Re: Big Walter's Customized Harp

["Shane Greene" <shane@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

- ----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Allen Stratyner" <astratyner@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
<snip><
>          I don't mean to appear rude, but In total candor I'm starting to
> believe that some the people who express
> themselves in this forum are a little bit too obsessed with with
equipment,
> tweaks and customizations. Hey it's a big tent, and everyone is welcome,
but
> I just wonder sometimes how the old blues masters were able to create all
> this music we love without all the trappings of the modern would-be harp
> player,
>                                                                Allen
>

Hi Allen,
I understand where you are coming from, but that is the nature of a forum,
to discuss and investigate and compare and contrast to seek out. Sometimes
it's also about the understanding of history, who played what, when and why,
for posterities sake. If things get taken to the point of obscurity and
minutia, so much the better, as long as I can hit the delete button when it
gets beyond my level of interest. We would have no XB-40, no altered
tunings, and little understanding of how the harmonica works or history of
the instrument if it wasn't for people and their obsessions. Sure, there is
no amount of understanding of harps and equipment that will turn me in to
one of the old masters, that's ok, I would rather be one of the new masters,
and understanding our harp and equipment better and tweaking it lets us get
to the next level (although I will probably never get there, but I'm trying
:^) ).
You are 100% right, if I obsess about my harps without picking one up and
playing the heck out of it until I drop on the floor in a heap, then I have
lost the whole point of playing an instrument. The joy and the fun are gone,
and it's just a study in obscure detail. For me at least it's not. When my
lips are sore and I can play no more I still like to dream about my favorite
instrument and what more I can do with it, and share my thoughts with
others.
There are worse ways to waste my time,

Shane