RE: [Harp-L] bye bye bird

["MLeFree" <mlefree@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

TomEHarp asks about bye bye bird:
> there is a very cooy video of sonny doing it on you tube. my
> question is what kind of harp is he useing.

One of my all-time favorite harp tunes, fer sure. 'S a Hohner 365 in low C.

Evidently the 365 was one of SBII's favorite harps; mine, too BTW. You see
him carrying one around in Sam Lay's old 8mm movies taken at the Chicago
blues bars. Very versatile harps. In addition to the extra octave on the low
end, they're chock full of octaves and splits which makes them great for
gospel music, too. Sound a lot like a church organ... to me anyway. Being
larger than a standard Marine Band they have a full, rich tone, and are very
loud. The 365 layout is different from a standard diatonic harp which makes
it more difficult for me to use it for classic blues or melodies. For those
I prefer a low C Steve Baker Special, which is built with the same exact
reed plates, comb and cover plates as the 365. Like any wood-combed Marine
Band, they're both even nicer when the wooden comb is smoothed and sealed
and the nails are replaced with screws.

BTW, you should hear our own Mojo Red do 'Bird -- he's got it ~down~.
Schweeeet!

Michelle