RE: [Harp-L] the harp I hate the most plays the best, please explain.

[Steve Shaw <moorcot@xxxxxxx>]

Hi Eric
I'm just the same. The harps of choice for me these days are Special 20s and Promasters and my choice is predicated on comfortlargely because I'm playing for three or four hours at a time in our pub sessions. The only MB I'm left with these days is a low E flatwhich I need about once per long evening. Even then I'm aware of it's abrasive effect on the lips (I'd never in a million years be able to play MBs all night).Yet when I pick it up it's beautifully mellow yet raunchy. Not the loudest, but responsive and characterful. Damn. It has the sound and response I want but the discomfort is just too much. I don't tongue-block,which I suppose might have something to do with it...
Steve

 

> Date: Sat, 2 Mar 2013 20:16:10 -0500
> From: miller.eric.t@xxxxxxxxx
> To: harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx
> Subject: [Harp-L] the harp I hate the most plays the best, please explain.
> 
> I stopped playing regular (MB style) harps about a month after I started
> playing harmonica, as soon as I had played my first special 20.  All the
> harps I've purchased and played since then have been recessed reed plate
> designs (spec 20s, sessions, harpmasters).  I just like the way they
> feel...those who have played both know I mean, although I'm sure not
> everybody prefers them.
> 
> I've been playing recessed reed harps in G and A for several months now,
> practicing 1-3 hours per day, making good progress, getting faster and more
> confident with improv.
> 
> Today, for the first time in three months, I picked my old  C Marine
> Band.....and I was easily about 25% faster and cleaner with all my licks
> and runs.  It was like magic, I was playing better and it was easier than
> normal, not harder. The harp itself was also brighter and more responsive.
>   I *still *am not fond of the mouth feel...its very sharp and the edges of
> the holes feel like a very coarse cheese grater positioned between two
> horizontal piano wires.  It's physically uncomfortable to play.  But,
> damn...I sounded like a different player on this thing...I was ripping on
> some of the standard fast licks, couldn't even come close to it when I
> tried again on any of my other harps.
> 
> Anybody else experience this and have any ideas what might cause it?  In
> the interest of keeping this email short, I've put my theories below...feel
> free to ignore them if you know the answer.