Re: [Harp-L] golden melody harps - tempering

[Joe and Cass Leone <leone@xxxxxxxx>]

 I like Golden Melodies. In fact, I LOVE them. But I won't buy them.
My hands are small and very dry. I also don't have that much feeling
 in them anymore. GMs are too streamlined and  slip from my grasp
too easily.

I like spl 20s. In fact, I LOVE them. They have sharp corners and are
easy to hold.

Cross Harp...same as spl so so why pay the additional monies?

Meisterklasse...just an upscale cross harp. Only benefit is the comb.

Hering 1923s. Reeds too sturdy, harder to bend. While they ARE bendable
under normal circumstances, it is harder to catch a reed "On" the bend. 
In
other words with the bend ALREADY in there. Too much lag.

Bushman...same as 1923

LOs are TOO GOOD. They are so robust, it takes too much work to torture
them. OBs & ODs are difficult "on the fly". Best commercial harp going 
but
too slow. Trying for a "smear" can get you into some dangerous 
territory.

Blues Harp...same as LO in stiffnesss.

Marine Band...same as spl 20. Good except why go BACK in time.

Delta Frost...same as 1923

Suzuki Promaster...same as 1923

Huang ..surprisingly good. It does anything a spl 20 will do and has a 
nice
crisp sound (maybe TOO crisp), But will it hold up?

While on the subject OF reeds, it is no secret that you WILL eventually 
break reed(s)
so talking about it is moot. Just go ahead and change the reed and get 
back to the
task at hand. Weeping and gnashing of teeth is a waste of time.

I think the basic problem is to find a harp with the perfect 
combination of reeds
that are robust enough to hold up while still being supple enough to be 
able to
catch bends in mid stream on the fly without having to come up (OR 
down) from
an "established" tuned pitch of said reed.

I think it's also important that a harp CAN be broken in and settle 
down to being
able to smoothly articulate all the various techniques one wants to do 
(at the TIME)
As you progress, and your mileage starts to vary, adjust from THAT 
point. But from
the beginning start with a harp which is not too bizzare or away from 
the norm.

I think that except for the advanced player, custom harps equal custom 
problems.
More on that at some other time :)

Hey, this is just what 'I' think (Methinks I think too much....eh wot?)

smo-joe