $539.95

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Seydel-1847-Noble-Harmonica-STEEL-REED-5-HARP-SET-CASE-/230474487075

Don't give up, Bro!

Jan 06, 2012 17:26 PST
joe p said,
Well i just checked out the price;;think i will go back to the trombone..

Jan 06, 2012 16:38 PST
joe p said,
Thanks guys for the comebacks...I do play for acoustic tone and bear down pretty good...With the combo of the weaker brass and the new tolerances, my problem has been identified. I have been cutting back on the air the last few years and playing more melodic,,but I guess not enough. Stainless steel, here I come!!! joe

Jan 04, 2012 07:52 PST
Barbeque Bob M said,
With real good breath control, harps with brass reeds (and I'm basing this on gigging 10-15 nights per month), the minimum they should last is 6 months to a year, and with stainless steel, a minimum of 2 years. If you're getting anything less than that, you're clearly using too much breath force, and on top of that, you're also far too often bending to the floor of the bend, and that makes the stress problem you create by playing too hard 100 times worse, and you cause microscopic cracks in the reed metal AKA stress fractures, and once that happens, the reed is toast.

Of all the harps with brass reeds, LO's have the longest durability track record and many pro players who use them get at least 5 years or more, sometimes 10-15 years out of them. Most players who use the stainless steel stuff are still using the ones they bought when Seydel first put them out in 2007, including some players who think of themselves as very hard players.

Like it or not, the bottom line is breath force. If you tend to play too hard and bend all the way to the floor of the bend all the time, and when you use harps that have tighter slot tolerances (many of them now have that, some tighter than others) and/or a thicker reed plate (not to be confused with thicker reeds), you'll always have the blowout problem regardless of who makes them and your track record clearly shows that. If you play amplified, it's not necessary to play so hard and you can let the rig do the heavy lifting, which is why Little Walter often preferred amplified harp because he didn't have to play anywhere near as hard and could do more things that way.

Jan 03, 2012 15:40 PST
walterharp said,
the sydel 1847 and blues session have stainless steel reeds that are somewhat more durable, and replacable plates

10 gigs plus many practice sessions does not put you way out of line as far as breath force, but as bob says, not much more control and those harps will last almost forever

Jan 03, 2012 10:38 PST
Barbeque Bob M said,
Joe, your real problem, unfortunately, clearly lies far more with your playing technqiue and it's far too obvious that you're using waaaaaaaaay too much breath force and you need to cut it back by at a minimum of 50-80%. Many of the newer harps uses tighter reed slot tolerances (the distance between the edges of the reed and the edge of the slot wall that the reed vibrates in), which means the tighter the tolerance, the less of the need to use hard breath force to do anything, and that's a thing the average player is reluctant to admit to and their single biggest problem. If you spent $150 on a custom, you'd blow them out faster because those have slot tolerances even tighter and so, again, your real problem is in your playing technique more than anything else and not the harmonicas and until you get your breath force under control immediately, this will continue to happen no matter what and that's the cold, hard, brutal truth.

Jan 01, 2012 22:27 PST
Jawbone K said,
well according to info i've seen over the past few years there is good news and bad news. the bad news is, the bell brass once used for reeds is no longer available so a different recipe- and quality- brass has been used for a long time now.

good news is, there are replacement reeds and reed plates out there for a lot of different harps.

only other choice is to buy up every vintage marine band you find and do the frankenstein, mix and match reeds and keep complete harps alive with scavenged reeds. BUT there are plenty of guys out there doing that right now.

for durability i have found suzuki's manji model to be a pretty dang sturdy harp. yes i have flatted a reed or 2. yes they do cost a few bucks, but yes they do offer reed plates for them. check out Rockin' Ron's.

Jan 01, 2012 19:37 PST
Mondo said,
Wow. I'd certainly be interested in hearing input from other players on this!

Seydel 1847....need your opinion!!!

Fri, 06 Jan 2012 16:59:52 -0800
topic started by Ana R
Guys,

As my father ,who just recently fully accepted that his crazy doughter will play harmonica till the rest of her life, decided to buy me a harp for a birthday, I need you advice about which harmonica I should order, because I don't wanna buy any of harmonicas I already have.

This one has to be somehow special:)

My friend will be attending that harp festival at Bristol and he can buy me a harp there.

So mine question is WHAT YOU GUYS THINK ABOUT SEYDEL CLASSIC 1847!!

Should I go for that harp?

Now, I'm playing on MB Deluxe and I never tried any Seydel's harmonicas!!!

I need your advice really fast because I have till tomorrow to decide which one to order!!!!

Thanks my dear harp friends!!!!

Jan 06, 2012 16:59 PST
joe p said,
Sooo Ana,,whats the verdict on the sydel??

Dec 28, 2009 12:46 PST
Elwood said,
My brother got me an ancient second-hand Blues Harp, rusted shut. Bless his heart.

Dec 17, 2009 12:00 PST
Boris Plotnikov said,
blueyes

You are entirly right. My parents never buy me harps or other music gear. They usually present me money for my birthday. Last year my friends bought me Golden Melody gold, I was happy, as never going to buy me one (it's more expensive and for myself I prefer to buy regular).
Dec 15, 2009 08:20 PST
BluEyes said,
I forgot to say, your dad, brother and your friend are great guys for buying you the harps.

I myself never wanted anything as gifts until I got into the harp. Now as long as anyone one buys me anything with a harp I love it. if its a cd, book, you name it I love it.

In fact I just bought my 5 year old nephew a starter harp with instructions.

abner ( BluEyes, falling)
Dec 15, 2009 08:17 PST
BluEyes said,
Ana, im wondering now that you have had your new harps, how are they holding up.

I have only been making noise for about 9 months and right now im recovering from total reconstructive knee surgery. its a great bummer. My wife bought me an 1847 for my our 29th anniversary and I love it.

Everyone here has such great advice.

abner ( BluEyes, getting bluer by the minute )
Dec 02, 2009 09:37 PST
Ana R said,
Thanks Harpaholic.

Problems with ordering from abroad is that our costums usually robs us, so we end up paying more for a costumes fees that we are paying for the thing we ordered.

I had an idea to make my own case from some tool case but I couldn't find that rubber foam any where in Serbia, only some low quality sponge.

But, finally EU is canceling damn visas from 19. December and we will finally be able to travel freely so maybe I'll be able to find some good case next time when go somewhere.
Dec 02, 2009 09:02 PST
Harpaholic said,
Ana, check out this site for cases. Hal Iwan the owner is a great guy with great products.

I swapped the plastic one in my Hetrick case for Hal's foam insert, and couldn't be happier. Perfect fit!

http://www.customharpcases.com/
Dec 02, 2009 07:49 PST
Ana R said,
100 harmonicas....wow...I'm not even close:)

I'm playing only 2 years....on the 9th December I will celebrate my second harp birthday:)

Dec 02, 2009 05:39 PST
Boris Plotnikov said,
Huh, I have almost 100 harmonicas of different models and keys, almost 50% of them are custumized by me for overblow/overdraw. MBD and 1847 are good out of the box, much better than stock GM and Sp20, but after customizeng I love Sp20 and GMs twice much than customized (!) MBD and 1847. And customized MBD i love more than customized 1847. I play relatively soft in different styles (mostly jazz) and even don't use MBD and 1847 live, only for practice and rehearsals. I'm looking for harmonicas which fits me better, wanna try 1847 silver+ and Manji and harps from other customizers...
Dec 02, 2009 05:15 PST
Ana R said,
Boris,

That's what I have notice. I don't know why but expected Seydels to be faster in response than MB Deluxe. I'm not saying that I don't like Seydels, I really didn't have a time to test them last nigh when they arrived, only thing is that they are diferent and that I will need little more time to get used to them.

Beside Seydel in A and Bb my other harps arrived last night as well. MB Deluxe in C,D,G and Hohner 364 in C. I had to give 364 to my professor because some of the reeds are not centered good enough so he will have to fix that.

Now, I need a case for all my harps and mics.

Everytime I've got that female urge for shoping instead of shoes or makeup I treat myself with a new harp, and now I need a case because I have harmonicas all over my room. Will have to give a money for a harmonica case to a first of my friends who will travel abroad because we can't buy that here in Serbia:)
Dec 02, 2009 04:40 PST
Boris Plotnikov said,
Seydels 1847 are actually response slower, as reeds are much harder, it's ok for blues players, but if you play relatively fast (as I do) you'll notice that it's harder to play legato.
Dec 02, 2009 02:22 PST
Ana R said,
My new harps have finally arrived.

I didn't have much time to test them but seems I'm a MBD fan it'll took me a while to get use to Seydel harps. Seydels are much bigger than MBD and they reminding me on Blues Harp MS.

Hope today I will have more time to play and than I will know more, but for now I have a feeling that MBD have little faster response than Seydel, or maybe that's because I'm used to play on MBD and Seydels are just too big for me at this moment.

But they sure looks great.
Dec 01, 2009 01:53 PST
Boris Plotnikov said,
I love my custom Golden Melodies and Special 20's twice more than two mine custom 1847s. But If you can't adjust reeds, you have to try it, they're very good out of the box.
Nov 23, 2009 06:16 PST
AirMojo (Ken H) said,
I have a full set of Seydel 1847's that I started buying when they first came out a couple of years ago, and added more as they became available. Got a wee bit of better price from Rupert Oysler at the past 3 Buckeye Festivals.

I really like them... haven't had any problems, but I'm pretty easy on my harps, and don't have time to play out, so mainly play and practice at home. Always carry either my A or Bb harp depending on what I'm working on (past few months have been spent on my Bb learning Doug Jay's song "Knucklehead").

A harp buddy sold me several of his 1847's because he pretty much prefers his Special 20's... I jumped on them for what he was asking for them.

I have several custom Marine Bands that play really nice, and the 1847's come pretty close if not better. The 1847 is a very comfortable harp. The cover plates are way better than any other Lee Oskar, Special 20, or Marine band, in my opinon. I have also put full-length tapered cover plates (like the Seydel Blues Sessions covers) on some as well.

It always helps to be able to setup and tweak your own harps.

Most people really like them, unless they happen to get a clunker, but Rupert Oysler is one of the best harp reps to deal with, and will work to make it right.

I'll see how my taste changes once I get a couple of B-Radicals.

Nov 22, 2009 18:16 PST
walterharp said,
I got one, and a 5 draw blew out early. Got replacment plates and they are very poorly gapped. Some notes stop up and others are very widely gapped. The cover plates got very rusty in spite of the fact that they are supposed to be stainless steel. I have never got any response to my 3 emails from the US rep.
Nov 22, 2009 17:15 PST
Brown Ale Guy said,
I love my Seydel 1847s as customized by Ben Bouman. I've had 3 of them for over a year and they are holding up nicely. Good bending and nice vibrato. Best harps I've ever owned. Overblows and overdraws very clean.
Nov 22, 2009 04:25 PST
Ana R said,
My new Harps will finally arrive in next 10 days....can't wait...two Seydel 1847 in A & Bb....three Marine Band Deluxe in C,D & G..and Hohner 364 in C.....six new harps...It'll be like I've died and gone to heaven:)

Nov 22, 2009 03:39 PST
Sioux S.Seydal said,
Happy birthday! & have lots of fun with your new toys!

Oct 25, 2009 02:16 PDT
Ana R said,
Thanks Guys,

I've ordered Seydel 1847 in A and as my brother decided that he wanna buy me a harp for birthday as well I've ordered one more in Bb.

Can wait to finally lay my breath on them:)

Unfortunatelly I will have to wait until 20th November when my friend is returning from UK to get them....:(

I'm waiting for Hohner 364 to arrive as well so that would be three new harps in my collection....and this is going to be my best birthday ever!!!!!

Oct 23, 2009 05:54 PDT
Barbeque Bob M said,
It can take a bit of time to get used to every instrument's little quirks as they all have some no matter who makes them and you have to learn to adapt your technique to each individual instrument and also each indvivdual key as well.
Oct 22, 2009 22:49 PDT
Harpaholic said,
The do seem to be more sensitive to breath force than any other harp on the market.

It's the only brand that's ever choked up on me.

One of my problems, is I have eight different harp brands in my case.

Oct 22, 2009 14:27 PDT
Joe said,
I just got an 1847 Silver in A to build for a customer, and it was a good one! I've ordered a few more to check out.
Oct 22, 2009 12:40 PDT
Kingley said,
Ana, the Seydel 1847 is a good harp. You might have to do some gapping on it to get it to play exactly as you want it to, but that goes for any harp.

If you need to learn how to do the gapping then check out Joe Spiers great videos on YouTube. His username is Choppajoe.

