Ben makes a good point. Unless you're a pro then you don't need to
use Filisko harp.
Almost anything I say on this subject will sound like promoting expensive
harmonicas... i.e. the Renaissance chromatic. This is not the case here
and the story is from well before the instrument was conceived and when I
didn't know that diatonics were anything but a folk instrument. It's a
double story and the sting in the tail (tale? :)) in that it gives advice
both ways.
1st story
I used to be a very mediocre classic spanish guitar player... (and to
allay any remarks, I still am) I had a pretty good student guitar and
liked it. I began to find things which irritated me in the sound.... so I
upgraded to an 'advanced student/early professional's guitar. Wow, so much
easier to play... still one or two things that started to emerge after a
while. I had, by that time invented a little device for quickly finding
out if the frets were exactly in the right position on any fretted
instrument... because of this i met many of Europes best guitar makers and
got to try some fabulous instruments. While they were laughing at my lack
of playing ability they were buying my device! Great stuff. During this
round I managed to get hold of a guitar which had been made for Julian
Bream. It was new as he had chosen another one by the same maker
(Romanillos). This guitar inspired me, it had sounds on it I hadn't been
able to achieve before, I found my reach was improved because of the subtle
shaping of the neck, the strong harmonics from the body had been smoothed
out so that no notes were obtrusive, the G string sang etc etc. It made me
want to work with it, practice, play, explore new music... my technique
improved from obnoxious to merely unlistenable. I loved that
guitar. However, I started to teach in school and it's sound was not
appropriate for working with large groups so I had to sell and buy a very
nice Yamaha Grand Concert which was surprisingly good.
I MISSED the other guitar and I have never had the same buzz or incentive
since. Neither the money nor the opportunity have come along since to try
for another like it... and, in any case, the harmonica is my main thing.
Story 2. A friend of mine, a pretty top line Pro, had been after a Fleta
guitar for years, it was the type Segovia played. He had played a lot of
Fletas and had played a couple to me and they were truly
gorgeous. Eventually the Fleta brothers in Spain interviewed him and
agreed to allow him to buy one of their second hand guitars (long and
amusing story). he brought the thing home and round to my workshop and
asked me to take 1/8" off the neck thickness. I told him it would take me
2 weeks. (actually I could do the complete job in an afternoon and varnish
it in a couple of days... I wanted to PLAY this thing!!! ) The long and
the short of it ?? I was bitterly disappointed with it, I couldn't get
anything reasonable out of it. I hadn't the strength nor the subtlety to
make it work. When he came back to collect he did a test concert for
me... over an hour of beautiful music... He COULD get out of it what it had
to offer.
The work of a particular customiser/builder may or may not be for
you. However, if you find the right one, doesn't matter what stage YOU are
at, it will inspire you and make the job of becoming proficient that much
easier because you are not trying to overcome the instruuments deficiencies
all the time. Yes, it happens on ALL instruments not only harmonicas.
About the highest compliment we have ever had came from a customer who said
"The slide responds just like you want it to, you forget it´s there, that´s
how good it is.."
Any good customiser will elicit that sort of response from a player on all
sorts of fronts.
BTW, my partner just had to pay $3000+ to have some plastic piping put in a
house. It wasn't two days work, material costs would be below $200. And
you think that $200 for an extreme master tweaking your instrument is
expensive? Get real! The Filisco group have low prices for their skills, as
do most customisers.
Whatever your level of play... if you are serious about your music...
search out a customiser and start working together. You will be amazed.
If you aren't, move to another customiser.