Re: [Harp-L] Custom harp?

["Bob Maglinte" <bbqbob917@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Dave Murray" <dlmurray@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Monday, November 07, 2005 10:27 PM
Subject: [Harp-L] Custom harp?


> I was looking at Jerry Portnoy's web page and noticed that it said, "Jerry 
> Portnoy plays Hohner Harmonicas, Magic Harmonicas and custom harmonicas by 
> Joe Filisko". Jerry's course of instruction makes no mention of 
> overblow/underdraw (lots on bending) and it makes me want to ask -- Since 
> you can bend out of the box harps, I thought that custom harps were just a 
> thing for OB players. Do non-OB players buy custom harps, why? Does Jerry 
> overblow/underdraw?
>
> Peace and music,
> Dave

Hi Dave,
There are MANY non overblow players like Kim Wilson and Rick Estrin for 
example who use custom instruments and so do I, and I almost never use 
overblows. Simply put, the attention to detail you will NEVER get in ANY 
production line instrument makes for an enormous playability difference and 
allows you to play with 50-80% LESS breath force, which will allow for a 
wider range of available tonal colors, less physical effort and when not 
having to play so hard will allow them to actually last much longer than ANY 
out of the box instrument, It would be a VERY serious mistake to give a 
beginner a custom harp because of their poor playing technique and habits, 
and that includes oral hygiene, and they could ruin those harps even faster 
than the out of the box instruments. After playing custom diatonics, I can 
say I've become far too spoiled by them to ever go back to playing out of 
the box stuff regularly. Remember, custom is tailored to the individual 
player, NOT the masses as are the out of the box harps are. Jerry's teaching 
from a much more traditional blues playing standpoint and almost none of the 
old blues guys did overblows.

Sincerely,
Barbeque Bob Maglinte
Boston, MA
http://www.barbequebob.com
MP3's: http://music.mp3lizard.com/barbequebob/