Harmonica players - what instrument do you like? I have several

[old mark]

brands, but I seem to mostly lean toward my old Suzuki Folkmasters. I do like the Lee Oskars, too, but the price is a bit steep for me...
Just realised I don't even own a Hohner anymore.

mark

[abq e streeter]

1. Hi Old Mark--almost as old abq e streeter here

its strictly personal preference but I use Hohner Special 20's when possible, but like Oskars too. I know people that like Golden Melodies, Marine Bands etc. I know people that only will play a Lee Oskar. All of em have gotten ridiculously expensive, but with Lee Oskars, you can still buy replacement reed plates , so you don't have to buy a whole new harp every time you blow it out . I don't know if Hohner now has that type of feature available, but they might.Have to check with em I guess. I prefer the Special 20 to the Golden Melody just because of how it physically feels in my mouth, and as I said, I know people that love the GM. The only thing I don't like about the Blues Harp and Marine Band is that you have to break em in gradually by not "bending" notes for a little while, and I don't have the patience. Otherwise ,just as good...This is probably info that you already know, but if you've been "out of the loop" for awhile, maybe not: check the prices on musiciansfriend.com compared to your local store, although I just did, and with my "working musician discount" that I get at a couple of stores here, its only a little cheaper on musiciansfriend...Of the cheaper harps, I seem to remember thinking that the Folkmaster was probably the best of those, so if you're mainly going to be singing and playing guitar ( old bald guy with cowboy boots singing early Led Zep, right?), with just a little harp thrown in, might still be worth it to stay with those, since you already have some, and just saw they're less than half the price of a Lee Oskar or Special 20 on musiciansfriend ( 11.70$). Again, haven't played one of those in years , but seems they were the best of the "off-brands" at one time, and may very well still be.:hi: :hippie:

[old mark]

2. I bought 1 Oskar in the 90's (the only harp inB they had) and still have it.

The sticker says it was on sale for $20 back then - Guitar City has them now for around $30, and I really like them, too. I want a full set of Oskars and of Folkmasters when I get some money saved up this winter.

The sounds are very distinctive for each brand, and I like the plastic combs.

FWIW, I also have a dirt cheap no-name Chinese harp in C that seems made from aluminum, and anodized red. It sounds really big and full, and I'd like to find more of those, too - I carry it around in my pocket right now.

mark

ADDED: GC has the Folkmasters for $11.50.

[abq e streeter]

3. those are great prices for stores--you live somewhere out east I believe(?)

is the Chinese brand Huang? I know musiciansfriend has package deals on sets of harps, sometimes with cases included, sometimes just the harps, but the prices you're describing sound like Guitar City is as good or better....

[old mark]

4. Those are the online prices for Guitar Center when I looked yesterday.

I have a Huang Silvertone, too - my wife gave it to me several years ago. Not a bad harp at all.

The one was referring to has absolutely nothing on it but the key letter and numbers over the holes. The sides are red annodized aluminum. comb is black plastic - I got it for a buck at a flea market. Never seen another one like it.

FWIW, I'm not really playing Led Zep - I'm playing Willy Dixon, but most people are familiar with the Zep version and wouldn't know Willy if he bit them on the ass. (Bring It On Home.)

The Folkmasters have a nice Jimmy Reed tone till you push them, then they get very bluesey and go to Slim Harpo. Oskars seem a little jazzy to me, but nice
in an uptown way.

markO8)

[Beetwasher]

12. Hohner Has Some W/ Replaceable Reed Plates, Unfortunately For Me

Golden Melody is not one of them! But if you send your blown out harps back to Hohner they will replace them for cost.

[mitchum]

5. I still use Marine Bands

and I have a couple of Big Rivers

[Bonhomme Richard]

6. I've switched to Lee Oskars. n/t

[JeffR]

7. FWIW, I picked up a Victory double-reed at a funky store downtown

made in China, with what I presume is the Mandarin translation of "Victory" stamped on it. Cost me about 7 bucks, IIRC, maybe less.

Don't play harmonicas much, though I have a few Hohners and some miscellaneous other ones around, but the sound of this thing is absolutely incredible. One of these days I'll actually record something with it. Haunting, gorgeous sound.

[Tab]

8. I gave up on the Lee Oskar's and Marine Bands

I tend to use just the "black" ones - specifically the Hohner Pro (I think it is) and the Martin & Co. Both have a tremendous response and volume.

Marine Bands and Special 20's are okay, but ultimately I graduated to the special Hohner's master collection (I'll have to dig one out - the name escapes me and there should be one on my desk, but there's not) and the Martin & Co. Both are black-metaled instruments.

Diatonically speaking, I mean.

- Tab

[old mark]

9. Just got a new Suzuki Folkmaster in G yesterday - my others are at least

10 years old, and the new one is much higher quality and sounds wonderful - I like it even more than the old ones.

Need one in F now....


mark

[billyclem]

10. Have bunches

Diatonics, chromatics, a set of blues harps in 12 keys etc. But I am in my 60's and have had many years to accumulate. For those times when you want a very different sound, the trumpet bell can't be beat.

[Beetwasher]

11. Golden Melody

The price is getting pretty steep on 'em though, but I just dig their feel better than any other harp and I'm also a big bender and they bend really sweet.

FYI, Hohner will replace your blown out harps at cost if you send 'em in.

[clixtox]

13. Norton Buffalo RIP

Speaking of harmonicas... One of the best players and nicest guys around. Lung cancer...

[old mark]

14. He toured a lot with the Steve Miller Band, a very tight live band.

I have not heard much of his music lately, but he was a really great player. I'm sorry to hear he has gone.


mark