Re: [Harp-L] Harmonica Shelf Space

["Abner Galdos" <cdgaldos@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Its the same here in South East Florida.  My wife bought the fist harp a few years ago at Cracker Barrel ( I know, TOY), Her mom use to play and her father made xylophones (in between caching tarantulas). My wife father back in the 30's use to perform on Spanish radio in Tucson Arizona... (he played the guitar, piano and sang) I never met him.  Sadly he died (ex copper miner) years before I meet my wife..
The two other places are Guitar Center (staff knew nothing) and a local place that only carried Hohner...

I hear the harp being played in so many venues, from different styles of music, different ethnics groups, movie back ground going back to the 40's.  You even hear them many commercials...

I go to an open mike bar on Wednesday and they have one bass player and multiply guitar players.  One girl sings and her father left her his stash of harmonica and she is boldly trying to learn.  And they want and need and would love to have a harp player with them..... (and I want to be that person)

so why is it so hard to find, harps in stores..????
why do newbie like me have to hunt and hope to find good places to really learn.....
You guys have no Idea how lucky I am to have found this place and how much I appreciate your help.

abner
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Jp Pagán 
  To: harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx 
  Sent: Friday, March 06, 2009 8:50 PM
  Subject: Re: [Harp-L] Harmonica Shelf Space


  I've never had much luck getting a good harp selection at any brick &  
  mortar store. I've been to Guitar Center as well as to some well known  
  places here in NYC like Manny's and Sam Ash. Usually they have like,  
  50 Blues Harps in C and maybe a couple other harps in A or G, maybe F,  
  and that's it. For the longest time, I've ordered my harps online: any  
  key you want, any make, any model, and usually arrives in a couple of  
  days. Besides, my money goes to people who are part of and care about  
  the harmonica community, not to Guitar Center or Sam Ash. Not that  
  there's anything wrong with that, but they care little or not at all  
  about harmonica players. Then again, maybe it's because of people like  
  me. ;)

  -Jp

  --- In harp-l-archives@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, Rick Davis <bluesharpamps@...>  
  wrote:
   >
   > I've noticed over the last couple years that shelf space dedicated to
   > harmonicas in music stores has dwindled to almost nothing.  Stores  
  like
   > Guitar Center (and others like it) used to have big displays of  
  harps in or
   > behind the accessories counter.  Now the only thing I see is the  
  little
   > Hohner box that perches on the counter.
   >
   > What's up?  Have harp sales fallen off so much that stores no  
  longer want to
   > devote shelf space, or have other items such as pedals made in  
  China become
   > so profitable that harmonicas are squeezed out?  I bought a Special  
  20 in C
   > today and had to walk up and down the counter several times before  
  I found
   > any harps.
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