Re: [Harp-L] Comfort blanket harmonica

[Ken Deifik <kenneth.d@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Tim Moyer wrote:

> I haven't tried the Suzuki Fire Breath or Pure Harp yet, though I
> probably will before too long.  I'm a fan of the Promaster for it's
> size and ergonomics, but I'm not thrilled about the welded reeds.  I
> don't like the idea of a high-end instrument that can't be easily
> repaired.

Last summer, after a gig, I noticed that my favorite harp was missing from 
my box.  (I loved my cheap ol' set of Huang Star Performers, and practiced 
on the D every day for years.  That's the one that went missing.)

This was around the time there were some early adopter posts here about the 
Suzuki Fire Breath, so I replaced the missing harp with an SFB.

It has changed my style radically, though probably because I have never 
used well-setup-harps to begin with.  I have added in all kinds of slides 
and jumps because the reeds all sound more like they come from the same 
instrument, top to bottom, and feel like it, too.  The dynamics are more 
detailed (that is, I find I can express more gradations within the range of 
the instrument, making it a great deal  more expressive) and the people who 
know my work tell me the sound is wildly pretty.

I highly recommend this instrument.

Weird payoff.  I looked all over the performance space for that good ol' D 
harp last summer before I left.  I looked for it in my harp box and the bag 
I was carrying it in.

Three months ago I was in the middle of a gig when I looked down at the 
harps in my box and the Huang D Harp was right in its usual place.  I don't 
believe in miracles, I do believe in diminishing observational skills.  But 
jeez, my ex-favorite harp was staring me in the face for 8 months.

When I got home I played it for a few minutes and then retired it for 
good.  It really felt clunky after months of playing the SFB.

Ken