RE: [Harp-L] Suzuki's Fabulus....Rant...

["Anthony Smith" <anthony@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I purchased the Fabulous Model and loved it!  The tone is shockingly good as
compared to many others including other Suzuki models.  I had the thing for
a few weeks and the 5 draw went flat and was for lack of a better word,
tweaked.  Suzuki took VERY GOOD care of me when I called and S/W Os.  Fast
turn around and problem fixed, ZERO COST TO ME excellent handling of the
situation!  So much better than I've EVER received from Hohner I can't put
into words.  

Now, I have played on the harp for a week or two since it was sent back and
last night I noticed the 2 draw reed feelin a bit funny.  Not bad, but
sounds like she is on the verge of a problem.  With that said, I own several
Filisko Method Customs, one of which is going on 6 years old w/o a re-tune
or issue that was actually set up for OBs back in the day.  Obviously I
haven't blown the reeds out of it so why the problems with the Fabulous?  It
too is easy to overblow and without a doubt a very fine instrument.  I would
like to buy more as this is truly a fantastic sounding and playing harp but
I too am a bit nervous of buying more w/o knowing how to get some life out
of them?
  
I don't blow extremely soft nor do I blow extremely hard.  I do expect a
custom priced harmonica to be set up as a custom though so maybe therein
lies the rub. I purchased the just tuned model and the overblow capability
isn't as important to me as probably many on this site.  I'd rather the
gapping be a bit more open on this model in that I think the just tuned is a
good fit for the style music I play and don't tend to OB too often.
  
It is still so much better than a MB Deluxe (well worth the difference in
$$$) I wouldn't even consider buying another MB and would go the all out
custom route first.  I need to figure out how to put a little more gap in
or, maybe (Brendan) if I buy a minimum of 6 have a set up option available
from Suzuki???  This is a great harp with great tone and volume.

My only advice to the guy that started the thread would be to always give
the company you purchase an item from a chance to address your problem
before getting negative in a public forum.  This company (Suzuki) has gone
to great lengths to step outside the box and offer a high-end product to
anyone willing to invest in same.  This is as close to a custom as you'll
get without having someone set up for individual preference which is
truthfully a bit of a risk for the company.  Most guys dealing with the
customizers aren't novice players and, for good reason, those same
customizers tend to stay away from the novice players as these aren't
starter instruments.  Again, I am having a few issues with mine but I am not
ready to pound Suzuki or take all the blame for blowing like a madman cause
it might be somewhere in the middle...
  



-----Original Message-----
From: harp-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxx [mailto:harp-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf
Of Brendan Power
Sent: Wednesday, May 20, 2009 1:55 PM
To: harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: [Harp-L] Suzuki's Fabulus....Rant... 

In answer to Jeff's Rant:

This is a case that demonstrates how important it is for every harp player
to know the basics of reed gapping to suit their own style.

As others have said, everyone blows differently. A hard player will like
bigger gaps than a soft player. There are lots of levels in between the
setups of different players. To illustrate, Howard Levy lent me one of his
harps to play once, and I immediately tried to play in my usual way.

Result: virtually every second reed refused to sound! That's because Howard
has his reed gaps adjusted incredibly low to facilitate overblows.
I don't overblow as I use half-valved harps, and his harp just would not
work with my normal style.

That's what's happened in this case: the reed you complain about is simply
gapped too low for your style. It takes about 20 seconds to fix: remove the
covers and gently push the reed away from the plate a TINY bit, then give it
a hard breath. Adjust till it responds instantly, and the harp is fixed.
It's not rocket science, just the harmonica equivalent of putting new
strings on a guitar: everyone should know how to do it.

You also complain about the Suzuki valved harps, but that is also 'operator
error', in my opinion. Many players of normal un-valved harps find the reeds
don't respond as they are accustomed to when they try to play the Promaster
valved in their usual way. However, if you adjust your technique you quickly
find the harp is well set up and plays great.

Conclusion: you need to work on your harmonica adjustment knowledge and
playing technique before you complain about perfectly good harmonicas.

Brendan Power
WEBSITE: http://www.brendan-power.com
YOUTUBE: http://www.youtube.com/BrendanPowerMusic



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