Oct 22, 2009 12:35 PDT
blogward said,
IMHO but the only thing paricularly special about Seydels is their marketing department. And the price.
Oct 22, 2009 11:27 PDT
Barbeque Bob M said,
Joe, the reason why they choke on you easily is because they're gapped lower out of the factory than most harps and pushing them to the limit in part tends to use more air at times. It takes a bit of time to get used to that. This is not an accusation of you playing too hard all the time, but many players who aren't used to a lower gap setting have a very similar problem you have regardless of who makes them. I know of a few people who play the Bushman Delta Frosts, which are made by Suzuki, and they have the exact same problem you're experiencing while many others who play them don't, and many times the technique that may have worked well with one harp may not work as well with another, and you have to take time to woodshed with them to adapt to it.
Oct 22, 2009 10:50 PDT
Harpaholic said,
The 1847 is a great harp, you will be happy with it. They are loud, responsive, and tuned very well by hand.

For some reason the 1847's choke up on me. I push harps to the limit, and I know some may think I use too much air, but I don't blow out harps very often.

My first choice would be a Manji retuned to 7 Limit, or 19 limit JI.
Oct 22, 2009 10:02 PDT
Ana R said,
Thanks, Bob!!!

I think that I'll go for Seydel:)
Oct 22, 2009 09:56 PDT
Barbeque Bob M said,
The Seydel 1847 Classic has fully sealed comb, wheras the MB Deluxe is only partially sealed (on the outer edges), and the Seydel is the right way to do it. The Seydel is also louder because of the tight slot tolerances and their tuning is comprimise that's essentially just intonation with the comprimised notes being 5 & 9 draw tuned 2 cents flat rather than 3 cents sharp as in 19 limit just or 29-31 cents flat as in 7 limit just.

I'm basically a MB guy, be it stock or customs, which is what I normally play as a tradtional blues player, but I much prefer the Seydel over the MB Deluxe 9even tho it is an improvement over the standard MB.

Devry 2832 Amp

Tue, 27 Dec 2011 18:45:48 -0800
topic started by Nick D
Hi Guys. Bought a Devry 2832 amp at a Flea Market. It's an amp that was used with a movie projector. Looks like a suitcase. Splits in 2 . Amp on one side and speaker cabinet on the other. It's a Jensen PM12H. You then plug it in to the Amp. It's tube compliment is 2 6L6-G, 1 5U4-G. These are big bottle tubes. Also 6SN7-GT and 6V6-GT/G. The Amp is blowing the fuse so I haven't been able to play through it. I have pulled out the 5U4G and tried it and all the tubes work and don't blow the fuse. Put the rectifier back in and the fuse blows in 5 seconds. Just wondering if this amp is worth getting fixed?. Is the tube compliment any good for harp? Does anyone have any information such as a manual or schematic on this Amp? Or where to get it. Thanks For any help you could give me.

Dec 27, 2011 18:45 PST
Brontotower said,
Hey Walterharp. In the process of moving. I'll try and learn how to upload sound clips sometime after my move and hopefully send a sound clip of the amp.

Dec 22, 2011 18:32 PST
walterharp said,
sounds like a great find.. sound clip?

Dec 22, 2011 16:37 PST
Brontotower said,
Got the Devry Amp back from the Tech. Has a nice floor rumble sound to it. It has more clean headroom than the 2 silvertone amps I have and has a lot more volume. I'm quite happy with it so far

Nov 23, 2011 21:38 PST
Brontotower said,
I used the audiokarma link and sent it to the Amp Tech. He was ecstatic to find some information on the Devry amp. The poor guy has been trying so hard to find information on it. I'm sure he's sorry he took on the repair for it as the initial tech said he was too busy and it seemed like a project. It looks like some of the shematics are going to help him. he says the amp is probably 30 to 40 watts and should be good for harp. Waiting for the estimate.

Nov 17, 2011 20:19 PST
OrthodoxBlues said,
Found this thread, including a whole set of schematics if you follow one of the links.

http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=294625&page=2

Nov 17, 2011 20:12 PST
OrthodoxBlues said,
Bronto --

If you decide to fix it, but don't like the sound for harp, get somebody to try it for guitar. I'm not sure about what tube is doing what, but I bet that it will sound good for one or the other or both.

Nov 16, 2011 20:45 PST
Brontotower said,
Hey Harpaholic. The amp is usually for sound for the old film projectors so I believe the 6V6 has something to do with running the projector. I tried another rectifier but it also blew the fuse. All the tubes work when I pull the rectifier out and the fuse doesn't blow so I'm assuming it has to do with the rectifier circuit. I was finally able to locate an amp tech that will look at it as I have a lot of respect for electricity and don't have the know how. Just going to wait for the estimate to see if I'm going to get it fixed and put in a grounded power cord. I'll let you know how it ends up. Thanks for your help and your time because I can tell you've done some research. This was a real impulse buy but I thought the speaker must be worth the $60.00 I paid for it.

Nov 16, 2011 11:07 PST
Harpaholic said,
Apparently it uses two output transformers, so that would explain the 6V6GT

There's not much on the web for Devry amps, mostly discussions.

Your looking at at least $200 to restore it. If it's original it will need new caps, drifting resistors, service pots, tubes, transformer, etc:

and it still may not be good for harp without harp modifications.

I would put my money into something that I know is good for harp.

Nov 16, 2011 10:38 PST
Harpaholic said,
I think Devry is the model not the manufactur?

Nov 16, 2011 10:32 PST
Harpaholic said,
Always start with swapping old tubes with new ones to maybe find the problem.

I don't think it's safe to run and amp without a rectifier tube in it. That's what converts the

voltage from AC to DC. I never seen an amp with a 6V6 preamp tube? That may be the problem? Someone put in the wrong tube?

If it's not the tubes, could be a transformer, but I'm not an amp tech.

Nov 16, 2011 10:26 PST
Harpaholic said,
Have you tried a different rectifier tube?

Nov 16, 2011 10:26 PST
Harpaholic said,
Have you tried a different rectifier tube?

Last Minute Harp Special

Thu, 15 Dec 2011 13:12:48 -0800
topic started by jeff s

LAST-MINUTE SHOPPERS BLOWOUTS - it pays to wait until the last second!   MORE ITEMS ADDED!!!!

All of the items below are BRAND NEW, in stock and can ship immediatelty after payment. No gimmicks or hidden costs - this is a straight up sale on selected items.DO NOT ORDER directly through the HARPMART websight - these special prices are not reflected there, payment is by direct paypal invoice from me (if you've never bought that way before, no worries it's very easy to do).

NO coupons can be used for this special. First Come - First gets. ALL PRICES INCLUDE SHIPPING (FOR DOMESTIC ORDERS ONLY - INTERNATIONAL ORDERS PAY NORMAL SHIPPING).

my email: jeff@harmonica411.com

MARINE BAND MODEL 1896 10 HOLE DIATONIC KEY OF A - $27.95 - 0NLY 4 AVAILABLE AT THIS PRICE ONLY 2 LEFT - OTHERS SENT TO FL AND CA

MARINE BAND MODEL 1896 10 HOLE DIATONIC KEY OF Ab - $27.95 - 0NLY 2 AVAILABLE AT THIS PRICE ONLY 1 LEFT

MARINE BAND MODEL 1896 10 HOLE DIATONIC KEY OF B - $27.95 - 0NLY 1 AVAILABLE AT THIS PRICE

MARINE BAND MODEL 1896 10 HOLE DIATONIC KEY OF Bb - $27.95 - 0NLY 3 AVAILABLE AT THIS PRICE

MARINE BAND MODEL 1896 10 HOLE DIATONIC KEY OF C - $27.95 - 0NLY 6 AVAILABLE AT THIS PRICE ONLY 3 LEFT - OTHERS WENT TO AUSTRALIA

MARINE BAND MODEL 1896 10 HOLE DIATONIC KEY OF D - $27.95 - 0NLY 3 AVAILABLE AT THIS PRICE ONLY 2 LEFT - OTHERS SENT TO CA & MN

MARINE BAND MODEL 1896 10 HOLE DIATONIC KEY OF Db - $27.95 - 0NLY 1 AVAILABLE AT THIS PRICE

MARINE BAND MODEL 1896 10 HOLE DIATONIC KEY OF F - $27.95 - 0NLY 2 AVAILABLE AT THIS PRICE

MARINE BAND MODEL 1896 10 HOLE DIATONIC KEY OF G- $27.95 - 0NLY 2 AVAILABLE AT THIS PRICE

MARINE BAND MODEL 1896 10 HOLE DIATONIC HIGH G - $27.95 - 0NLY 2 AVAILABLE AT THIS PRICE

MARINE BAND MODEL 1896 10 HOLE DIATONIC LOW D- $27.95 - 0NLY 2 AVAILABLE AT THIS PRICE SOLD OUT - SENT TO NEW ORLEANS

HOHNER BLUES HARP 10 HOLE DIATONIC KEY OF A- $29.95 - 0NLY 1 AVAILABLE AT THIS PRICE

HOHNER BLUES HARP 10 HOLE DIATONIC KEY OF F- $29.95 - 0NLY 1 AVAILABLE AT THIS PRICE

HOHNER SPECIAL 20 10 HOLE DIATONIC KEY OF B NATURAL MINOR- $26.95 - 0NLY 1 AVAILABLE AT THIS

HOHNER SPECIAL 20 10 HOLE DIATONIC KEY OF B - $26.95 - 0NLY 1 AVAILABLE AT THIS PRICE

HOHNER SPECIAL 20 10 HOLE DIATONIC KEY OF Db $26.95 - 0NLY 1 AVAILABLE AT THIS PRICE

HOHNER SPECIAL 20 10 HOLE DIATONIC KEY OF E NATURAL MINOR- $26.95 - 0NLY 1 AVAILABLE AT THIS PRICE

HOHNER CX-12 CHROMATIC KEY OF C - 159.95 - ONLY 1 AT THIS PRICE SOLD OUT - SENT TO BOSTON

SUZUKI MANJI 10 HOLE DIATONIC KEY OF A - $49.00 - 1 AVAILABLE AT THIS PRICE SOLD OUT - SENT TO NORTH NEW JERSEY

SUZUKI MANJI 10 HOLE DIATONIC KEY OF Bb - $49.00 - 1 AVAILABLE AT THIS PRICE SOLD OUT- SENT TO NYC

SUZUKI MANJI 10 HOLE DIATONIC KEY OF D - $49.00 - 1 AVAILABLE AT THIS PRICE SOLD OUT- SENT TO KANSAS

SUZUKI MANJI 10 HOLE DIATONIC KEY OF F - $49.00 - 1 AVAILABLE AT THIS PRICE SOLD OUT - SENT TO CHICAGO

SUZUKI MANJI 10 HOLE DIATONIC KEY OF LOW F - $49.00 - 1 AVAILABLE AT THIS PRICE

SUZUKI MANJI 10 HOLE DIATONIC KEY OF G - $49.00 - 1 AVAILABLE AT THIS PRICE SOLD OUT - SENT TO CHICAGO

SEYDEL SOLIST PRO 10 HOLE DIATONIC KEY OF C - EMAIL ME FOR PRICING - 1 AVAILABLE

SEYDEL SOLIST PRO 10 HOLE DIATONIC KEY OF A - EMAIL ME FOR PRICING - 1 AVAILABLE

LEE OSKAR 7 HARP SOFT CASES - $12.99 - 2 AVAILABLE AT THIS PRICE

HOHNER HARP POUCHES (THE SAME AS USED WITH THE CROSSOVER) $3.99 EACH - only 15 AVAILABLE ONLY 7 LEFT - OTHERS SHIPPED TO MS

my email: jeff@harmonica411.com

Winslow's new SPAH candidacy YouTube channel

Wed, 14 Dec 2011 17:48:20 -0800
topic started by Winslow Y
As part of my campaign for the presidency of SPAH, the Society for the Preservation of the Harmonica, I've started a Youtube Channel,
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/Winslow4Prez">Winslow4Prez</a>

Here are the videos I've posted so far (more to come).

<a href="http://youtu.be/FQlhAN-TC1s"> Welcoming statement</a>

<a href="http://youtu.be/X7aerMhaRqU">Who is Winslow Yerxa?</a>

<a href="http://youtu.be/mM2_BNfbXKw">What is SPAH?</a>

Later I'll post videos about my running mate, L J Atkison, my vision for SPAH, and additional related topics.

Thanks, and please participate in the life of the harmonica. Be a part of SPAH, and please vote for me.

Winslow

Diminished Diatonic

Thu, 08 Dec 2011 19:30:55 -0800
topic started by Jim N
I was thinking of ordering myself a Diminished Tuned Diatonic With Valves

But i Dont know what Range to Choose,

I was thinking From 1 Blow A3 to 10 Blow C6

What do you guys Think?

