[Harp-L] Best Out-of-the-Box harp for bends & overblows

[Jordan Feldman]

I’m sorry to say that even with the wealth of info available today, when I watch a video about adjusting gaps, etc, and do my best to follow it, the typical end result, after reassembling, is holes that don’t sound.  Then after taking it apart and putting it back together several times it’s 50/50 at best that I can get it back to where it was before I tried to improve it, two hours of time down the drain, and a harmonica in the trash can.  
I’ll take full responsibility for being all thumbs, but I only wish I could agree with your “child’s play” and other analogies.
I will say that after I change the oil in my car or replace wiper blades my car starts.  

> On May 12, 2020, at 11:35 AM, Tom Halchak <info at xxxxx> wrote:
> 
> Couple more comments.
> 
> I agree with Arthur Jennings 100%.  There is no such thing as One Size Fits
> All.  Stock harps, generally speaking, are set up with wider gaps that
> require the player to move a lot of air through the instrument in order to
> deliver the sounds they are after.  It breeds a certain style of play.
> Custom harmonicas are set up much tighter, which suits players who prefer
> ultra-responsive harps, but are a nightmare to guys who are accustomed to
> playing stock harps.  If stock harps were set up tighter, you would have
> guys who don’t play overblows complaining that they choke too easily.
> 
> So, in response to Opus314, the quality of manufacturing is just fine.  Is
> it possible for the manufacturers to tighten the tolerances?   Absolutely.
> But then it would slow down production and raise costs which would
> translate into higher prices.  Why does a Crossover cost more than a Marine
> Band 1896?  They have essentially identical reed plates and covers. It
> takes longer to make the Crossover.  They are assembled with screws instead
> of nails, have an upgraded comb and pass through additional stages of
> tuning and adjustment.  They are more expensive to build so they cost more.
> If the only version of the Marine Band that Hohner offered was the highest
> priced Crossover, a lot of people would be unhappy.  And when we talk about
> making adjustments to our harps, what’s the big deal?  Ten or twelve years
> ago when there was little information available about how to maintain or
> improve harps, it was understandable how it could be frustrating to get an
> underperforming harp. Nobody knew what to do about it.   But today, there
> is so much information available to anyone who cares to look for it that
> there is no excuse for not knowing how to make simple adjustments that make
> a huge difference in how your harps play.   If you own a computer, you
> should be able to install some new software on it or set up a printer.  If
> you own a car, you should be able to perform routine maintenance like
> putting air in the tires, changing out windshield wiper blades, changing
> the oil, pulling a flat tire off the wheel and putting on a spare.  If you
> can’t do that sort of stuff you are being pretty helpless.  Why not learn
> how to adjust the gaps on your harp to make them more responsive?  It is
> child’s play.  Why not learn how to tune the reeds?  Guitar players tune
> strings all the time and replace them when they wear out or break.  Why
> would you play a harmonica that is out of tune when it is so easy to put
> them back in tune?  Stop being a victim.  Stop being so helpless.
> 
> When we talk about playing overblows, some guys use them as a passing
> note.  Some play chromatically and treat them like any other note.  They
> will lean on the overblows and even bend them to add inflection.  Guys who
> use overblows as passing notes can be perfectly content with a good OOTB
> harp like a Crossover or a Seydel 1847 or a Manji.  Guys who make extensive
> use of overblows and overdraws are going to be happier with a custom harp.
> In that case, it doesn’t matter which model you start with – as long as it
> is $40 harp, it is a good foundation upon which to build a high performing
> custom harp.
> 
> 
> P.S. Bummer about SPAH
> 
> -- 
> *Tom Halchak*
> *Blue Moon Harmonicas LLC*
> *P.O. Box 14401 Clearwater, FL 33766*
> 
> *www.BlueMoonHarmonicas.com <http://www.BlueMoonHarmonicas.com>*