[Harp-L] Steve Baker Special tuning harps

[philharpn@xxxxxxx]

I've owned a full set of Steve Baker Special tuned harps since I 
purchased them in Detroit from F & R Farrell back in the day. I always 
thought the idea of a double Richter tuning (first six holes tuned like 
1 2 3 on 10 hole harps, twice, with the first three holes being in the 
low octave on most SBS models. I played them once or twice but never 
saw much use for them -- other than a curiosity.

At the time I purchased them I'm pretty sure I was not into tongue 
blocking, so I was not interested in them for vamping purposes. I also 
was not much into Sunny Boy II (Rice Miller or whatever his real name 
was). But I always buy interesting harps. However, it was not until 
recently I saw the merits of that tuning.

My discovery (it was new to me) that the double Richter on a 12 hole 
Seydel harp allowed a real tongue blocking of chords for what would 
have been the standard holes 1 2 3 on the 10 hole harp. (You can't 
can't tongue block/vamp on hole No. 1 on a 10-hole harp unless you like 
the sound of wood.) The SBS solves this problem. The main difference is 
the Hohner SBS is built on a large Marine Band while the Seydel is 
built on a harp closer in height and depth to the standard 10-hole.

I never seen much discussion about the Steve Baker Special tuning: its 
use and purpose.

SBS has been around for quite a while, maybe 20 years or so? But what 
was its original intent?

Phil