Dec 08, 2011 19:30 PST
walterharp said,
this might be a nice harp for jazz..would have the diminshed chords and all the bends to fill out the rest. sure, order, play, and report back :-)

Getting back in the game!

Fri, 02 Dec 2011 23:19:13 -0800
topic started by Andrew T
Hey harpers!

Long time no chat. I wanna ask some of the people who have played a long time what happened when you had to put the harp down for a while. Harmonica was basically the biggest part of my life EVERY SINGLE DAY for two years. Then, for about a year now, I have been going weeks and months without touching it and without listening to the artists associated with it and without visiting websites like this one or hanging out much with friends I have made who played. I would occasionally hit a jam for the heck of it but I never really got the fire back. No woodshedding. No digging deeper. Well lately I have been back into it! I bought a few new harps to replace some of my trashed gear of yesteryear and I have been practicing at home, listening to the Walters and what not, and attending jams more frequently.

SO MY QUESTIONS IS: Have any of you long time vets but down the harp for a while and picked it back up? If so, what was it like? What advice can you give to a younger player going through such a transition right now??

Thanks a lot everybody and good to see y'all again!

Andrew T.

Dec 02, 2011 23:19 PST
Jawbone K said,
i'm well settled into a duo thing with my wife, she is a great guitar partner for me. we write originals and work them up along with covering some great stuff. focus has shifted lately from bar gigs etc to more grass roots stuff like soup kitchens and street playing. while it's nice to make $ it is not the only or biggest reason to do this whole thing. we share with each other and with whoever is walking by or sitting down to a meal. how great is that!! our recent cd release did get chosen to go to Memphis as an entry for best slef produced cd along with 70 other entries. which is really cool! but to me that's secondary to being able to play for people and see the response they give.

if you just find a focus you will be more satisfied.

Dec 02, 2011 11:36 PST
arnenym said,
I've play harp and being a lead singer since early 80'ies.. Sometime around 2000 i had enough... I had a 5 year time out. I had my come back 5-6 years ago. This last 6 years is the best years i had in my harmonica life. Forum like this and youtube made it possible to find other harpies experiences and share my own. I already find all holes in my harp and know what happend when i blow&suck. I could focus on playing teqnicue and embochure and just develope my playing.

it seems like i needed the long break to come back. The last 6 years i have been obsessed by my harps and i love this feeling.

Dec 02, 2011 10:05 PST
Andrew T said,
Thanks Jawbone and Walter! That's valuable input! Yeah it was basically a put them in the closet until they called back to me. Now I have been back into it! I played out (alway for free at jams haha but still...) 4 times this week. I have learned some new things. I really value your advice about picking one thing and going with the educational journey instead of being overwhelmed by the reality that the internet hits you with everything at once! Thanks again guys. The fire and perhaps just as important if not more, the CONFIDENCE, is coming back more and more each day. :)
A.T.

Nov 30, 2011 19:33 PST
walterharp said,
i am pretty close to jawbone in that i picked it up at 17 and worked on it for about 5 years, then fell off, picked up again for a couple years, played very little for a long stretch.. and for the last 15 years have been playing pretty much. i think there are natural ups and downs, if you are not having fun, put it down. to get better is hard work through and that is just the way it is, but if you find the music that excites you, like jawbone said, that is the thing that moves you forward. another is getting regular jam partners or bands so you can build things

Nov 28, 2011 04:33 PST
Jawbone K said,
hi andrew, i think i remember you around here last year or so. i've been on and off several times in almost 40 years. of playing- i'm 56. some of those times it was not by choice, i got seperated from my harps once for 6 months and could not afford to buy more. other times i just reached a plateau and i was not just in what i knew how to do but opportunities to play were seemingly nonexistent. some of the time i would just lose interest and put the harps up in the closet until they called to me and i get them back out.

i refer to some of that part of my life as my block head era. i was living in a city with at least 2 or 3 major harpmen and didn't seek them out for lessons, out of pride and stubbornness and being a cheapskate. and it's regrettable but we can't turn back the clock. i was offered a couple of opportunities early on to be part of a house band or a host band for a jam and turned them down for fear that i'd be exposed as someone who really didn't know what i was doing- which at the time was true!

when i was in that era there was basically no internet and most of the books available were not real in depth, or they had harp tab which i just could not read. if you wanted to learn to play you got a stereo and started buying lp's and cassettes and listening and working. you went to live shows when you could, and you kept working. it was the long way to go.

enough history! you're back but don't have the same fire? why not take this on as an educational opportunity rather than a big thrill- which believe me it will still be one. but if you reached a plateau a year ago and lost interest, there is some reason you've gotten back to it. you need new challenges like different genres of music, different positions and harps. i "discovered" west coast swing some years ago ala george smith and william clarke and it changed my way of looking at harp and music. before that it was jimmy reed and before that some of the country guys like mccoy and mickey rafael.

these days the internet can be a distraction because there is so much info available. i'd suggest picking one thing and researching it to the nth degree. pick an artist or a style or a position and just follow the thread and learn all you can.

i also suggest that if you can make it through a I-IV-V, find some jams or partners and get out live as much as possible, even if it pays little or is a volunteer thing at a soup kitchen or retirement home. i have found a lot of satisfaction in giving this away. nice to break even or make a few extra but my commitment for the past 10 years has been to just do it until i can't any more. it's a good feeling!

i hope to hear from you as you restart your journey.

Em?

Thu, 01 Dec 2011 10:33:36 -0800
topic started by Judge A
Em is third position on a D harp, that I get but what is going on when you use a G harp noodling around the 6 7 and 8 holes. Someone was playing that and apparently Springsteen does this on 'The River'. Sounds like a D in third to me. According to stuff on the net it's a G.

What position is this?

Hell, don't say its first...

I'm very confused.

x

Dec 01, 2011 10:33 PST
Diggs said,
Charlie McCoy wrties for Emin using a C harp. Logical because G is the relative major or of Emin. The f# is easy to get in the lower end. So the relative minor of the cross harp is what's

going on.

Mar 18, 2009 16:39 PDT
Madcat said,
Em can be played on a A harp in 2nd position

Em can be played on a D harp in 3rd position

Em can be played on a G harp in 4th position

Em can be played on a C harp in 5th position

and if you can play like Howard Levy Em can be played on any key harmonica!
Mar 17, 2009 16:11 PDT
John P said,
FWIW, i consider 4th position to be a straight harp position. Em is the relative minor of G. Same scale, just starting on a different note. So when you play 4th position, you are actually playing the harp in the key it is in, like you do when you play 1st position. Btw, Em can also be played on a C harp (5th position) starting on 2 blow.

i happen to think it's easier to play most minor key material in 4th or 5th position than in 3d position.
Mar 17, 2009 12:58 PDT
Judge said,
Thanks FatJim!

x
Mar 17, 2009 12:56 PDT
FatJim said,
Springsteen's 'style' is like Dylan's - 1st and 4th positions mostly. Em on a G harp is 4th position

FAQ

Sat, 19 Nov 2011 09:22:14 -0800
topic started by Jay O
a FAQ section would be of good use. I had trouble posting a link properly and had nothing to refer to for help.

Nov 19, 2011 09:22 PST
Mondo said,
Why do some webpages look incorrect in Internet Explorer 9?

Each major release of Internet Explorer adds features designed to make the browser easier to use, to increase security, and to more closely support industry standards. As Internet Explorer gains features, there is a risk that older websites may not display correctly.

Try compatibility mode and see what happens. Click the "torn page" on the right edge of the address bar (where you type WWW.SITE.COM). When it's blue, you're in compatibility mode. I have to use IE9 this way with a lot of sites because it is a HUGE job to rewrite all of the web pages of a site for the new standards and many, including Microsoft, IBM, Hewlett Packard, and others, don't have the resources to dedicate to such a project.

Internet Explorer 9 displays webpages that contain the HTML5 document type in IE9 Standards mode, which provides the highest support available for established and emerging industry standards, including the HTML5 (Working Draft), W3C Cascading Style Sheets Level 3 Specification (Working Draft), Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) 1.0 Specification, and others.

In some cases, existing websites may not display correctly when displayed in IE9 mode. This can happen for any number of reasons.

Why do some webpages look incorrect in Internet Explorer 9?

Nov 17, 2011 11:34 PST
Harpaholic said,
I was using the latest version of IE with Vista. My laptop which runs Windows 7 ultimate 64 does the same thing. So apparently it's a IE issue?

I'm able to log on, but when I type in the comment box and hit the preview button, it shows the warning, cannot submit a blank comment.

I downloaded the latest version of Google Chrome which I'm using now with no issues.

I haven't changed any settings in Chrome.

Nov 16, 2011 21:09 PST
Mondo said,
Harpaholic,

It would be good if you shared with everyone which browser you had trouble with, what it took to get it to work (compatibility mode, disable add-ons, etc) and which browser seems to work best for you.

Nov 16, 2011 19:39 PST
OrthodoxBlues said,
Good idea!

Nov 16, 2011 13:57 PST
Jay O said,
You have a great sense of humor harpaholic.

You have a great sense of humor harpaholic.

Nov 16, 2011 10:34 PST
Harpaholic said,
now everthing gets posted twice

Nov 16, 2011 10:34 PST
Harpaholic said,
now everthing gets posted twice

Nov 16, 2011 10:33 PST
Harpaholic said,
I had the same problem for months. I tried a different browser and it worked.

Nov 16, 2011 10:33 PST
Harpaholic said,
I had the same problem for months. I tried a different browser and it worked.

Nov 16, 2011 10:33 PST
Harpaholic said,
I had the same problem for months. I tried a different browser and it worked.

Antifeedback options

Wed, 16 Nov 2011 19:45:52 -0800

Amped Up In E

Mon, 14 Nov 2011 19:17:39 -0800
topic started by Jay O
A song I wrote and performed at a local open mic. The sound quality is not as good as it could be. This was recorded live at a bar with a handheld Sony recorder and re-recorded through a Cannon Power Shot camera to post it to youTube. Nonetheless People at the time seemed to like the groove and were dancing to it. I try to enjoy it for what it is, a song played for the first time as a new song. A song that feels good to dance to. I sometimes think that the live performance has more soul than the pristine studio performance.If you click "See more" on the youtube description the lyrics are available.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=idfFAOVL-uI&feature=related

She walks right in

Wed, 09 Nov 2011 07:21:16 -0800
topic started by Katsuyuki S
My band member want sing Gatemouth Brown`s tune "She walks right in"

Does anybody know this tune`s lyric ?

Please show me !

Nov 09, 2011 07:21 PST
Mondo said,
http://www.lmgtfy.com/?q="Gatemouth Brown" "She walks right in"

Kalamazoo

Tue, 08 Nov 2011 19:04:29 -0800
topic started by Drew R
Greg Heumann has spoken very highly of the Kalamazoo Model Two amps, and I believe that he repairs and sells them. To my surprise, a clean and fixed up one came up locally, so after some thought, I e-mailed the seller. It only has been a day or so, but I haven't heard from the guy.

These amps were inexpensive amps made by Gibson in the sixties. They have a mixed reputation for guitar, but a stellar one for harp. If I get it, it will be my first amp really bought just for harp, as I play guitar, too.

Nov 08, 2011 19:04 PST
OrthodoxBlues said,
Well, by the time that I could get over to see it (today), it was gone. I'm not really upset, because I have some great amps ... and I need to see how they all sound again. I haven't been playing amplified harp that much lately. It feels pretty cool to have been thrifty, even if it was because the thing was gone!

Oct 29, 2011 21:22 PDT
OrthodoxBlues said,
Thanks, Hawkeye! How do you like yours? The guy here still has it, he just wasn't willing to use PayPal and ship it to me. I'm hoping to see it later this week.

Oct 26, 2011 10:41 PDT
Hawkeye K said,
I just bought one from Greg myself. Added the line out option on it, now I can turn that little machine into a powerhouse through the PA. Good luck on your buying one. I tried buying one here locally and it turned out the shop couldnt sell it to me because there were no consignment papers on file for it. Greg's always got them coming in and out though. He can add you to an emailing list to let you know when he has one available.

Oct 25, 2011 20:31 PDT
OrthodoxBlues said,
Still no reply from the guy, but we'll see ...

Oct 24, 2011 18:02 PDT
walterharp said,
good luck!

SLOW BLUES

Tue, 08 Nov 2011 05:18:23 -0800
topic started by Katsuyuki S
I play harp with Apex327mic & VHTspecial6 amp .

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ik6zZOWEOD8

My Friend Amanda's New Painting: The Harmonica

Sun, 06 Nov 2011 18:20:27 -0800
topic started by Brady M
I'm not sure how much this one is, but I just love Amanda's work. She's an incredible musician and artist.

