Hering Vintage 1923 harps

[Aeskow@xxxxxxx]

- --I discontinued using the Hering Blues harps some time ago due to a couple 
of issues. Distribution and availibility were problems at that time. Also, I 
was experiencing reed failure more frequently than on any harp I had used in the 
past. 
Has anyone been using the Vintage harps long enough to speak to the 
durability issue? Has availibility improved?
Jay

Availability is no longer an issue: Coast-to-Coast stocks all diatonic keys 
pretty much all the time.  I find the sound of the harps to be superb for the 
kind of stuff I play, which is jazz, blues, and Memphis soul.  Their intonation 
reminds me of the way Marine Bands were tuned until late in the previous 
century--i.e., to my ears, perfect.  The only problem I've encountered with them 
has been a tendency for screws on the upper plate to loosen and detach, 
sometimes in mid-song, which is unfortunate; but there are people on this list who 
can tell you how to secure them in advance by using simple tools, and in a way 
that seems easy unless you're utterly clueless on the subject of harp 
repair--namely myself,

Johnny T