Re: [Harp-L] Cheap harps

[Steve Shaw <moorcot@xxxxxxx>]

Buying second-hand from eBay is fine if you know what you're doing. I've had good experiences too. But only if you can read between the lines of the listings, if you know how to dismantle, clean, and reassemble, if you know how to make adjustments made necessary by wear and tear and possibly a bit of abuse and if you know how to avoid harps on their last legs. Many times, I've seen good-looking eBay harps sell for not a lot less than new. There will be good buys on eBay but they will likely be buried among junk, and you have to know the difference.

As for cheap harps, well, like lots of people, I suppose, I went through a phase of seeing if I could cut my costs by buying cheapies (and I bought lots). I found that what nearly all of them had in common was the propensity for reeds to go flat, often within minutes of playing. I can't think of anything more off-putting.

I think that the minimum requirement for beginners (who are quite likely to blow reeds out due to undeveloped technique even on good harps, let alone cheapies) is a harp that can take a bit of abuse without going out of tune every two minutes. So I say save your pennies and get a Lee Oskar or Suzuki Bluesmaster ( both of which have the added advantage of replaceable reedplates). Even Sp20s are not too great at taking abuse, so they can come later when technique has been refined. 

On 26 Jun 2013, at 05:49, "Tom Halchak" <thalchak@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

> If I was a betting man I would wager that most harp-l readers are a cut above average in terms of their harmonica IQ.  So I'm a bit confused why anyone would intentionally set themselves up for disappointment by buying a "cheap harp".  Why not buy a quality used harp and clean it up?  You can buy Marine Bands and Special 20's all day long on eBay for $10 - $15,  I've had very positive experiences buying on eBay. 
> 
> Tom Halchak
> Clearwater, FL
> 
> Sent from my iPhone