If you are interested, I'll be happy to get you her information.... or you can find her on facebook here: http://www.facebook.com/BennettArtGallery (just let her know where you heard about her).

Brady Mills
Owner Brady Mills Graphics
and Creator of HarmonicaSpace
Nov 06, 2011 18:20 PST
walterharp said,
nice, the spit drip does not represent a good harmonica player, maybe too real :-)

Nov 05, 2011 12:05 PDT
OrthodoxBlues said,
That's very cool. It would make a great t-shirt, too.

DigiTech's Massive Deal Package

Sat, 05 Nov 2011 10:43:19 -0700
topic started by d p
Many of you know about the harp patches that Richard Hunter makes for the Digitech RP 250/255/350/355. Here's a great sale that came across my desk yesterday:

How does DigiTech love thee? Let us count the ways. You'll see $20 instant rebates on RP355 and RP255, $25 on JamMan Solo, and $50 off RP500 and JamMan Stereo. Plus, take advantage of mail-in rebates of $25 for the Vocal 300 and Whammy 4. Keep going, there's more! Buy a HardWire HT-6 and you'll receive a power supply and daisy-chain cable for just the cost of shipping. Other HardWire pedals will get you the power supply by itself. Finally (whew!), your purchase of a Vocalist Live 5 will net an AKG D 88 S mic, for just the shipping.

http://www.sweetwater.com/store/search.php?s=s%3Adigitechnovember&utm_source=email&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=email

If you call, ask for Greg Savino. I've worked with him on several purchases. Not only is he a knowledgealbe musician, he's a great guy!

Greg Hunter's site is here: http://hunterharp.com/store/

Apex327 harmonica mic.

Mon, 31 Oct 2011 20:12:04 -0700
topic started by Katsuyuki S
I get Apex327 harmonica mic.

It has dynamic element.

I played harp with it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ik6zZOWEOD8

Oct 31, 2011 20:12 PDT
Jawbone K said,
nice sounding mic and amp!

Oct 31, 2011 02:48 PDT
arnenym said,
Good tone and crunch!

Apex327 harminica mic.

Mon, 31 Oct 2011 01:41:14 -0700
topic started by Katsuyuki S
I get Apex327 harmonica mic.

I played harp with it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ik6zZOWEOD8

Oct 31, 2011 01:41 PDT
HARPMAN said,
Sorry, title is Apex327 harmonica mic.

Hohner Blue Midnight

Mon, 31 Oct 2011 01:25:46 -0700
topic started by Hawkeye K
Has anyone else tried one of these? I got one from RockinRon not too long ago. For an MS harp, it really has good tone and easy blow and draw. Brighter than what I'm used to, and I can't find it in any other key than C. But you could get whatever key plates you want.

Oct 31, 2011 01:25 PDT
HARPMAN said,
I get Hohner Blue Midnight, it sounds like BIG RIVER MS harp.

Sep 08, 2011 16:16 PDT
HARPMAN said,
I orderd it at Elderly, but it is not stock.

Apex 327 Dynamic Harmonica Microphone

Sat, 29 Oct 2011 21:21:29 -0700
topic started by Katsuyuki S
I orderd it.

http://ameblo.jp/harpman/entry-11041262169.html

Does anybody have and play it ?

Oct 29, 2011 21:21 PDT
OrthodoxBlues said,
Cool mic, Hawkeye!

Oct 26, 2011 10:48 PDT
Hawkeye K said,
I dont have that one, but I do have the Ampex Model 1101. Neat little sucker.

Oct 08, 2011 16:39 PDT
OrthodoxBlues said,
I also missed the word "dynamic" in the title of the thing!

Oct 08, 2011 06:42 PDT
Barbeque Bob M said,
If you check thru the links, it has a dynamic element in it.

Oct 07, 2011 20:57 PDT
OrthodoxBlues said,
Interesting take off on the JT-30. Any idea what kind of element it has in it?

my newest video

Fri, 28 Oct 2011 14:59:47 -0700
topic started by Duane C
Here's a link to my new vid. It's my cover of N'tah from Madcats DVD.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8YL8zCmdjXc&feature=feedbul

Silvertone feedback

Wed, 26 Oct 2011 15:07:56 -0700
topic started by Nick D
Hi Harpers. I have a Silvertone 1472 Amp. and having trouble with feedback while playing in my basement. I'm using a JT 30 with a black CR 1300 ohms. I can't get the volume past 1.5 on the microphone channel or the other two instrument channels on the Amp. without feedback. I'm thinking of putting in a lower gain tube. I have a 12AU7 right now. Where would the lower gain tube go? Would it go in the top 12AX7 slot or the second 12AX7 slot next to the 6V6 tube. Is the feedback attributed more to the size of the room or the equipment. Any thoughts on controlling the feedback or different types of tubes would be appreciated. Thank You

Oct 26, 2011 15:07 PDT
walterharp said,
yeah, feedback from your wife and dog!

Oct 24, 2011 23:41 PDT
SUKM // R said,
"

"trouble with feedback while playing in my basement."

playing in any basement may well cause feedback issues.

Oct 24, 2011 21:21 PDT
OrthodoxBlues said,
Awesome! Thanks for that great guide.

Oct 24, 2011 18:14 PDT
walterharp said,
here is a chart to help you with gain factors of tubes you can drop in instead of 12ax7

http://thetubestore.com/gainfactor.html

Oct 21, 2011 21:11 PDT
OrthodoxBlues said,
Walter, I'm appreciating the details here. So, the 12AX7 is the "strongest," followed by the T then the U. Did I get that right?

I bought an old radio; the old box will house a cool little low wattage amp, and I'll have a nice old 12AT7 out of the radio as part of the deal.

Oct 21, 2011 06:25 PDT
walterharp said,
you may want to try a 12at7...if you get that you have a gain of about 60.. the ax = 100 the au = 19. The tubes can go in either slot, just switch them around till you get what you think is the best sound, that is 6 different sounds to check out already against the straight 12ax lineup

Oct 19, 2011 20:48 PDT
Jawbone K said,
the tube closest to the transformer is usually considered to be p1 (pre amp 1). i'm guessing here but i'd guess that a 12ax7 closest to the transformer and a 12au7 in the other slot might take the gain and hence the feedback down a notch. but be aware that with a small amp like this- 8 or 10 inch speaker, right?- overall volume may suffer considerably.

one other option, which is not perfect but can work well, is to mic the amp in a live situation and trust a sound guy to get that nice tone out to the masses.

Oct 19, 2011 06:42 PDT
Brontotower said,
Hi Guys. Hey Jawbone. The 1472 has 2 pre amp tubes as opposed to your 1482 which has 3 preamp tubes. Which of my 2 tubes would be considered the P1 position. Which one of your tubes would be considered the P1 position? Is your last 12AU7 closest to the 6V6 power tubes? Do you find a difference in feedback or sound plugging into the microphone slot or the instrument slot. Thank You.

Oct 17, 2011 21:29 PDT
Jawbone K said,
i have a 1482 that i've used for years. tubes as follows, p1, 12ax7, p2 and p3 12au7. the idea is, let the whole signal into the amp and then tame the feedback down some in later stages. i use either a cm or a crystal, or lately a dynamic modded to high z with this amp. i can get it high enough to work amedium sized room pretty well if there aren't too many guitars or loudass drummers around.

for bigger sound i have a replica '59 bassman modded for harp.

Oct 11, 2011 08:59 PDT
Brontotower said,
Hi Guys. I swapped out the top 12AX7 with a 12AU7 on my Silvertone 1472. I'm pleased with the results. I started out with a 5 watt Silvertone 1471 that I can turn the volume up to the end and get a beautiful sweet sound out of it. I got the 1472 for a little more volume and recreate the same sweet sound as the 1471. I can now turn up the volume to 7 and get that nice break up with a little more volume. I may experiment with different tubes and see how it turns out. I've just started out playing not too long ago and learning as I go. I will keep my eyes and ears open for harp friendly gear. Thank You

Oct 08, 2011 16:37 PDT
OrthodoxBlues said,
Walter makes some very good points ... although I think that the old Silvertone has a major cool factor!

Oct 08, 2011 16:04 PDT
walterharp said,
i think maybe you need to ask yourself why do you want to turn it up that loud? if you want more volume for playing out, why not go with a higher wattage amp such as a bassman RI. the silvertone plus the cost of an anti feedback is probably not much less than the cost of a used RI and you end up with more volume. on the other hand i bet the kinder has good resale value. if you just need more sweep on the volume knob to find that sweet spot between distortion and feedback, then a tube swap is by far the lowest cost alternative, and the most common solution to theproblem.

Oct 08, 2011 08:28 PDT
Brontotower said,
Thanks again for your expertise OrthodoxBlues. Looks like I will probably get the Kinder

Oct 07, 2011 21:02 PDT
OrthodoxBlues said,
I know that one of the frequent visitors here a while back swore by the Rocktron Hush, the older version, not the current one. I found one on eBay, and while it cut feedback down, it didn't eliminate it for me, although again, I use unmodified old guitar amps. It certainly is much less expensive than the Kinder, but in my set-up, it wasn't nearly as effective. I also liked the Lone Wolf Harp Tone Plus pedal, and it helped feedback, but nothing has compared to the Kinder for me.

Oct 06, 2011 12:59 PDT
Brontotower said,
Hi Guys. Anyone know anything about the Rocktron Hush for combatting feedback. It is considerably cheaper Than the Kinder. Would the Rocktron be worth the money for now while I save for the Kinder or should I not bother with it. Thank You

Oct 05, 2011 20:24 PDT
OrthodoxBlues said,
If that pedal turns out to be as effective as the Kinder, that will be something.

Oct 05, 2011 06:03 PDT
arnenym said,
Or wait for this?

http://www.lonewolfblues.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=681

Sep 28, 2011 20:31 PDT
OrthodoxBlues said,
I didn't try tube substitution, because I thought I might not like the sound for guitar (although now that I know more, I probably was wrong), but I did try a whole bunch of different, less expensive pedals. Some decreased feedback and added tone, but the Kinder AFB is in another league. It totally eliminates feedback, even in my most feeback-prone mic, and it adds tone at the same time.

Sep 28, 2011 19:46 PDT
Brontotower said,
Thanks OrthodoxBlues. I have heard others praising the Kinder. It sounds like a great solution down the road.

Sep 27, 2011 20:31 PDT
OrthodoxBlues said,
It is an expensive solution, but I have found the Kinder AFB to be fantastic. My amps are shared between harp and guitar, and I haven't had to substitute any tubes.

Newer harmonicas

Sun, 23 Oct 2011 19:33:47 -0700
topic started by Drew R
A while back, there was a lot of buzz about the Manji and Harrison Harmonicas. I'm wondering how people feel about these and any other newish models, customizers, etc. I drifted back to plain ol' Special 20s, because I've played them so long that they just sound and feel right to me. I'm still curious about the newer stuff.

Oct 23, 2011 19:33 PDT
OrthodoxBlues said,
Jawbone --

I really appreciate the detail of your post. It leads me to strongly consider the Manji, at least one. I'm sad to hear that you were stiffed on the B-Radical. It could have been me very easily, as I figured I'd wait to hear what people thought when they first came out, and then I became distracted and never checked until now.

Anybody else generally use and like Sp20s but found something newer that's better?

Oct 17, 2011 21:24 PDT
Jawbone K said,
i got taken to the cleaners on the b radical, having paid and gotten stiffed. long story.

i do have several manjis in my case and use them a lot. to me they are what the marine band should have evolved into. now hohner has a few models that more or less compete with the manji but imho suzuki has the top honors thanks to their very precise reeds and plates. the comb is a wood/resin composite, the ends of the covers are opened, to me it's an all-around desirable harp. yes it costs more but i feel i got what i paid for in the manji.

i used a ton of sp20's over a lot of yeards once i became disgusted with the marine band. this was in the 90's and hohner had yet to retool and rethink the mb much. i blerw out as lot of sp20 reeds trying to play them louder- my bad. sp20 is a decent enough harp and therte are guys who do different levels of customizing on them to make them better than stock. i have a couple in my case right now, stock, but durable. they've lasted a few years.

i also used a lot of bushman delta frost for a few years. a pretty good harp but i found them to choke out pretty easy, requiring regapping, at which i suck pretty badly.

hering 1923 vintage is a pretty harp but to me the reeds are substandard.

suzuki has a couple of models you may want to give a try, the folkmaster and the bluesmaster.

all of these harps and a lot more are available at rockin' ron's and also coast 2 coast music.

Oct 16, 2011 08:11 PDT
OrthodoxBlues said,
I think that I default back to the Special 20s because I'd only want a fancier one if it sounded and felt like a great Special 20!

