[Harp-L] Joe Spiers's harmonicas

[fjm <mktspot@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

An alternative to the long wait for Filisko Guild products, Joe Spiers 
is now offering a variety of customised Marine Band tm based harmonicas.

Joe used a Mark Lavoie Vermont Maple comb for the Marine Band tm
harmonicas he made for me.  A lower cost sealed stock comb is also an 
option.  I was really surprised by how good looking this comb is.
Joe details the comb and seals it.  He blacks the sides and back.  A
very unique product is the result.  His reshaping of the covers somehow
makes them a lot less flexible across the top.  A good thing for me
because I slowly lower the cover on the low note side of the harmonica.
 I remember Bobbie G seeing an early brass Filisko I had and commenting
on Joe's tapering the coverplates, oops that was me not Joe.

The Bb I received has very even response over all 10 holes.  It doesn't
have that heavily embossed shrillness that so many customs have these
days.  It plays like a pre war which is pretty much the gold standard
for me.  4 5 6 all overblow easily with stability.  The tuning is
superb, I got this one in 19 limit.  A really nice product with way
better than average detailing.

It's nice that there are alternatives in custom harmonicas available
these days.  I cherish my Filiskos and continue to get in line and buy
from Jimmy Gordon and Richard Sleigh but until the bottom falls out of
the market I'll welcome the addition of quality customs in the
marketplace.  Lest I forget, Pat Missin also makes superb harmonicas, I
have an SBS retuned from F to F# that Pat did for me, it's years later
and it's still going strong with zero maintenance.  Considering that I
was very bad and sent him an out of tune very used F to begin with this
is nothing short of a miracle.  I've also got a Bob Meehan harmonica,
originally a C that I retuned to G minor, that thing's been a workhorse
for me.  Years later I haven't done a thing to it, all the original
reeds.  I'd say nice things about Tim Moyer's work but his wait seems to
have gotten a lot longer these days.  Wonder why that is?  I have a D
T-bone that I can't seem to kill.  It's really nice to buy harmonicas
that you don't just turn around and throw away in 2-3 months time.  If
for no other reason than durability custom harmonicas are the bargain of
the century.  Of course Steve Guyger, Annie Raines and many other
noteables all play off the rack harmonicas so what do I know?  fjm