Re: [Harp-L] Seydel Soloist Pro 12 Low C

[Michelle LeFree <mlefree@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

 Mike Fugazzi asks:
> I picked one up at SPAH mostly to work on Another Man Done Gone.  I really
> enjoy the harp but was curious as to the benefits of its unique tuning.  I
> couldn't find much info on it specifically online and would love to hear
> what others think about this harp, its tuning, and its use.
>
> FWIW, I love the design of the harp and the comb.  Nice, nice stuff.  I have
> not worked on a Seydel harp other than this one and couldn't tell you how
> they compare to a Hohner set up to overbend, but they are a well done
> harmonica!!!

Mike, I also picked up a Seydel Solist Pro 12 in Low-C at SPAH. What a 
great harp! I got mine knowing how much I dig the "original," the Hohner 
Steve Baker Special, which is a re-tuned 14-hole 365 Marine Band. That 
is also a killer harp. Great tone, loud, and very nice to play -- once 
customized by sealing the comb and replacing the nails with screws. For 
many years I called it my "desert island" harp (I'll expand on why that 
is in a minute).

Like I say, the SBS is a great harp, but it is big and those extra two 
holes on the high end are so squeaky as to be unusable, IMO. So, the 
ideal low-C SBS embodiment, IMHO would be a 12-hole harp with a sealed 
comb and screws instead of nails -- e.g, the Soloist Pro 12. It's 
shorter in length than the Hohner SBS so it is "cup-able" and it has 
very nice stainless cover plates too.

Now, why do I like these harps? First, understand their tuning. 
Essentially, the first three holes are tuned like those in a regular 
low-C diatonic and holes 3-12 are tuned like a regular C diatonic. So in 
addition to the normal 10-hole diatonic you have an additional lower 
octave covered in those first three holes. So what is cool about that? 
Several things. One, you can play riffs in any of 4 octaves. Also, and 
here's what I really like, you can do some very cool things playing 
tongue-blocked splits combining those first two octaves, and then right 
on up the harp as in a normal diatonic. In addition, you can lay down 
some pretty nice bass lines in that low first octave and then go to the 
higher octaves for the melody or blues riffing, and back to the the bass 
lines and so on. Try Sonny Boy II's "Bye Bye Bird" on one of these 
babies! Finally, these harps are chugging monsters. Try starting a train 
rhythm in that luscious low octave and then roam up and down the harp 
with whistles and anything else you care to throw at it; the Soloist Pro 
12 is very much equal to that task, too. You should hear the reigning 
rhythm harp king (IMHO), Paul Davies, wail on his -- he likes to use two 
Soloist Pro 12's at once for some amazing rhythm effects.

I hope this gives you a few ideas, Mike. Let us know what ~you~ discover 
with this versatile harmonica.

Michelle