Oct 13, 2011 18:40 PDT
walterharp said,
also consider the suzuki manji, it is tuned more equal temeperment, wich could be better depending on the style of music you want to play and your approach. i like the suzuki promasters as well and the Sydell 1847 is a great harp that will last a really long time

Oct 12, 2011 19:56 PDT
OrthodoxBlues said,
Mondo --

That's my worry. Years ago, I had some Marine Band harps and didn't like them. It is hard to tell if I'd like the Crossover ...

Oct 11, 2011 22:38 PDT
Mondo said,
@OrthodoxBlues, I understand that the Crossover is a modified Marine Band, not a Special 20.

Oct 10, 2011 14:38 PDT
OrthodoxBlues said,
Okay ... do any of these higher-end harmonicas specifically feel like a really good Special 20?

I'm leaning towards trying the Crossover.

Oct 10, 2011 14:03 PDT
walterharp said,
yeah, that is basically it, they are more reliably good.. every once and a while you get a really good marine band, golden melody, special 20.. but these more expensive ones are more reliably easy to play that way

Oct 07, 2011 20:58 PDT
OrthodoxBlues said,
That Thunderbird looks cool!

Oct 07, 2011 12:56 PDT
Mondo said,
Anyone play with the new Hohner Thunderbird?

Oct 03, 2011 19:56 PDT
OrthodoxBlues said,
Walter --

What do you notice with the more expensive ones? I think that you are saying that they are like a great Specail 20 right out of the box, and predictably ... but maybe I have it wrong.

Sep 30, 2011 20:10 PDT
walterharp said,
mostly you get what you pay for... on average the more expensive ones like the sydell 1847, the crossover, the manji play better.. customs play better still yet. you can get a mass produced one that is mucked up or a customizer who does not do what he promises.. just as you can buy a special 20 that has that special mojo.. but all things being equal, you get what you pay for

Sep 29, 2011 21:27 PDT
OrthodoxBlues said,
Ouch! There was a lot of buzz about those harmonicas, but I was waiting to see how it all panned out before I spent that much on a harmonica. I'm sad to hear about how it all went down.

Sep 29, 2011 20:39 PDT
Mondo said,
I've heard that the B-Radical is no more. This is from an August 9th article:

Harrison Harmonicas last week sent an email to customers explaining that it “is no longer able to continue as a company” and that another yet-to-be-named American company bought the B-Radical harmonica design and will build that and other Harrison designs.

http://www.rrstar.com/carousel/x1837730054/Harrison-Harmonicas-trouble-began-last-year-EIGERlab-says

Steve Johnson's Wife Passed Away

Tue, 18 Oct 2011 10:48:23 -0700
topic started by Brady M
For those of you who remember or know Steve Johnson, Jason Ricci's former drummer (for Jason Ricci & New Blood). His wife, Sharon Johnson, passed away last night at their home in Tennessee after a battle with brain cancer.

Please keep him and his family in your thoughts and prayers.

I do not yet have information about the memorial service; however, please feel free to post any information you have here and I will do the same.

Brady Mills
Owner Brady Mills Graphics
and Creator of HarmonicaSpace
Oct 18, 2011 10:48 PDT
Brady Mills said,
The memorial service for Sharon Booher Johnson, is set for Saturday, November 5 at 2 p.m. central time. The service will be at the mormon church located at 316 Mayfield Drive, Smyrna, TN. There will be a meal at the church after the service. In lieu of flowers, Sharon would prefer that donations be made to the American Brain Tumor Association. There is a donate link at http://www.abta.org/.

Brady Mills
Owner Brady Mills Graphics
and Creator of HarmonicaSpace
Oct 17, 2011 21:25 PDT
Jawbone K said,
i don't know him but my prayers are with him just the same.

Oct 12, 2011 19:53 PDT
OrthodoxBlues said,
Sorry to hear the news.

So I guess this board is dead?

Fri, 14 Oct 2011 21:07:00 -0700
topic started by Greg H
No posts in 20 days.

Bummer. I liked it here.

My hat's off to Brady for trying to make a go of it.

Oct 14, 2011 21:07 PDT
OrthodoxBlues said,
Welcome back Jawbone!

Oct 14, 2011 04:05 PDT
Jawbone K said,
i had a computer crash here and lost all my links. just finally getting everything back together.

this is a good joint and i plan to visit frequently.

Oct 05, 2011 20:25 PDT
OrthodoxBlues said,
It is funny ... I've been trying to get over here every day, but some days I truly have nothing to say!

Oct 05, 2011 05:50 PDT
arnenym said,
It seems to be a kind of silence on every board. Not only here.Maybe the internet / harmonica honeymoon is over and there is nothing more to say?

U know... " I got headache,,, i write that post tomorrow" ;)

Sep 28, 2011 20:34 PDT
OrthodoxBlues said,
I admit it, I wasn't around here, for a long time, but I'm planning to try to check in here every day. I'm also a guitar player, and I've noticed that the Old School Guitar forum (www.oldschoolguitar.com) has a pretty small group of active users, and a somewhat larger group who pops in here and there, and yet, it feels small but quite alive. If just the people in this thread discuss what is happening for each of us harp-wise, this forum can make it (in my opinion).

Sep 14, 2011 18:50 PDT
walterharp said,
things seem to ebb and flow, so brady don't give up.. though i would not dump a ton of time on it either. i too like this site. it is more civil and personal than some others

Sep 09, 2011 10:07 PDT
Brady Mills said,
Bob, you are absolutely right about my vision for this site. Originally, I found the same issues in other forums that Jason was a part of. Given that I had the technical skills to build this place and the idea that adding a face/personality/profile to a name would encourage a more civil atmosphere, I thought I should approach this as a social network rather than just a board where people could hide behind a name. I think for the most part, that idea has worked... but maybe it's the people who hide who keep forums alive?

The goal was actually much bigger with this site, but there have been several roadblocks: My departure from Jason and a lack of funding. I really envisioned this being a repository of videos, gigs and eventually a place for online lessons and tutorials. Giving teachers the ability to advertise and coordinate lessons and payment for online teaching through Skype.

I have been trying for months and months to revise the layout of this site so it's more user-friendly, but this site has become so large that it's a daunting task. It will happen, eventually, but I'm not sure that I'll be fast enough to keep the site alive.

I do believe that getting some good, fresh, content rich newsletters out will be very helpful. If any of you guys have ideas or want to help contribute to the newsletter, let me know. I'd be more than happy to set up a google doc for newsletter contributions. While the newsletter ends up costing me quite a bit of money to send, I'd be okay with that as long as the content is better than what I can create.

Thank you all!

Brady Mills
Owner Brady Mills Graphics
and Creator of HarmonicaSpace
Sep 09, 2011 09:56 PDT
Brady Mills said,
Hey Greg,

Thanks so much for the Kudos... I've seen this message circulating around on my RSS feed, but wanted to see if it would generate any response or return traffic.

Just keep coming back. Is there anything you guys think I could do to get people coming back? Anything you don't like? I know you can't edit posts here and that has come up in conversation, but you also can't edit your Harp-L posts, right? So, I don't think that's keeping people from coming here.

My newsletters have been sparse. I'll admit that, and perhaps reviving the newsletters would be something that would bring more traffic. Maybe there is a way to generate some ideas for news that could go into the newsletter? Being a piano player and not a harmonica player, I'm at a loss for a lot of newsworthy items in the harmonica community. Not having Jason around anymore certainly doesn't help either.

I love all you guys and hope we can make this work. We have a ton of information in these boards and almost 2,000 members. I really think this could be a helpful place for a lot of people, and I appreciate all the comments saying this is the best board. Maybe it is, but there is something keeping people away.

B

Brady Mills
Owner Brady Mills Graphics
and Creator of HarmonicaSpace
Sep 09, 2011 07:00 PDT
Barbeque Bob M said,
Harp-L and MBH have a tendency to get quite combative and at times really nasty, tho since the late Chris Michalek got booted out of MBh, the tone there is much calmer and more civil, and until about 4-5 years ago, Harp-L was much worse. The thing that I like about this forum as well as the Bushman harp forum is the civility that both of those two too often has lacked.

Brady's vision for this site, as he has stated, was never really about a forum but more of site like a My Space or even Facebook for meeting and connecting with other harp players regardless of genre, styles, etc., and the forum is basically secondary to all that.

Sep 08, 2011 14:24 PDT
Brontotower said,
I agree Boris, this is the best Harmonica site. I find it very easy to follow and for me the site has been a wealth of knowledge. I'm a newbie to Harmonica and ascociated gear. I posted my first message regarding questions about an Amp I had bought. I received some great information and advice that I wouldn't have learned elsewhere. Those that responded obviously remember what it was like when they first started playing. Thanks for sharing your expertise. I still have lots to learn from you guys.

Sep 07, 2011 14:59 PDT
Duane C. said,
Thank you Bob!!

Sep 07, 2011 07:45 PDT
Barbeque Bob M said,
www.modernbluesharmonica.com

Sep 07, 2011 06:11 PDT
Duane C. said,
What does MBH stand for?

Sep 06, 2011 04:34 PDT
Boris Plotnikov said,
It's very strange and very pity... It was a great board, better than MBH and Harp-l

Sep 03, 2011 11:36 PDT
walterharp said,
Pretty slow allright...where are all the harp players other than mbh?

Aug 30, 2011 19:15 PDT
Kingobad said,
Wow... Ghost town... checked back to see if anything was happening... are those leaves I hear rustling?

More Vintage Mics

Wed, 12 Oct 2011 19:53:07 -0700
topic started by Drew R

I finally remembered how to post photos into these threads. In the last weeks of last year, I went a little wild buying several vintage harmonica microphones. It could be my imagination, but it seems like the harmonica players into mics, as well as the ham radio people into them, all were at the mall buying normal stuff. The skies parted and for a few weeks, prices on some old mics on eBay were ridiculously low. Whatever the explanation, I was able to buy some very cool mics for prices that don't seem to be available now.

The one pictured above is an Astatic Model 30. The first Model 30s had a smaller shape called the "biscuit" (I'm not sure, but I thought that I read that Little Walter coined that term). Then, the name continued with the first mics that have the JT-30 shape. Based on what I can gather from www.jt30.com, this mic was made somewhere in the thirties or forties, but no later than 1946. The original crystal element is dead, and I haven't yet decided whether to replace it with a newer crystal element or a Shure CR or CM element.

It is not quite as pristine as it appears, but it certainly doesn't look 65 years old!

Oct 12, 2011 19:53 PDT
OrthodoxBlues said,
Cool, Bronto. I've had a long e-mail conversation with Dave Kott. He did a great job with my '49 520. He knows so much and really helped me learn my way along.

Oct 10, 2011 19:01 PDT
Brontotower said,
Hi Ortho. It's a beautifull mic collection. I too am starting to collect some mics and they all have a different sound and feel. I learned most of what I know about mics and amps from Greenbulletmics.com. I have bought a few mics and mic parts from Dave Kott. He is very honest and knowledgeable. I wouldn't hesitate to buy anything else from him

Oct 10, 2011 14:45 PDT
OrthodoxBlues said,
Here's the whole collection.

Oct 10, 2011 14:43 PDT
OrthodoxBlues said,
Resurrecting this old thread to show off this beauty:

It is a Shure 52. For those who don't know, two years before the launch of the famous Shure 520 Green Bullet, they made the Shure 52 for one year only (1947). It came in a brushed nicket shell and had a huge dynamic element inside.

I had heard that these were monster harp mics, but very rare. I scored one on eBay, and it is monstrous. It has a huge boomy low end.

The photo is from the seller.

Apr 16, 2010 18:32 PDT
OrthodoxBlues said,
Joe -- It sounds cool. I'll send you a message.

Apr 15, 2010 20:36 PDT
Joe said,
I have a really hot MC151 with the hugest bass response of anything I've run across. I'd like to sell it, if you need it for one of the shells in your collection please contact me. It doesn't have the mid-rangy-squawky response of the Shures, it has a dark sound.

Apr 15, 2010 20:05 PDT
OrthodoxBlues said,
I finally received that mic back, the one with the black label CR element ... and it sounds great. Just the right raspy, low end, blues biting tone. Love it!

Apr 13, 2010 22:57 PDT
OrthodoxBlues said,
Greg --

It is an unusual element. Dave Kott said that he's seen many from 1949 but all were 99A86. He hadn't seen a December, 1949 one before, so he assumes that Shure changed the model number then. I know that they went back to 99A86 later, I think several times later (maybe white CR then CM?). He also said that this mic is the oldest 520 mic he's seen with the metal tag on it.

