Re:Guitars vs Strings

["Keith Dunn" <keith@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

This is a multi-part message in MIME format.


"Paul=A0Harker"=A0paul-harker@xxxxxxxxxxx wrote: Tue, May 25, 2004 2:54 =
am
<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..>=20

I was onstage with a well know blues guitarist. After he had played an =
amazing set with all of the show tricks some one approached the stage =
and asked, =93What kind of strings do you use?=94 The old guy looked at =
him rather incredulously and answered, =93Guitar strings!=94 Sorry to =
waste bandwidth but couldn=92t help it=85=20
=20
P.H. wrote:
<On of the things about harp is that it is really a set of 12 (or more). =
$10
harps cost $120+, a $25 harps cost $260, and custom harps can be =
measured in
thousands of dollars. Not chump change.>

Yes Paul, this is the point. You can spend a lot of money even if you =
are only using stock harmonicas. This is why it is advantageous to do =
what you can to make them last. All of the good guitar players that I =
know work on their guitars, and or hire others to do the same, so that =
they can play on an instrument that is set up to their specifications. =
I=92m living in Europe and don=92t know anyone who has a custom harp =
(yes, I would clean it before and after) so I would have to buy one and =
$100. just to try something out=85so I=92m speaking about =91stock=92 =
harmonicas here.

P.H. wrote:=20
<In addition, I'm curious how others feel -- are harps a disposable
commodity, a long-term investment,..>

For 30 years, they were a disposable commodity for me until I was shown =
the light buy the owner of one of major harmonica companies. Thirty =
years of throwing harmonicas away is a lot of bottles of Pomerol wine. =
Fellow harpers, don=92t wait as I did. You will gain more than money.=20

If you clean your harmonicas properly, they are much less likely to =
malfunction in the middle of the greatest solo of your life and they =
will last longer.=20

However, here is the most important part. If you think about how you =
would like your instrument to play and then learn to set it up so that =
it plays and responds that way, not the way the manufacturer wants; Not =
only will you have something that is always in tune, responds as you =
wish and last a surprisingly longtime, but you will have taken a major =
step towards developing your own personal sound and that, ,IMHO, is what =
it is all about.

Yes, harmonicas can be and often are a disposable commodity but it is to =
our great advantage to make them more than that.=20

Keith Dunn
www.alonewiththeblues.com