[Harp-L] Hetrick Harp Case

[Mike Fugazzi <mfugazzi67@xxxxxxxxx>]

My wife ordered the 42 harp Hetrick Harp Case for me
for the holidays (we did Christmas last night).  I was
amazed at how compact the case is, even compared to
the Hohner case I usually use.  It is very
lightweight, but really well made.  It is obviously
designed by a harp player and easily meets all me
immediate travel and storage needs.  Finally somebody
makes a harp case that works for real harp players!  I
can store a plethra of harps in a small package
without feeling like I am traveling with an antique!

I've done a lot of research into what I need for a gig
worthy harp case.  This is case is as close to perfect
as I will probably ever find!  

Things I really like about it thus far:

The lid opens to a 90 degree angle, but there is no
way, even harpless, that the case is going to tip.

It holds 42 harps, which is more then I need it to
hold!

It is obviously well made and there is a lot of
attention to detail.

The website is 100% accurate in regards to what the
case is really about (this is super important to
me)!!!

It looks really great.

A few things I don't totally dig, but I am already
over:

One row of harp slots is slightly larger then the rest
and the harps wiggle around a little more there.  If
you go to harpcase.com you can look at the pictures
and see what I mean. If those slots were a little
larger, I'd probably be able to fit a harp, in its
box.  There is really no way around this, as the
dividers lock in place.  

There is no mic stand attachment, but that's my own
issue and not a reflection of the design/time/effort
put into the product.

The dividers are plexiglass (but I was aware of that
from the website), and if the harps are banging around
there is a rattle.  Again, very, very minor, as I
don't think a little (I mean little) shifting will do
any damage to my harps.  If it does, then I am the one
being reckless.  The only ones that really move are
those in the larger row.

And finally, I can hold too many harps.  What if the
case gets stolen ;)  I'd be out 42 of 'em.  Lol
_________________________________________________

The case holds six to a row and is seven columns wide.
 I don't have much use for 42 harps for a show, so I
currently have five columns filled (the furthest left
and right are empty).

Down row one I have, from top to bottom, a C, G, D, A,
E, and B.  In row two I have F#, Db, Ab, Eb, Bb, and
F.
That pattern repeats for rows three and four.  In the
fifth row, I have all my low harps. 

I currently don't play any special tunings or
chromatic.  I have a set of seven harps I use for
travel or sitting in, and decided to keep those in a
harmonicamasterclass.com soft case.  Two of each harp
is probably enough for my needs.  In the past, I
haven't even had two whole sets at gigs!  While there
is always a chance two could go down the same night, I
know enough about other positions that I can get by
without feeling like I am cheating myself.

I could probably change the case to hold a mic or
something, but that isn't what I want it for.  I have
a gig case and what I need was an efficient, and well
designed/made harp case.  Mission accomplished.

Hope this helps anybody on the fence about getting one
of these.  They're expensive compared to the Hohner
cases, but the black Hohner holds half as many harps,
is considerably larger, and not near as heavy duty. So
for the price of two or three of those I can still
hold at least another twelve pack of harps in a
smaller package.



Mike Fugazzi
vocals/harmonica

http://www.myspace.com/mikefugazzi
http://www.niterail.com

"Capitalize on your own strengths; develop your own style.
The world needs another harp player doing Little Walter licks
as much as it needs another Elvis impersonator."
-Paul deLay

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