Dave Kott saw the steel wool dust in the photos I sent him talking about the mic, and he agreed to have me send it to him. I'm not sure how he got it out, but he may have used Q-tips and compressed air. He didn't have to take the element apart, thankfully.

For those who may not be into the details of these mics as much as Greg, Joe (harpaholic) and me, Dave Kott has a great history at www.greenbulletmics.com

The short version is that the Shure 520 Green Bullet mic is one of the most associated with harmonica playing. These mics were first made in the middle of 1949, but other mics with the same and similar shapes were made by Shure before that. The first few years of these mics had elements that looked like the photo of mine here -- a square covered in black tape. These elements and the mics holding them have become the most prized Green Bullets for many players. The elements were called controlled reluctance, or CR. So this mic has a black label CR. After a few years, the elements had a white label on them, and these were the white CR elements. A few years later, the name changed to controlled magnetic or CM. Whether the black CRs were better than the white CRs and the CMs is a never-ending controversy that may come down to the condition of a given element, and what you want to hear!

Apr 13, 2010 21:27 PDT
BlowsMeAwy Greg said,
That's pretty unusual element you have there. I've never seen a 99B86 black label. However I have seen 99G86 and 99H86 elements in both black and white labels - making it even more confusing, you can find 99H86 elements that are CM, not CR. Oh yea here's another. 99S556 - dual impedance CM. 99T556 - single impedance CM.

If there is some sort of logic to Shure's element numbering system I surely do not know what it is (other than the date codes.)

Should be a great element if you can get the steel wool dust off. Use a strong magnet, perhaps?

Apr 12, 2010 00:26 PDT
OrthodoxBlues said,
Tons of steel wool dust visible here.

Apr 12, 2010 00:22 PDT
OrthodoxBlues said,
I believe that the gray stuff to the right of the element is steel wool dust.

t;

Apr 12, 2010 00:20 PDT
OrthodoxBlues said,
A clearer shot

Apr 12, 2010 00:17 PDT
OrthodoxBlues said,
The switch is clear here. We convert desk models to loose ones for harp. I think a ham radio person converted a loose one to desk use and added t he switch.

Apr 12, 2010 00:15 PDT
OrthodoxBlues said,
What I expect to be the star of the bunch ... a late 1949 Shure Green Bullet with an original and wo rking early black label CR element. A previous owner cut a (working) switch into the back of the mic, probably long ago. I chatted with Dave Kott (who hosts www.greenbulletmics.com) about this mic. The person who sold it to me probably cleaned the grille with steel wool without removing it from the mic. The element could have been damaged by steel wool dust. Dave removed all of the dust, rewired the mic, and it is on its way back to me.

Having a bit of trouble posting photos, so they will follow.

Apr 12, 2010 00:01 PDT
OrthodoxBlues said,
Sorry for the huge size of some of the photos. I can't seem to see what size they are before they go in.

Apr 12, 2010 00:00 PDT
OrthodoxBlues said,
Radio Engineering Labs mic from 1942. I picture it being in a plane during the war, but what I know about military history and equip ment is less than the length of this post. Anyone know what type of element is pictured? I should have a working cable for this one soon, and I can see if the stock element works, and how it sounds.

Apr 11, 2010 23:55 PDT
OrthodoxBlues said,
Astatic of Canada R-3 (although some sources on the internet label it otherwise). Dead element, about to get a new one, the mic is lovably small and easy to cup, and from 1941.

Apr 11, 2010 23:51 PDT
OrthodoxBlues said,
Astatic 10-DA, a dynamic element. It has a good harp tone, not quite as strong as a hot Shure CM or CR, but more than respectable, and the all-chrome look is cool.

Apr 11, 2010 23:48 PDT
OrthodoxBlues said,
Being careful about price, I've continued to add a few to the collection.

Another Astatic DN series branded as a Stromberg-Carlson. I believe that the other one may be medium impedance and this one is high. It is a big mic, not the easiest to cup.

Jan 26, 2010 22:05 PST
OrthodoxBlues said,
Joe (Harpaholic) --

I love the history of these mics. Thanks for the information. I don't have a small shell Shure (say that ten times fast), but I'd love to at least hold one and see how it feels. The oldest Shure one I have is the RCA branded one from '48. My old Astatic Model 30 may be older, but I need to crack it open and date the (dead) element.

Jan 26, 2010 22:03 PST
OrthodoxBlues said,
Boris --

We do seem to get hooked on getting certain things, and I love these old mics, the workmanship, finding out how old they are, comparing the sound. It feels like something of an honor to use something so old. They also sound terrific, many have that sweet Chicago sound.

Jan 26, 2010 13:59 PST
Harpaholic said,
Drew, I have run across a couple 1947 small shell bullets with the screws mounted on the side. I currently own one. I also have seen a couple 47's that were the larger shell.

1946 was the end for small shells, but 1947 seems to be the transitional period where they made both.

As you know, it's easy to date a Shure mic/element when it's original.

Jan 26, 2010 12:06 PST
Boris Plotnikov said,
OrthodoxBlues

I've noted that players have different addictions. One buy bunch of harps and no worry about mics, amps and pedals, other have one good set of harps and buy bunch of mics. Some have favorite harps and mic and change different amps. I have the same amp for last five years, I think I'll trade it only for Harpgear. I'm mostly pedal freak. I bought 2 sets of 16 harpkeys set of mainly used harp and I like it. So I hope I'll stop buying pedals sooner. ((:

Jan 26, 2010 09:54 PST
OrthodoxBlues said,
Thanks, Chris! It does look like a robot, but I only can remember the one that went "Danger, danger, Will Robinson!" Was there another one on that show?

I have no intention of selling them, although one or two may go to a friend. It is nice to know that most or all are worth more than I paid right now, and are quite likely to be worth more in the future. Most importantly, I love the sound of old bullet mics.

Jan 26, 2010 01:01 PST
Chris C said,
'    A friend thinks it looks like an old Pontiac car's grille!

I think it looks like the other nasty robot in 'Lost in Space'

Very Very cool collection. At least they wont go down in value if you look after them. The Special 20's will.

Jan 25, 2010 22:15 PST
OrthodoxBlues said,
Boris --

I have about 20 harps, mostly because I only play diatonic, and tried different styles, but found that I feel most at home with Special 20s. I have at least thirty pedals, but most are for guitar. Only one is purely for harmonica, but the harps maybe "own" about four or five. I have about seven amps, all shared with guitar. I now have around fifteen microphones, maybe one is more for vocals than harmonica.

I guess it would be better if I had a desire for more harmonicas rather than microphones, since the harps generally are less expensive, although I did buy some of these for the price of a Special 20!

Jan 25, 2010 22:11 PST
OrthodoxBlues said,
Thanks, Greg. I had the shell thing right with the 707a, but it is cool that the screws are in a different position, that will make it easier to spot the smaller shell ones, not to suggest that I have any chance of buying more ... but I could!

Jan 25, 2010 14:07 PST
Boris Plotnikov said,
Harpaholic

Yes, G.A.S. is a very hard desease. I already have about 100 harps and waiting for one more. I got 14 or 16 stompboxes (not use them at the same time) and I want five more ((: Instead of OrthodoxBlues I found the mikes I like and the only one I want is Ultimate 57. I usually got less than $500 a month and still buying me new stuff. I need a doctor or some endorsment contracts.

Jan 25, 2010 11:08 PST
BlowsMeAwy Greg said,
@Ortho, re: the 707, "As I understand it, the very early 707s had a smaller shell, but this one has the same shape, size and grille as the Green Bullet, but it is gray in color."

You're right - they came in two sizes. One easy way to spot the difference is that on the older, smaller shells, the grill screws were top and bottom. On the newer ones, as well as 520 series shells, the screws are on the sides.

/Greg

BlowsMeAway Productions
Bluestate
Bluestate on CDBaby
Bluestate on iTunes

Jan 25, 2010 10:33 PST
OrthodoxBlues said,
Abner --

Now I want to read your funnier comment! I noticed that I needed to go back and forth between "preview" and "edit" or something like that, to get the photos in this thread to show. If I just posted it, I'd get it to look like the first comment above, the one that doesn't show the photo.

How are things going with your playing and gear, Abner? Is your wife still having fun watching you get better and better at playing?

Jan 25, 2010 10:31 PST
OrthodoxBlues said,
Harpaholic --

'Deed I do have GAS (gear acquisition syndrome). I may even have it worse than you! It has been very fun to gather these mics, and to compare their sounds with each other and with newer mics. I often think about the days when these were the standard mics used for announcements, PAs, etc. and tube PAs were the standard for that purpose. Also, cupping an old bullet with a broken-in harp just feels right ... and sounds perfect!

Jan 25, 2010 09:35 PST
BluEyes said,
Thankj it again. here i am spending my hard earn time writing comments and it get booted out. That was a new one. If I lost my comment when I hit Preview or it get cut short thats a small problem. Now it just kicks me out.. I wonder if its a hint.

Any dude you have some great talent. wish you a lot of luck and joy,.My origninal comment was a lot funnier.

abner (BluEyes )

Jan 25, 2010 08:44 PST
Harpaholic said,
Someone is devoloping a severe case of G.A.S

Gear Acquisition Syndrome

It's a common illness among musician's, and there's no cure!

Jan 23, 2010 11:14 PST
OrthodoxBlues said,

Last but not least, this 1962 Shure Green Bullet came to me on the stand. It has now been rewired and removed from the stand. It has that sound we seek from the Shure CM and CR elements, a deep, resonant and somewhat gritty Chicago sound.

Jan 23, 2010 11:11 PST
OrthodoxBlues said,

Moving on to Shure mics, this bullet is not the famous 520 model Green Bullet, but the crystal 707a model. The mic is from the sixties, and I'm assuming that it has the original element. It doesn't have the grit or bass of a CR or CM, but has great highs, mids and clarity. It sounds very similar to the JT-30 above with the MC-151 crystal element. As I understand it, the very early 707s had a smaller shell, but this one has the same shape, size and grille as the Green Bullet, but it is gray in color.

Jan 23, 2010 11:07 PST
OrthodoxBlues said,

Turner mics may have the coolest appearance of all of the old ones, with the "Mohawk" fin on the top of the mic. Many old Turners have crystal elements, but this one is dynamic. It has a great sound, very similar to a Shure CM or CR. It isn't that hard to cup, even with the fin, but it must be at least twice as heavy as a vintage Green Bullet.

Jan 23, 2010 11:03 PST
OrthodoxBlues said,

Continuing with Astatic mics, this one is branded Stromberg-Carlson, but it appears to be a DN model by Astatic branded as a Stromberg-Carlson. I'm receiving this one back from the tech (who rewired it) today, so I haven't heard it. I believe it to likely have a dynamic element, so it probably will be at least a decent sound. It sure looks cool. A friend thinks it looks like an old Pontiac car's grille!

Jan 23, 2010 10:59 PST
OrthodoxBlues said,

70's or early 80's Astatic JT-30 which what I believe to be t he original MC-151 crystal element in it. Crystal elements, to my ears, have more mids and highs than the Shure CR and CM elements, with somewhat less bass and much greater clarity and less of that Chicago grit.

Jan 23, 2010 10:56 PST
OrthodoxBlues said,

I don't see my photo above, so I reposted it. Obviously, it is a "hot rod" mic, with an Astatic shell and a Shure element. It also has a volume control.

Jan 23, 2010 10:38 PST
OrthodoxBlues said,
<a href="http://s307.photobucket.com/albums/nn282/drewross/?action=view&current=JT30CandyMic.png" target="_blank"><img src="http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/nn282/drewross/JT30CandyMic.png" border="0" alt="JT-30 Candy Mic"></a>

This one has a repainted Astatic JT-30 shell with a Shure CR (controlled reluctance) element from 1954. It has a good Chicago sound.

3Draw bend with vibrato??????

Wed, 12 Oct 2011 15:28:36 -0700
topic started by luke j
Does anyone have any tips on getting a great 3draw bend vibrato. I have an average throat vibrato on notes. I do the jaw vibrato that Jason talks about on the 2 draw bend but whatever I try on the blue third just sounds weak. Any tips, ideas from anyone will be Appreciated. Thanks.

Oct 12, 2011 15:28 PDT
djordje j said,
What tune and harmonica temperament used Sonny Terry?

Mar 19, 2009 13:17 PDT
Zack P said,
hahaha Luke, nice :)
Mar 19, 2009 02:10 PDT
luke j said,
I must be getting more god like. It's slowly getting better and better
Mar 04, 2009 15:34 PST
Zack P said,
Okay I guess I gotta say the bad news. You can't unless you are God.

   Just kidding.
Mar 04, 2009 06:59 PST
Zhin said,
About diaphragm vibratos...

