[Harp-L] Customized harps - The work of Joe Spiers and Rupert Oysler

[Jóhannes Jónsson <johjons@xxxxxx>]

   Hi again harp-l-ers

I´ve been inactive on the list for a while but I always read some of the posts. There are sometimes questions here about customizers and it has long been my intention to praise the work of two such people, namely Rupert Oysler and Joe Spiers. 
I have been postponing this for months and now I just have to get it done. First the formalities: I have no connections with either of them.

About a year ago I had a little more money than I´m used to and spent some on harmonicas, customized and stock harps, also harp books, harp dvd-s, a microphone etc.
The very best of all the harps I got were two harps from the aforementioned. These harps are better than anything I had previously played and I have played harmonica practically every day for 21 years and have about 100 of them, some very good.
To still add weight to my words I can mention that both harps are much better than the Suzuki Pure Harp which, along with one Golden Melody from years back, is the best out-of-the-box harp I have known.

Anyway,
Both harps are equal tuned diatonic harps in Bb.
The Spiers harp is a Premium Custom Marine Band and the Oysler harp is an extreme-close gapped Seydel Black Favorite. Both customizers got the information that the harps were intended for playing in all keys on and thus had to overblow well.
Describing harmonicas in detail is more difficult than I realised but I can at least mention a few things about these harps.
Both harps overblow so well that at all normal speed melodys in B are as easy as melodys in Bb and I´m talking all octaves here. Bending the overblows and overdraws is easy, also hitting them bent is, and thanks to these harps I have over the last few months been realising how very USEFUL that thechnique often is for smoother and better flow in the solos, better legato. Before I just KNEW bent OBs and ODs. Now I USE them.
What amazes me most is how different these two ridiculously good harmonicas are. Their tone is very different and they have a different respond. I also use them for different purposes.
The Oysler harp has extremely beutiful tone and is my harp of choice for ballads. the Spiers harp is somewhat rougher. The harp responds perfectly to any sort of attack, any way of blowing and is ideal for very fast soloing. It also somehow retains that special Marine Band character we all love.
Now fast soloing; that reminds me that Jason Ricci has written about Spiers´ harps. It should be in the harp-l archives.

Well, It seems to me that Oysler and Spiers gave me their very best work and they did so without knowing much about me. For this one must say thank you.

Finally I´d also like to recommend Rupert Oysler´s dvd on harp repair and customization. Luckily, I never threw away a harp in my life (I´ve lost a few, though) and after I got his dvd I managed to make almost all my junk harps usable and I´ve made one Golden Melody in C good enough to use with Howard Levy´s dvd, "Out of the box vol. 1". I really had considered this harp finished but after changing from nails to screws, replacing one or two reeds, gapping, embossing and finally tuning it has become one of my best harps. This is all thanks to Oysler´s clear explanations on the dvd. I also want to mention that Oysler gives some advices on playing technique and the dvd is filled with fine humour and very good harmonica playing. 

Bye for now,
JJBecher