Re: [Harp-L] Seydel Soloist Pro 12 Low C



Mike Fugazzi asks:
I picked one up at SPAH mostly to work on Another Man Done Gone.  I really
enjoy the harp but was curious as to the benefits of its unique tuning.  I
couldn't find much info on it specifically online and would love to hear
what others think about this harp, its tuning, and its use.

FWIW, I love the design of the harp and the comb.  Nice, nice stuff.  I have
not worked on a Seydel harp other than this one and couldn't tell you how
they compare to a Hohner set up to overbend, but they are a well done
harmonica!!!

Mike, I also picked up a Seydel Solist Pro 12 in Low-C at SPAH. What a great harp! I got mine knowing how much I dig the "original," the Hohner Steve Baker Special, which is a re-tuned 14-hole 365 Marine Band. That is also a killer harp. Great tone, loud, and very nice to play -- once customized by sealing the comb and replacing the nails with screws. For many years I called it my "desert island" harp (I'll expand on why that is in a minute).


Like I say, the SBS is a great harp, but it is big and those extra two holes on the high end are so squeaky as to be unusable, IMO. So, the ideal low-C SBS embodiment, IMHO would be a 12-hole harp with a sealed comb and screws instead of nails -- e.g, the Soloist Pro 12. It's shorter in length than the Hohner SBS so it is "cup-able" and it has very nice stainless cover plates too.

Now, why do I like these harps? First, understand their tuning. Essentially, the first three holes are tuned like those in a regular low-C diatonic and holes 3-12 are tuned like a regular C diatonic. So in addition to the normal 10-hole diatonic you have an additional lower octave covered in those first three holes. So what is cool about that? Several things. One, you can play riffs in any of 4 octaves. Also, and here's what I really like, you can do some very cool things playing tongue-blocked splits combining those first two octaves, and then right on up the harp as in a normal diatonic. In addition, you can lay down some pretty nice bass lines in that low first octave and then go to the higher octaves for the melody or blues riffing, and back to the the bass lines and so on. Try Sonny Boy II's "Bye Bye Bird" on one of these babies! Finally, these harps are chugging monsters. Try starting a train rhythm in that luscious low octave and then roam up and down the harp with whistles and anything else you care to throw at it; the Soloist Pro 12 is very much equal to that task, too. You should hear the reigning rhythm harp king (IMHO), Paul Davies, wail on his -- he likes to use two Soloist Pro 12's at once for some amazing rhythm effects.

I hope this gives you a few ideas, Mike. Let us know what ~you~ discover with this versatile harmonica.

Michelle





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