Re: [Harp-L] Special 20 vs. Seydel Session Steel?

[Garry <harp@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

On 12/27/2012 08:44 PM, Scott Hicks wrote:
> My harp of choice for a couple of years has been the Hohner Special 20 but I was thinking of trying the Seydel Session Steel. Can anyone offer any comparison info? How close are they in size? I have one Lee Oskar in my case and every time I pick it up, it feels quite strange in my hands because it is slightly bigger, not to mention the size of the holes.
>
> Scott 		 	   		
you should compare the sp20 to the regular session, vs. the steel.
they are similar in cost, and you can try one out for the cost of
a special 20. if you like it, then a separate decision is whether
to spend the roughly 2X premium to get the presumably enhanced
reed life that the session steel offers.

as far as i can tell, the sessions and session steels are pretty much
the same as far as responsiveness and playability, and are of course
identical in terms of size, shape, etc. i went with the steels for a while,
but found that they didn't last any longer for me than other harps,
and i prefer the responsiveness of the suzuki bluesmasters.

note that you can buy replacement reedplates for sessions and
steels, so you can upgrade the former to the latter when/if a reed
fails.

i play a mix of (mostly) bluesmasters, session steels, and special 20s.
they're all great harps. the differences are likely to come down to
personal preference, so asking here won't tell you nearly as much
as just buying a few and trying them out.


--
We make a living from what we get,
but we make a life from what we give.
- Kathy Moser