[Harp-L] Re. the Seydel 1847

[Roger Boyce <roger.boyce@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I¹ve been playing amplified harp for about 45 years ­ starting with the
ubiquitous wood-comb Hohner Marine Band. I¹ve tried Hohner Big Rivers (Paul
deLay¹s fave) and Special 20¹s. Suzukis,  Herings, Lee Oskars and Bushman.

Prior to buying a bunch of Seyedel 1847s, some years back, I almost
exclusively employed Bushman Delta Frosts ­ which are loud, bright and
responsive. However, I¹ve now slowly but surely replaced almost all the
harps in my two main cases with the Seydel 1847. The 1847¹s are to my aging
ear even louder, brighter and more responsive than the Delta Frosts....and
the stainless steel reeds never seem to die.

I have no interest in running down the other brands. Each to his own. I will
reveal, for product comparison purposes, that I¹m moderately hard on harps.
I suspect that¹s true because I play a lot of single hole stuff (with
?popping¹ slurs and runs) that¹s fairly percussive. Also employ
tongue-blocked chords that rely on the abrupt release of air for rhythmic
punctuation.  I don¹t overblow much or modify (embossing, etc.) or customize
my instruments...so appreciate a harp that¹s well made out of the box.

I do understand that for different styles of musicianship that various
styles and techniques of harp manufacture (and customization) provide needed
versatility. Stating the obvious ­ the only way to find out which brand of
harp¹s best for you is to sample the variety of makes and (der) use the one
that suits you best.

I have nightmares about 1847¹s going out of production ­ if rumors of that
unfortunate event ever began to circulate I¹d buy enough 1847¹s in one go to
last my lifetime. I don¹t believe I¹d have to worry about buying too many
back-ups ­ except in the high note range ­ as I¹ve heard no tell-tale signs
of immanent failure in the harmonicas I bought over 6 years ago.

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