Re: Guitars vs. Strings (longish)

[Jp Pagan <jpl_pagan@xxxxxxxxx>]

- --- In harp-l-archives@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, "Paul Harker"
<paul-harker@xxxx> wrote:
> With the talk of custom harps, it seems that some
folks think of a harmonica
> like a guitarist would think of a set of strings --
a consumable item. On
> the other, some look at it more like the guitar, an
instrument to care for
> and maintain. Most, appear somewhere in between.
>    
> In addition, I'm curious how others feel -- are
harps a disposable
> commodity, a long-term investment, or ??


Hey Paul,

  i was just mentioning something along these lines to
someone off-list. keep in mind, this opinion comes
from a relative newbie, with no gigging experience, so
stock up your salt shakers...

  you ask if harps are "a disposable commodity" or a
"long-term investment" and my opinion is that the harp
is an instrument, and to a certain extent, it's
longevity is what you make of it. (i'm not including
"antique" harps in this discussion, for obvious
reasons).
  there's extremes on either end of the harp spectrum,
from Popper's "pop-tart" mentality to Doug Tate's
"timeless" approach. most of us will fall somewhere in
between. some of that is our attitude: for some, harps
are a cheap, throw-away item at $20, for others, even
$100 is reason enough to keep it around many many
years.
  guitars aren't necessarily much different, depending
on your point of view. for one thing, you can be like
a rock star and trash your guitar (which may well cost
over a thousand) every night, or you can can have one
guitar that lasts you near a lifetime (i'll mention
Stevie Ray Vaughn's "First Wife," though i'll come
back with some qualifying statements in a minute).
even if you don't trash your guitars, you may go
through dozens, scores, or even hundreds in a lifetime
(Clapton always seems to have 50 used guitars he's
just giving away...)

  looking more closely at the lifetime view of guitars
you have to keep one thing in mind (which hasn't come
up yet in relation to harps): MAINTENANCE. like you
said, strings are replaceable. but necks have to be
re-aligned from time to time, or even replaced, and
nuts, bridges, frets, whammy bars, tuning pegs, etc.,
may not last as long as that flame-painted maple body
(even the painjob may not last...). similarly, harps
benefit from maintenance: you re-tune or replace
reeds, you CLEAN it, you may have to replace a slide,
or glue a crack in a comb... but i think you could own
a set of harps, even diatonics, for many many many
years without having to outright replace them. 
  another important thing (which harkens back to the
"rock star" guitar players) is how you treat your
harp. do you blow into it at full force? do you suck
the life out of it til a reed flies down your throat?
do you leave it in your back pocket and sit on it? do
you let it dry out? is it full of lint? ;) good
technique, as we've been told many a time, will help
your harps live longer. just like us, they do better
with less stress being put on them. again, ask Doug
Tate about the longevity of his harmonicas (i can
almost say harmonica - singular!). or, since i don't
know and i'm curious, maybe we should ask a guy like
Filisko? does he have a new set every year? i've heard
him play - he's incredible. but i have a feeling he
takes care of his harps: plays em right, does regular
maintenance, etc. 
  now... does that make him a better harp player? nah.
as far as i know, most of the greats went through
harps like Trump goes through wives. then again, so
did some, if not most, of the greatest blues
guitarists i can think of. SRV's "First Wife" may have
lasted him a (tragically short) lifetime, but she went
through frets, whammy bars, all kinds of parts. like a
car with 200,000 miles on it, you can't expect it to
stay all original after being given a beating every
night.  
 
  so... to end the babbling: i think they are what you
make of them. if you want them to be disposable,
you're in luck: a Jackson will get you a new one. if
you want them to last (and presumably, if you pay a
bit more at the outset), you can keep 'em a heck of a
long time - provided you treat 'em right. anyone with
the knowledge want to talk about how much it costs to
maintain a sax?? ;) 

  that's my .02 cents. salt liberally...

   --Jp


	
		
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