[Harp-L] Harp mics

[JOSEPH LEONE]

I have to agree with Big George (as usual). :)

> On 05/27/2021 1:43 PM George Miklas <harmonicat at xxxxx> wrote:
> 
>  
> Robert,
> There is this mind-frame that playing harmonica is like making instant
> oatmeal. If you buy the right package and follow the instructions, you will
> instantly become a great player.

I think it's more like potato pancakes. You can get a packet from 3 different sources, follow the instructions, and still wind up with crappy pancakes. (So I make my own. lolol)

 Most of us know that is a fallacy and that
> playing the harmonica takes as much practice as playing any other
> instrument. But because of the mass marketing of tablature, self-study
> books, and YouTube videos, the general public gets the notion that becoming
> a professional harmonica player is like weeds growing in their yard--no
> effort.

Yeah, and one of the myriad of problems IS: Too many 'Shemps' out there using harmonica as a 'make money' scheme. Giving bad advice and all. It has amazed me on the list for these past 24 years that while most (abt. 95.6%) of the newer inexperienced players merely ask questions, and seem appreciative for the help. There is always that 4.4% who show up out of nowhere, and act as if they are the be all - end all when it comes to harp.    
> 
> Case in point
> 
> When I moved to Lynchburg Virginia 4+ years ago, a local harmonica guy
> stumbled across a facebook post and discovered that I was now in his town.
> He was on my doorstep like a bee on a hive.

I had that happen 3 times. Guys that wanted me to show them what I knew. One was a wealty dude that would buy any and all models and makes thinking that the more he spent the better he would sound. Funny thing WAS..he already had a pretty nice tone BUT he chose material that was old even when my own parents were kids. Would spend 8 grand on a chromo and not give it a second thought. Meanwhile he was a boring player.

Another wealthy guy kept showing up with a melodica. He expected me to play while he backed me. I got frustrated and told him to loose the melodica. He was another guy who could spend. Bought a set of vibes for about 12 grand. Played decently but constantly trying to rile me with political sh*t. I finally had to break it off. 

The third guy? Don't ask. Btw, I never charged these dudes. Maybe I should have? 

Jo-Zeppi 

 First he thought of himself
> highly and wanted to produce me locally so that I could get some gigs in
> town. Next he told me that he watched a bunch of YouTube videos and liked a
> lot of the harmonica playing that he heard and wanted to sound like them.
> 
> So he bought a Harp King amp, a Lone Wolf pedal, and a Bulletini (ONLY
> because these were the pieces of equipment used in the videos). After
> racking up all that money, he said to me, "something is wrong with all this
> stuff, I spent a lot of money and none of it  works right. These things
> don't sound like the videos." I told him that he needed to practice and get
> a sound of his own that he could live with because you will never sound
> like anyone else but you will always sound like yourself. I told him that
> if he wanted to sound like Dennis Gruenling, then he needed to pay Dennis
> for lessons.
> 
> A month went by and he had shipped back the Lone Wolf pedal. He came over
> to the house and we played a couple of songs and he said, "What kind of
> harps do you play?" I said Hohner Rockets. He said, "That's it, I love your
> sound. I am going to buy a set of Hohner Rockets from you." And he did.
> That was two years ago.
> 
> In the last two years, he listened to PT Gazelle and wanted to trade in his
> harps and buy a set of Gazelle Method harps. I told him that I could
> half-valve his Rockets and then he will have half-valved harps without
> buying a new set. So he did and I charged him for the labor. One month
> later, he said to me "I just can't get the same sound so I'm going to have
> you take the valves off."  I told him that for his type of playing, he just
> needs to stick to the harps he has. The Hohner Rocket is a great harp
> without any modifications.
> 
> He must not have believed me because instead of buying through me, he went
> online and bought a set of Seydel Session Steel harps. I know this now
> because he called me last week. Now he wants a quote on four-country tuned
> harps and says that he will probably buy a whole set of them.
> ------
> I think that this guy is an extreme case of putting all of his stock in the
> equipment and no time into practicing or paying for lessons. It is also an
> indictment on people who watch YouTube instructional videos to learn on
> their own, but do not pay for a one-on-one teacher to give them feedback on
> their playing. It's like taking a test and getting a false positive. This
> guy is *one *in my town. There are *more *out there.
> 
> *--------------------------*
> *George Miklas <http://www.georgemiklas.com/>, **Harmonica Specialist; *
> *Scholar, **Educator, **Performer, Repair Technician; Harmonica Bands,
> Harmonica Concerti *
> *GeorgeMiklas <http://www.georgemiklas.com/> ** HarmonicaGallery
> <http://www.harmonicagallery.com/> **Sales
> <http://sales.harmonicagallery.com/> & **Repair
> <http://repair.harmonicagallery.com/>*
> 
> 
> On Thu, May 27, 2021 at 7:41 AM Robert Eberwein via Harp-L <
> harp-l at xxxxx> wrote:
> 
> >  I am writing this- in no way trying to be provocative- toexplore
> > something that another post made me think of. Someone asked whatmicrophone
> > to use with diatonic. I only want to say, that that is like askingwhat
> > dance shoes should I use if I want to learn ballet. It is kind of
> > obviousthat that is not the way to learn how to do ballet, no? And yet,
> > harmonicaplaying always seems to suffer from this. Why is this. I'd like to
> > help rid this chip from our shoulders. THAT, I think, would "advance"
> > harmonica.
> >