Re: [Harp-L] Cheap/Huang => so harp became a rich man's game (?)

[Mike Wilbur <mike@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

A dozen Special 20s ( U pick the Keys ) are a bargain 
buy a dozen and get a discount about $35 each

Don't play them myself but I have and think they are rock solid...

Or maybe a Saxophone for $3,000 


Mike Wilbur


On Jun 27, 2013, at 6:14 PM, Tom Ball <havaball@xxxxxxx> wrote:

> Bart,
> 
> Of course there's never anything wrong with trying to save money. But my statement is "rubbish"?  Beg to differ. Please note my wording, "the musician who stops buying good instruments...."  In other words, buys bad instruments.
> 
> Perhaps you interpreted my post as an endorsement of expensive, custom harps...(?)  Not the case. For the last 30 years I've played Special 20s straight from the box. No tweeking, no embossing, no customization. (It should be noted I'm using the US "handmade' SP20s rather than the European MS counterparts.) Last I looked, these things had a list price of about $50 US but can be found for as little as $30 or so if you shop around.
> 
> Sure, we all complain about price increases and can remember when they were under five bucks. But then, a beer used to cost 50 cents and a movie ticket was a buck, too.  I don't consider $30 too expensive for a professional-level instrument; particularly since they last twice as long as they used to. Hohner's quality of workmanship on the SP20 has advanced light-years from where it was 10-20 years ago. I've tried 'em all, but I keep coming back to SP20s. Of course the world is full of people with differing opinions, and that's fine.
> 
> Point I was trying to make is: if a harp player honestly wants to get the most out of their playing, they can't cut back to absolute bare bones junk or toys... if they do, they'll be fighting a largely unplayable instrument and wondering why it doesn't respond. They'll either get frustrated and give up, or simply never improve. Same goes for guitars, pianos or even <shudder> banjos and accordions. :-)
> 
> cheers,
> TBall
> PS: This player sho' don't "make loads of money aside from making music." I just look like it. <cough> :-)
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
>> I know it's meant to be funny Tom, but you do know it's rubbish, right?
>> When did trying to save some money became a bad thing? I try to save money on Ãverything, for the simple reason that I have to.
>> I read the silliest things, like 'buy expensive', 'but the best you can get', 'buy custom', 'dont try to save money', etc... Some of you guys probably make loads of money aside from making music, but unfortunately not everybody does. And don't start telling me now that harmonica's are cheap, because they're not.
>> Man, I would love to buy me a couple of customized harps from all over the place ... but never did and probably never will. For the plain and simple reason that I just can't afford a couple of 100 euros to buy me a harp that's a little less leaky and so I don't have to work so hard on that thing. (Unless somebody can convince me that those harps don't blow out just as fast as the cheaper stuff, like Golden Melody or Lee Oskar) Mmm okay, so I just work a bit harder to still try to make music I like. And maybe try some embossing, tuning and customizing myself on a cheap harp. Ye never know...
>> 
>> So MHO: it's okay to save a few bucks by practicing on Huangs and save your Hohner & Suzuki's for the gig. Life is expensive enough as it is
>> 
>> Sorry, had to get this of my chest
>> btw. I do stop the clock every now and than to save some time! ;-)
>> Cheers
>> Bart
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> Aha, so trying
>> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Tom Ball" <havaball@xxxxxxx>
>> To: <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx>
>> Sent: Thursday, June 27, 2013 2:43 AM
>> Subject: Re: [Harp-L] Re: Cheap Harps
>> 
>>> Just MHO, but methinks the musician who stops buying good instruments in order to save money is somewhat akin to the person who stops a clock in order to save time.
>>> 
>>> --TBall
> 
>