Take note that if you can sing and vibrato your voice you've already got the components to do it. It's just a matter of connecting that with harp playing and doing it in reverse for draw notes.

BBQ Bob is absolutely right. Once you learn it you can't really forget it. And his suggestion to go learn it from a vocal coach is spot on. I know this is how I learned it. By bridging a connection between my existing vocal vibrato technique and harp playing. So it really started with the informal vocal training I took years ago! I reckon I personally wouldn't be able to figure out how to vibrato with a harp otherwise.

If you want proof about where your diaphragm is and how to "feel" it try making groaning gutteral sounds like a zombie. If you are doing a decent impersonation start paying attention to your belly. Specifically the parts between where the rib cage ends at the bottom and your navel. I think some call this the "solar plexus" or something. Your diapragm is right there. It sits between your lungs and upper stomach I believe..

If you are aware of where it is try messing with it. Try singing a sustained note and tensing and releasing the muscles around the diaphragm area... notice any changes in your voice? try it in pulses instead. Be gentle with those muscles. Yet again, BBQ Bob is right about that. No military muskels tensing pls. :p

I hope this helps somehow. I apologize if my explanations aren't perfect. I'm no certified teacher that's for sure. :p
Feb 25, 2009 12:36 PST
Diggs said,
Simple exercise to build control:

Play triplets with a slight accent on the first note. Bring the tempo up and down.

You will feel the diaphram start to work naturally. If you cannot keep the accent or

the triplets even slow down 'till you can. This is simple and natural and will lead you there

without strain.

         For throat vibrato it has been described at first as doing a slight cough in rhythm.

Check out my stuff to see if it worked.

Diggs
Feb 15, 2009 10:55 PST
Barbeque Bob M said,
If you want to learn the diaphragmatic vibrato, or just how to learn how to really use it, go to a reputable vocal coach and get at least breathing lessons from them and even some vocal lessons because for the first time, you'll find out that you've rarely ever used it and you're often quite inefficent with the amount of air you're using, plus you get to find out that you've only used 1/3 of your total lung capacity tops. It's worth every penny, and you'll learn. Your diaphragm will be sore as hell for several weeks to a couple of months, but once you learn how to use it, you won't forget it. And for god's sake, when you take draw breaths, NEVER do the military style of breathing in while sucking your gut in because tho it looks cooly macho, at least oa guy that's 80lbs. overweight trying to hide a bad beer gut when he sees a hot looking lady, it is the wrong way to do it as all you're doing is constricting muscle and air flow.
Feb 15, 2009 08:51 PST
Brutus Maximus said,
That's the hard part about playing harmonica--all the really important mechanisms are hidden inside our bodies. It would be interesting to see an MRI or X-Ray showing the position of internal structures while playing. It's easy to talk about "diaphragm vibrato" and "focusing the column of air," but without actually seeing those things happening it's all just theoretical chatter.
Feb 15, 2009 08:27 PST
Zack P said,
I never understood diaphragm vibrato, I guess you just move your body around? hahaha.
Feb 15, 2009 01:55 PST
Bruce W said,
This is an interesting thread. I have a pal in Berlin who is a fantastic harpist. He was tutored by the late great Igor Flach who had the most unbelievable and distictive vibrato ever heard. Igor would used both throat and diaphram vibrato simultaneously ammoungst other techniques. My friend likes to use diaphram vibrato on those 3 hole bends and insists they sound way better than throat vibrato. They do at that. I think he is correct. Here is why. When thinking staccato you have the verbal articulations T, K, G and a whole miriad of others. Can it be that the diaphram vibrato works the same way in that it dampens the attack, in say for instance, the difference between a G (back of the mouth) staccato and a T stuccato (with the tongue near the harp) due to its distance away from the harp therefor producing a more rounder and pleasant sounding vibrato? Comments and tips please.
Feb 14, 2009 19:18 PST
Brutus Maximus said,
I've been thinking about the "column of air" theory a little more, and how it relates to what Bob is saying. When you learn to coordinate your mouth, throat cavity, and lungs to focus that air into a "column," you'll be able to get a great deal of power with relatively little wind. I think the closest analogy I can give comes from when I played cello in grade school and high school. When you use your upper body as a dynamically focused air channel, you feel that air moving back and forth the way a cello player feels the bow pushing and pulling across the strings. A well-rosined bow has a controlled drag as you move it--you feel it tug against the resistance of the string to produce the tone. You don't need to move it a lot most of the time. You develop a sense of finesse in how you handle the bow, constantly adjusting the pressure and the speed to form the notes you are playing. That's the sensation I get when I'm really warmed up and in the groove. It's like I have a bow made of air inside my body that I push and pull against the reeds. I feel the resistance of the reeds as feedback against the back of my throat, right in that soft spot behind the epiglottis. That feedback helps me continuously adjust the pressure from my lungs and the shape of my throat and mouth to form the notes. I know this sounds kinda disjointed, but I think it's important for developing players to have an idea of what the sensation feels like. The hardest part of teaching myself the technique was that I didn't know what I was looking for, only what I was listening for. 20 years ago, there wasn't an Internet, so I was teaching myself from scratch through trial and lots of error. I hope my experience helps other players avoid some of the pain and frustration I endured in my quest.
Feb 14, 2009 13:28 PST
Barbeque Bob M said,
The thing with bends that most players don't realize is that you really DON'T need a boatload of breath force to play them at all. Many beginners (98% to be exact) get frustrated quickly and resort to using more of a mach caveman method where they use 80% MORE breath force, essentially trying to force the issue(or maybe closer to like what you see in movies about a Mafioso wise guy threating to break both arms and legs off if it don't bend LOL), and unfortunately, this bad habit becomes very heavily ingrained, and you lose any and all ability to control it because your going all the way to the floor of the bend and the first thing you're gonna be TOTALLY unable to do is CONTROL them so you can get all THREE available bends in hole #3. The other thing to remember is that a vibrato is essentially, much like with a vocalist, a wavering of two related pitches together, not more than a 1/4 step apart from each other. Now if you're playing with excessive breath force all the time, and REALLY stepping on the gas pedal of breath even harder with bends as do 98% of beginners and 50-75% of intermediate players ALL do, you DON'T have the 1/4 step necessary for the last bend to have a vibration possible, meaning that it essentially has no place to go at all.
Feb 13, 2009 12:26 PST
Bruce W said,
Ben Bouman gave me a tip once concerning bending those low and low low harps he is famous for playing. He can actually bend the 1 hole draw on a Seydel low low F - yes that is 2 octaves lower than a normal F and the lowest ten holer made. It is in fact almost exactly like B. Max's tip. Open your throat until you feel like you are going to cough or gag - like a sword swallower - no I do not have an extra swords laying around. When you get to the point before you are just about to cough/gag inhale slowly from the diaphram and work your tongue around until you get that bend. It will bend automatically. Do this a million times until it becomes second nature. This technique I have learned very recently and it works great for tongue block bends on those low notes. I am a lip purser who is now learning the fine qualities of tongue blocking.
Feb 10, 2009 23:28 PST
Steve B said,
The whole oyoyoyouy thing puts the focal point of movement in the front of the mouth. It should be in the back. When you can make a vibrato that way you can do it anywhere on the harp that a draw note or bend is possible. To get a sense for the way it feels, open your mouth and make and form an "AH" sound as you breath in. There won't be a voiced sound only air. then go "ah,ah,ah,ah" and so on (fairly quickly - as fast as you'd like the vibrato to be). This will give you the feel in the throat of how to get the vibrato. In fact if you do that little exercise and then just place the harp in your mouth, you will hear the sound. with practice (what else!) you will be able to control the speed and intensity of the vibrato - Try it
Feb 10, 2009 10:52 PST
Brutus Maximus said,
>>Think about moving entire air column for both. Yep! With dedication and lots of practice, you'll learn to open up your entire upper body to create a resonance chamber. By varying the shape of your throat and mouth as you play, you can form the notes as they build and decay. Vibrato and tremelo are both created by coordinating the movements of your throat and diaphragm to control that column of air. Don't get discouraged if it doesn't happen right away. It did literally take me a couple of years to work it all out. You'll probably go through a stage where your throat muscles get cramps while you train them. Sometimes it would hurt so badly that it brought tears to my eyes, but I refused to give up.
Feb 10, 2009 10:17 PST
Oldwailer said,
Hey! Barbecue Bob--I tried your tip--damned if it didn't work! I had thought the only way to get any vibrato on a 2 draw bend was to use my hands--when I cut back on the force of my breath--as you suggest--the vibrato became possible. Thanks for the tip! Every now and then--something I read clicks for me. . .
Feb 09, 2009 16:31 PST
Will Vogtman said,
I agree with Brutus and Bob--good thoughts. Chris Michalek's and Paul Davies' ideas really clarified this for me. (Not sure whose is whose anymore.) Tremelo ___ ___ ___ ___ (on off on off) hooo hooo hooo hooo Vibrato ////////// (bend up and down around pitch +/- a little bit) oyoyoyoyoyoyoyoyoyoyoyoyoo Think about moving entire air column for both. Get tired of one, practice the other--they are complimentary.
Feb 02, 2009 11:46 PST
Brutus Maximus said,
Work on opening the back of your throat more. It takes a lot of practice, and it can be quite uncomfortable while you're training those muscles to do what nature never intended. I taught myself by listening to Alan Wilson from Canned Heat over and over until I dissected what he was doing to create that insane, pulsing vibrato. It probably took me two full years to master the technique.
Feb 02, 2009 10:02 PST
Barbeque Bob M said,
First thing you'll need to do is get your breath force level under control because without that, doing it is almost impossible and many players, especially when bending notes, use far too much breath force doing it.

Mic Questions from Gary in Ireland

Sat, 24 Sep 2011 15:12:18 -0700
topic started by Brady M

I received this email from Gary in Ireland. Can you folks help him out??

Hi Harmonicaspace,

I have a quick question with regard to mics and im hoping you might be able to help me with it.

I just bought a small reasonable priced harmonica mic in order to achieve a megaphone (which i was using/currently using) type sound for some of my vocals, like a distorted high gain sound. i chose the only mic online that would ship to Ireland but it particularly mentioned this unbalanced high gain style, since arriving I have tried to use it through a p.a. system but it comes out as clear as day like a regular mic, im just wondering what i need to do to create this sound, does it need to run through a tube-amp or effects unit before hitting the p.a. system or for live simply running through a tube amp and then micing the amp? If you have any advice at all it would be greatly appreciated as i have a live show coming up soon which i would like to use it for if possible.

Thank you for taking the time to read my email.

Hope to hear from you soon.

Kind Regards,

Gary

Brady Mills
Owner Brady Mills Graphics
and Creator of HarmonicaSpace
Sep 24, 2011 15:12 PDT
Mondo said,
Brady,

Lots of player use a Digitech RP to accomplish this and other cool sounds with their harps. Richard Hunter does custom patches for harp players that have really nice distortion and tone. I'm sure that you could run your mic through it.

Digitech http://www.hunterharp.com/category/harmonica-musicianâs-resources/hunters-effects/

Balun (if needed) http://www.audixusa.com/docs/products/T50k.shtml

Sep 23, 2011 06:59 PDT
Barbeque Bob M said,
PA's for the last 30 years, like amps before the late 60's, every year have been designed to get rid of distortion and the last PA's that were tube PA's were made in the mid 80's was the Fender PA100, which was a high impedance setup and low-z mics can't be used without a matching line transformer first. The one solution because of today's volume problems is get an old tube amp and mic it thru the PA, but you will also have serious feedback issues with this and just like with harp, I'd rather not send that sound thru the monitors.

Back in the early days of amplified harp, what the harp gear freaks don't understand is that those amps also functioned as the PA because thopse early PA's weren't loud enough to cut thru the mix in most clubs and so they sang and played thru them and what you're doing is really old school that today's gear freaks don't have a clue about.

Look thru Ebay and see if there are still a few old all tube PA's lying around like the Fender, Sunn, or the granddaddy of the portable, but powerful PA's, the Shure Vocal Master and you don't need expensive colums, but rather cheap stuff for that.

farmers market

Sat, 17 Sep 2011 09:45:42 -0700
topic started by eric h
my band, spoonful, is playing at a farmers market tonight in milford, michigan.

has anyone else played a farmers market? any advice?

Sep 17, 2011 09:45 PDT
walterharp said,
great to hear it worked out! i used to play with a triditional blues duo that did this all the time, it led to some bigger things, like a couple of radio appearances

Sep 17, 2011 09:12 PDT
eric h said,
did just that, walter.

i went wireless so i was able to get out amongst the people. took 2 of the kids that were dancing and got them onto a bench that was by the band.

during the last song i got 3 women to sing back up!

folks seemed to like us. i think we werent the usual type of act they got there. we even had people inquire about us playing some other gigs.

