[Harp-L] Are My Golden Melodies Too Out of Tune to Be Playing in a Band With?

[Amy Rister]

I remember somebody telling me a long time ago on MBH that we choose the
harmonicas we play not because of what we like, but what the band members
like and that they can tell if a harmonica is equal temperment tuned or
not. He said that the members will tell me that my Golden Melodies are out
of tune and that I have to switch to a different harp. But I don't play the
harmonicas I play to please others, but I'm wondering if this is true or
not because I'm going to be playing in a rock cover band and I'm worried
about what their reaction will be if they find out I play those harps.
I've been playing the original Golden Melody since 2020 and I absolutely
love it to pieces. I never noticed any major tuning differences compared to
my Special 20s, but I prefer the Golden Melody when playing blues and
country. The reason why I started playing them was because I grew up
listening to Terry McMillan play the harmonica on country radio. He played
the Golden Melody almost exclusively for most of his career. I prefer
having that wailing sound he had compared to a lot of players and I got
made of for wanting to play in his style for many years. I always try to
prove to people my Golden Melodies actually are good for blues, but there's
always somebody who's going to saying that my opinion is wrong. I don't
know why the original Golden Melody is so controversial, but I love playing
them no matter what genre.

Sincerely,
Amy Rister