Subject: RE: [Harp-L] Custom Harmonicas-----Is it worth it?

[EGS1217@xxxxxxx]

Great post, Jonathan.  This story I really enjoyed  :)
 
thanks,
Elizabeth
 
"Message: 8
Date: Tue, 15 Apr 2008 16:44:21 -0500
From: J Compton  <jofjltn4@xxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: RE: [Harp-L] Custom Harmonicas-----Is  it worth it?
To: mike wesolowski <mwesolowski@xxxxxxxxxxxx>,  <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx>
Message-ID:  <BAY132-W49B56C3DCEF6BAF43DC26F84EB0@xxxxxxx>
Content-Type: text/plain;  charset="iso-8859-1"

Tread lightly.  Buying a custom harp has  totally ruined my harp playing 
experience...(and is also the best thing I've  done for my playing).

I own one full  custom/tweaked/improved/whateverthetermisnow* Spiers harp (in 
D).  It's my  pocket harp, my go-to solo/noodling harp, the harp I play every 
chance I  get.  Any time I play another harp, I notice the many ways it is 
inferior  to the Spiers harp...the reference harp.  My stock MB D?  Sharper  
corners, unsealed wood, tuning a little off, can't overdraw 7 consistently,  
overblow 6 has tendency to ring, inconsistency from reed to reed (that I never  
noticed before), etc..  Before the Spiers harp, I really liked that stock  
D...would even say it was in the top 3 of my all-time favorite harps.  All  of the 
other keys/brands are inferior to the Spiers harp in several ways.   Sure, 
some of them may be from differences other than stock vs. custom (such as  
low/high, brand differences, etc.), but that's what I blame first.

I'm  also a one-key guy now...(like a beginning guitar player and the key of  
E).  If I'm calling the key, I'm calling A. 
Minor tune?  Let's  play it in Em.  First position?  How about D.  I
used to be a  
roll-with-the-punches-anything-you-want-to-play-in-whatever-key, I'll grab a  harp and go...but now, I'm constantly wishing I was playing my 
favorite  harp.  ("C'mon guitar guys, just tune everything down a full step 
and  you'll never know the difference...and you'll be able to bend so much 
easier and  your strings will last longer.")



On the positive side, the Spiers  harp gives me a standard to aim for when 
tweaking my other harps.  I know  how I want them to "feel" now.  I don't tweak 
my other harps as much as I  used to though, since the standard is so high 
that I don't feel I can ever reach  it.  It was also the catalyst to learn how to 
overblow any marginally  appropriately gapped stock harp.  How much of that 
is equipment vs.  confidence?  No idea...and I don't care.  I can do it now, 
and it's  the result of the custom.  I also believe now that setup is absolutely 
 crucial to overdraws.

Because of this one harp, the only cure for my  problem is 11-13 more custom 
harps to complete the set...if only I can come up  with an extra $2-$3k, 
problem solved.

That one custom harp may be the  thing to get you to the next level of 
playing...but it may also be the gateway  harp to you pawning your wife's heirloom 
jewelry to complete the set.   You've been warned.

Jonathan 

*Bad enough you guys tried to change  the term "Gus".  Now you want to rename 
"custom" harps?  Is nothing  sacred?





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