Re: Big Walter's Customized Harp

["Bob Maglinte" <bbqbob917@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

- ----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Scorcher" <s_c_o_r_c_h_e_r@xxxxxxx>
To: "! [HARP-L]" <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Tuesday, September 23, 2003 3:08 AM
Subject: Re: Big Walter's Customized Harp


>
> Mark Crowley says
>
>
> > The outrageous claims of the pro-customising posts
>
> "outrageous??"
>
> > after Pat Missin's informative comment on the construction of the LO
> actually talked me out of considering laying a dollar down for
> > anything beyond detailed gapping and tuning by a practitioner far
> more experienced than myself.
> >
> > The blokes talked themselves out of a sale.
> >
> > Why a pay 'a good day's wage' in customisation when half that day is
> spent bringing a leaky brand new Hohner to the stock standard of an
> out of box LO?
>
> That's what you got out of Pat Missin's post?
>
> There's plenty of reason to lay out a good days wage:
> You get a more sensitive, responsive instrument, crafted by the hands
> of an artisan.
>
> Lee Oskars are more consistent and durable than the average stock
> _______ (fill in the blank) harmonica, that's true.
> But they have a "unique sound" that a lot of players don't like, and
> they squeal like a pig if not properly set up.
>
> McDonalds hamburgers and Starbucks coffee are benchmarks of
> "consistency" - doesn't mean they're high quality, though.
>
> Don't get me wrong, I play 'em - I play Hohners, too, though, and a
> customized Hohner (even a well-tweaked one) is a VASTLY different
> instrument than a stock Oskar.
> ar
> Come to think of it, if you can't differentiate between a customized
> harmonica and a stock Oskar, maybe you SHOULD save your dough.
>
> -Scorcher

Hi,
In over 30 years worth of playing the instrument, much of it professionally,
I've seen plenty of stuff come my way concerning diatonic harps, and
discussions of this stuff is important, and obviously no cure all to playing
ills. For many harmonica players, there are relatively far fewer discussion
outlets to discuss anything related to it, whereas guitarists have had
magazines, sales people in brick and mortar music stores. and of course the
internet for ages, and with any discussion group, there's always going to be
subjects somebody out there doesn't want to hear about, like it or not, so
the point of these things is for people to get feedback, even if it's
something they may not want to hear, but at least they have some food for
thought to help them make up their own minds.

Scorcher, your post here basically makes much of this thread into a nutshell
for many people. I've played many different brands/models, and even if there
are certain things I don't particularly care for, at least I've been able to
step back and see some things even in brands/models that I felt were truly
good ideas, but maybe in some instances, hampered by poor quality materials
and/or labor. It is truly difficult to comment on a custom instrument if
you've never had the chance to try one. Mass produced instruments are made
for the masses (duh), and not individualized for a particular player's
playing style and habits. Most harp players that I've met who are playing
custom harps are generally much more experienced players, USUALLY know what
they want, and many of them do their own tweaking (and yes, there are those
in that group of players that don't tweak a damned thing feared klutziness
or whatever), but what a good customizer does goes FAR beyond what the
average player's tweaking skills could ever do. To make a claim that the
so-called "outrageous claims of the pro-customizing posts" shows IMO short
sightedness in a huge way. The more people turn to a customizer, the more it
will force some changes (hopefully for the better) from the manufacturers,
but it's always going to be an uphill battle. The so called outrageous claim
is not, and so by saying what was said, to me, that's like saying a Chevy
Malibu is of exactly the same quality as a Porsche or a Rolls Royce, and
obviously, that's an argument that wouldn't wash in a million years, or
maybe it's not like seeing the forest for the trees.

Sincerely,
Barbeque Bob Maglinte
Boston, MA