AND GOT FRUIT HANDED TO US AS OPPOSED TO THROWN!

Sep 16, 2011 09:31 PDT
walterharp said,
yes, focus on the friendly faces and if the children are dancing, you are doing your job!

daily digest

Thu, 15 Sep 2011 06:03:36 -0700
topic started by eric h
it's been a while since i've been able to log in here.

looks like a lot of folks are away on summer vacation. hopefully folks will come back.

the daily digest seems like a good idea. is anybody using this feature? in the past i would just check out the 50 most recent posts. this seems more direct.

CUSTOM BLUES HARP MS

Thu, 08 Sep 2011 16:19:35 -0700
topic started by Katsuyuki S
Hohner blues harp with Reynolds custom comb.

http://ameblo.jp/harpman/entry-11012082195.html

Tremelo Pedal for Silvertone 1472

Tue, 30 Aug 2011 06:59:06 -0700
topic started by Nick D
Hello all. My first posting. Need help. Just got a Silvertone 1472 Amp. Does anyone know where to find a Tremelo foot pedal for this amp. Will any Tremelo pedal work on it. Any advice would help as I'm a novice at all things harmonica and amplification. I look forward to all your expertise. Thank You

Aug 30, 2011 06:59 PDT
Brontotower said,
Got my Silvertone 1472 back . The Tremolo is working. Swapped out all the tubes for original Silvertone tubes. A sweet sounding amp. Thanks to all.

Aug 14, 2011 15:39 PDT
walterharp said,
let us know how it comes out

Aug 14, 2011 09:20 PDT
Brontotower said,
Thanks for your input Jawbone. Just tried the Tremolo with my new footswitch. Tremolo doesn't work. I'm going to take it in and get it fixed, try and keep it all original and try it out. It seems to be part of the charm of these vintage amps. Delay pedal is great.

Aug 13, 2011 14:01 PDT
Jawbone K said,
i have a 1482, which is sort of the big brother to the 1472. it has tremolo and a 12" speaker. irarely use trem much, maybe just barely cracked open for extra warmth of tone.

Jul 24, 2011 16:07 PDT
Brontotower said,
Thanks for your invaluable help walterharp. I ordered the Tremelo switch and also found a Delay pedal on the same site. I just got the Amp. I was told that the Tremelo does work but I was unable to test it. Thanks again.

Jul 19, 2011 07:32 PDT
walterharp said,
Here is one for 35... does the tremelo work and sound good for you? most harp players prefer delay and you can get a seperate foot pedal for the same $35

http://kathyanns.com/Silvertone-1457-amp-in-case-tremolo-footswitch-repro-Tube-Age-tremolo-footswitch-GP.htm

Peavey H5C and Akai DM13 reviews

Fri, 19 Aug 2011 07:56:54 -0700
topic started by Hawkeye K
The element in my JT30RH reissue went out not long ago. Getting it rebuilt the way I want is just proving too costly right now. So I just bought a couple new mics.

Most recently, I bought a Peavey H5C Cherry Bomb an ebay store. First thing I noticed about it was how similar it was to a Shure 520DX. Size and shape are almost identical, with the primary exception being a set of recessed contours on top for finger placement to get a better grip on it. Bright red housing with a charcoal black grille. Volume knob is the same as a Green Bullet with a midway catch in it. 20K pot with a dynamic element. The thing I love most about it is it has an on/off switch on the upper right side of the housing, allowing me to cut it off without losing my volume setting. the one thing I don't like is the connection. It's a mini-XLR. I've yet to hear of anyone having good luck with that setup, with the possible exception of lavalier pack mics. I may have this swapped out later for a 5/8" screw-one connection. I tried it out for the first time at a gig at the Illinois State Fair yesterday. Ran in through my Peavey Vypyr 15 amp. The tone was great! Sounded just as good, if not better than, a vintage Shure 520 with the American element. It's the first Chinese-made harp mic I've found that really delivers what a harp player needs. Overall, it's like it's a hybrid between a Shure 520 and a Superlux, but a really good bang for the buck.

Also, a few weeks ago, I won a vintage Akai DM13 on ebay for a steal. I'd had this thing recommended to me by a couple of people on facebook, so I figured for as little as I paid for it, I had nothing to lose. Boy was I surprised! A little Japanese made tape recorder mic! And it has more balls than most bullets I've ever played on. Slightly shorter and a little stouter than a Shure SM57, rubberized body, and a brushed aluminum cylinder headpiece and grille. It also came with a little desk stand to hold it while you're not playing on it. There are a couple of slight downsides to it however. It's very gainy. No volume control on it, so you're pretty much relying on your amp knobs or whatever foot pedal you want to use. It IS unidirectional though, so as long as you have it pointed in the right direction when you aren't playing, it's not such a risk. When you ARE playing on it...that's where I love this stick mic above any other I've used. As I said, it's a little bigger around, so it's easier to grip than a 57. It's also very lightweight, so your hands don't get so tired holding it. The other downside is, again, the connection. Direct line into the butt end of the mic. The cord is only about five or six feet long with a 1/4" male on the end. I realize that this is easily modded, but for now, I'm just using a quarter to quarter female barrel to extend it with a longer instrument cable. Anyway, I definitely recommend this mic to any harp player looking for a good stick mic to add to their arsenal. They're not even made as a reissue anymore from what I understand. So ebay, or craigslist, or anything else of that niche will be your best bet.

Aug 19, 2011 07:56 PDT
walterharp said,
nice reviews, thanks.

Hallelujah (cover) of Paul Lassey video

Mon, 15 Aug 2011 11:19:08 -0700
topic started by Duane C
Hello friends, posted a new vid doing Hallelujah as played by Paul Lassey in a video he posted with the tabs for playing along.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=16170atFXYE

New video

Mon, 08 Aug 2011 21:00:12 -0700
topic started by Duane C
Hello friends, I have uploaded a new vid to youtube of a song played on my tremolo harmonica. Here's the link to it, hope you take a look! Duane

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OJgiIVvYXJk

Aug 08, 2011 21:00 PDT
Steve C said,
I'm not sure I had heard a tremolo harminica before. Interesting.

Is Cumberland Custom Cases still in business?

Sat, 06 Aug 2011 07:00:34 -0700
topic started by Rudy H
I'm not getting E-mail responses from Jeffrey Spoor, who does high quality leather work for harmonica cases and belts. Does anyone know if his Cumberland Custom Cases is still in business?

The site is:

http://www.cumberlandcustomcases.com/index.php

thanks

Aug 06, 2011 07:00 PDT
Rudy H said,
MV - Sorry to hear about your experience with Cumberland Custom Cases. That website now appears to have been taken down and HarpMicGaskets.com makes no mention of leather cases for sale. So unless someone has solid evidence otherwise, I would assume Mr. Spoor is out of the custom leather case biz.

I personally don't want a wooden case with foam cut-outs. So if anyone knows of other leather cases, please post them. Buckeye Leather: http://www.buckeyeleather.com/ has some, but I'd like to investigate other sources before I buy there. I liked how Mr. Spoor preformed the pockets to your specific harmonica type. Buckeye wants you to re-wet the leather yourself, which won't look as nice in my opinion. Thanks.

Jul 25, 2011 13:08 PDT
m v said,
I ordered a case from there almost 2 yrs ago, paid for it (had an email contact with the owner several times) and then it never came.. Tried to contact the owner in different ways, no help. I'm so dissapointed, bc I wanted to give it to someone who loves playing harmonica.

May 14, 2011 07:25 PDT
christian J said,
If anyone looking for a cstom harmonica case then visit my website- www.slimscustomcases.com. I ship worldwide, made to order, any style you want or you can buy from my online store. Info-

I specialize in exclusive, custom harmonica cases that have the unique feature of conveniently fitting on to microphone stands. Or, I am happy to create any type of case to store whatever you want.

My hand built cases are Sturdy, solid and extremely durable, made from hand crafted wood, all of your equipment will be fully protected. Through my website you can either- buy now from my online store with a few simple clicks through my site and build your own case from a selection of case designs , inserts, covers and handles or, if you cant find anything suitable online, I would be happy to design with you your own special, individual custom case, build it to your exact requirements and make your vision a reality.

There is an unlimited choice of inserts, covers and handles and if I don't have something you like I will try everything to get you what you want.

When buying through my online store there is a choice of case sizes the largest case is- 300x320x145mm which fits up to 48 diatonics or you could have a combination of equipment with fewer harps depending on what insert is chosen. You can even have a train case attachment for any extra gear that clips onto the standard case and then can then be detached. I can build as big or as small as you wish and I am very happy to do so. Love a challenge. This case will fit onto most microphone stands.

Prices start from $96 Amercian dollars or 60 GBP- ship worldwide.

Website-www.slimscustomcases.com

Facebook page-http://www.facebook.com/pages/Slims-Custom-Cases/198124183561282

info@slimscustomcases.com

Cheers, Chris

May 14, 2011 07:24 PDT
christian J said,
If anyone looking for a cstom harmonica case then visit my website- www.slimscustomcases.com. I ship worldwide, made to order, any style you want or you can buy from my online store. Info-

I specialize in exclusive, custom harmonica cases that have the unique feature of conveniently fitting on to microphone stands. Or, I am happy to create any type of case to store whatever you want.

My hand built cases are Sturdy, solid and extremely durable, made from hand crafted wood, all of your equipment will be fully protected. Through my website you can either- buy now from my online store with a few simple clicks through my site and build your own case from a selection of case designs , inserts, covers and handles or, if you cant find anything suitable online, I would be happy to design with you your own special, individual custom case, build it to your exact requirements and make your vision a reality.

There is an unlimited choice of inserts, covers and handles and if I don't have something you like I will try everything to get you what you want.

When buying through my online store there is a choice of case sizes the largest case is- 300x320x145mm which fits up to 48 diatonics or you could have a combination of equipment with fewer harps depending on what insert is chosen. You can even have a train case attachment for any extra gear that clips onto the standard case and then can then be detached. I can build as big or as small as you wish and I am very happy to do so. Love a challenge. This case will fit onto most microphone stands.

Prices start from $96 Amercian dollars or 60 GBP- ship worldwide.

Website-www.slimscustomcases.com

Facebook page-http://www.facebook.com/pages/Slims-Custom-Cases/198124183561282

info@slimscustomcases.com

Cheers, Chris

Apr 18, 2011 07:16 PDT
Dave S said,
Jeff has recently moved his entire operation. He is also WWW.HarpMicGaskets.com and is a very busy guy. You may have fallen through the cracks but try again.

Dave

Apr 17, 2011 07:36 PDT
Rudy H said,
Eric - Thank you for that info. - Rudy

Apr 16, 2011 16:43 PDT
eric h said,
he is just starting to begin work on his great cases again.

Apr 14, 2011 13:50 PDT
Rudy H said,
I'm hoping that someday he'll again be taking orders for his excellent products. Having that message flash for two years doesn't look promising. No big deal, just wanted to know if anyone had any additional info.

Apr 14, 2011 12:01 PDT
SUKM // R said,
MAn Rudy,..Read the big flashing INFO on his site ???

www.cumberlandcustomcases.com/index.php

Apr 14, 2011 08:08 PDT
Soulchicken said,
Did you try the his phone number listed there? Also, the last update to that page was over two years ago, so he might very well be not in business anymore. :)

New Room - Jobs/Gigs

Tue, 02 Aug 2011 12:16:49 -0700
topic started by Brady M
Hey Harmonica-Spacers,

We have a new room in our forum called: Harmonica Jobs/Gigs. This room is for posting harmonica jobs or for finding jobs. I have one that may be coming through later today, which was sent to me via email. It made me think... hey, some of you guys might be interested in a room for these types of postings.

Hope you enjoy it!

Brady Mills
Owner Brady Mills Graphics
and Creator of HarmonicaSpace

Marine Band Thunderbird

Sat, 23 Jul 2011 08:04:33 -0700
topic started by d p
Just stumbled upon this!

http://www.hohnerusa.com/index.php?413a192

Jul 23, 2011 08:04 PDT
walterharp said,
looks good

Who-Too swing

Fri, 22 Jul 2011 11:35:38 -0700
topic started by Robert H
Rhythm pattern "who-too."

Adds swing rhythm to easy notes in second position.

Ask for the harmonica tab to be delivered by email. I'm using a Lee Oskar Key of C.

http://youtu.be/oVNgNsXJ2Jw

<iframe width="425" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/oVNgNsXJ2Jw" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Robert Hale
Learn Harmonica by Webcam
Low Rates, High Results
http://www.youtube.com/DUKEofWAIL
Gilbert AZ (Phoenix)
http://www.dukeofwail.com