[Harp-L] Misc. harp questions and thanks

[<thalchak@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Please  forgive me if the following questions are a bit amateurish, for that is what i am.  And thank you in advance to all of you who are so willing to contribute to my education.  I have learned more about the harmonica the past few weeks of reading Harp-L that in the previous 35 years of playing.  I am sincerly touched by the closeness of this fraternity.

Due to my recently renewed interst in "mastering" the harmonica, I have been investing a lot of money in  a) new harps; b) Books c)CDs for listening and for education/training; d)a mic;  d) I'm about to pull the trigger on an amp; and e) judging from the comments on this list, I'll need an AFB is in the near future.

My first question.  Would someone please explain the difference in the tuning of a Golden Melody vs. a Marine Band or Special 20?  Most of my harps are Golden Melodies, but my collection of Special 20s is growing and I am certainly open to trying other recommended harps.  I just bought my first SBS Hohner 365 and a chromatic online and am anxiously awainting delivery.

Second question.  I am having some difficulty with a few of my harps.  Specifically in holding the bend on the 2 draw or getting the full 1 1/2 step bend on the 3 holes. (For example the G harp)  Others I can bend and hold without difficulty.  I fully accept the possibility that "user error" might be the primary source of my difficulty ('m working on it).  But I am wondering,  a) how long does it take to "break in" a new harmonica?;  and b) I've been reading a lot about tuning and customizing harps and there is an apparently good book on Amazon about the subject (Make Your Harmonica Work Better - Douglas Tate) so is it common for you pros out there to have to tweak a new harp in order to get it just right? It appears that building a complete set of harps that play and sound the way you want them to is a little more of a challenge than just buying a bunch of harps (understatement of the month I presume).

That's about all the new information I can absorb at the moment.  I'm sure there will be more questions down the road and thanks again for your patience and your willingness to impart your collective wisdom.

Tom Halchak
Clearwater, FL 33763
thalchak@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx