[Harp-L] Speaking of Alan Wilson...

[tacopescado@xxxxxxxxxxx]

How did Blind Owl, Little Walter, Butterfield, Norton Buffalo etc,  
have harps that allowed them to do anything they wanted to do? Did  
they know how to modify and trick up their harps ala Filisko, Sleigh,  
Spiers etc? Did this become a lost (and then found again) art or is it  
all about quality control?

One of my all-time favorite records is the original acoustic 'Hot  
Tuna' with Will Scarlett who was over-blowing long before Howard.  
Somehow he tricked up his harps but was mostly an auto mechanic.  
Ahh... the profitable life of a musician.

Also, Blind Owl supposedly added windsavers to his diatonic for "On  
The Road Again."

I've tried for decades to emulate Mad Cat on his tracks with Sky King  
from the early 70's such as Looking Forward, Hot Mustard and Don't Be  
Afraid (amongst others).

So, I ask you Peter, the Mad Cat, and I have nothing but the highest  
respect and regard for you as a harmonica player and as a person. What  
kind of harps did you play on the Sky King sessions and were they  
tricked up? If so, did you trick 'em up. Those badass hole-3 bends  
with vibrato! Where did that come from?

I just recently got some harmonicas from Joe Spiers that allow me to  
play in cross on a low-F as if I was on a D. Most amazing.

So I ask again... how did these cats do it in the past?