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Post subject: Harmonica
Posted: Tue Aug 16, 2016 4:37 pm
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So, I decided to add some harp to my blues songs, and ordered a Blues Deluxe harmonica to see how I do.

Here it is:

Image

I am already fooling around with Bo Diddley's I'm a man.

Never thought it'd be this funny

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Post subject: Re: Harmonica
Posted: Tue Aug 16, 2016 9:31 pm
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Here you go brother, get into it

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Post subject: Re: Harmonica
Posted: Tue Aug 16, 2016 10:20 pm
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That's great, Sergio. Two harmonica tips for you:

1) Don't ever and I do mean NEVER put a harmonica in your back pocket. That's how I lost/crushed my favourite harp that I carried everywhere on travels.

2) Don't buy a dog. If you do . . . ditch the harmonica.



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Post subject: Re: Harmonica
Posted: Wed Aug 17, 2016 3:28 am
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Thanks guys! Yeah, it's quite cool, I'm still figuring it out but in a couple of months I think I'll be able to draw some blues out of the hat

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Post subject: Re: Harmonica
Posted: Wed Aug 17, 2016 5:28 am
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One piece of advice for guitar players who buy their first diatonic harmonica: You may not necessarily want to start with one in C.

C's are popular in stores because school children can easily play a C scale on it, which is a requirement, and because experienced players can play G/G7 (cross-harp) as well as the minor keys of Dm and Am (with controlled bending) on them.

But if you're a beginner, you're going to be stuck with C and G/G7 for a while, and will have to put the harp down whenever there's a song in D, A, Bm, blues scale, or anything else. And for guitar music, that's likely a majority of music.

Arguably, more guitar players will have more luck with a D or A keyed blues harp as their first, allowing for more of the keys they already play in. Or get a cheap set of 3 or more. Cheap, because you're likely going to ruin the reeds on a couple of harps as you learn bending, and replacement reeds and tools cost far more than a cheap harp or three.

Personally I'd go for D, A, C for a set of three, and toss in a G and a Bb for set of five. But it depends on what you play. Chances are it's not all C/G, though.


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Post subject: Re: Harmonica
Posted: Wed Aug 17, 2016 6:47 am
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Welcome to the harp-players club, de Melo...it's a fun and funky instrument, and it's nice to be able to have one on you all the time (portable).

I play harp better than I play guitar.

I really enjoy the harmonica, but guitar is more of a challenge and a tiny bit cooler, so I devote more time to learning and practicing guitar...However, I'll never quit playing harp--it's a cool "secret weapon" and it can (interestingly enough) get butts out of chairs and onto the dance floor quicker than most other instruments.

Image

I mainly use Hohner Marine Band model 1896 harps, but also have a nice selection of Lee Oskar diatonics and a few Hohner Blues Harps. I prefer the sound of a wood comb (Marine Band and Blues Harps), but the feel and durability of the plastic combs (as found in the Lee Oskar and Hohner Pro Harp model) makes those an attractive alternative for certain applications (especially for more classic rock songs).

I really like the 14-hole Marine Band model 365 as a backing instrument on a slow track (it also makes for a cool, fat and breathy lead break in a song).

Image

I have a half-dozen harp mics, but my favorite by far is the 1940's Astatic 200s I bought almost 20 years ago for $20! (It's the brown one in the picture below...)

Image

I put a (lower-gain) 12AY7 tube in the NORMAL Channel of my Vibroverb, to prevent feedback and make for a warmer, fatter, creamier tone.

Lone Wolf Blues Company makes some great low-gain harmonica pedals...they're durable, hand-made and reasonably priced. I recommend them whole-heartedly.

Demo of the Lone Wolf Blues Company Harp Break pedal (Lee Oskar diatonic harp, 1940's Astatic 200s mic, '63-reissue Vibroverb amp):
Image

Another demo:
Image

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Post subject: Re: Harmonica
Posted: Wed Aug 17, 2016 8:48 am
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Great demos, Matt. Good on ya.

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Post subject: Re: Harmonica
Posted: Wed Aug 17, 2016 9:54 am
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so what is the consensus on these cheap Fender harps? Someone gave me a Special 20 in G that I've messed around with a little, but was thinking of picking up a couple other keys to play with. Not serious at all at this point so I'd rather drop $10 for another harp or two instead of $45.

Oh, and have fun! :)

Thanks!

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Post subject: Re: Harmonica
Posted: Wed Aug 17, 2016 10:22 am
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Screamin Armadillo wrote:
Welcome to the harp-players club, de Melo...it's a fun and funky instrument, and it's nice to be able to have one on you all the time (portable).

I play harp better than I play guitar.

I really enjoy the harmonica, but guitar is more of a challenge and a tiny bit cooler, so I devote more time to learning and practicing guitar...However, I'll never quit playing harp--it's a cool "secret weapon" and it can (interestingly enough) get butts out of chairs and onto the dance floor quicker than most other instruments.

Image

I mainly use Hohner Marine Band model 1896 harps, but also have a nice selection of Lee Oskar diatonics and a few Hohner Blues Harps. I prefer the sound of a wood comb (Marine Band and Blues Harps), but the feel and durability of the plastic combs (as found in the Lee Oskar and Hohner Pro Harp model) makes those an attractive alternative for certain applications (especially for more classic rock songs).

I really like the 14-hole Marine Band model 365 as a backing instrument on a slow track (it also makes for a cool, fat and breathy lead break in a song).

Image

I have a half-dozen harp mics, but my favorite by far is the 1940's Astatic 200s I bought almost 20 years ago for $20! (It's the brown one in the picture below...)

Image

I put a (lower-gain) 12AY7 tube in the NORMAL Channel of my Vibroverb, to prevent feedback and make for a warmer, fatter, creamier tone.

Lone Wolf Blues Company makes some great low-gain harmonica pedals...they're durable, hand-made and reasonably priced. I recommend them whole-heartedly.

Demo of the Lone Wolf Blues Company Harp Break pedal (Lee Oskar diatonic harp, 1940's Astatic 200s mic, '63-reissue Vibroverb amp):
Image

Another demo:
Image



VERY cool stuff, man! Thanks for sharing!

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Post subject: Re: Harmonica
Posted: Wed Aug 17, 2016 10:25 am
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mh2000 wrote:
so what is the consensus on these cheap Fender harps? Someone gave me a Special 20 in G that I've messed around with a little, but was thinking of picking up a couple other keys to play with. Not serious at all at this point so I'd rather drop $10 for another harp or two instead of $45.

Oh, and have fun! :)

Thanks!



I am entirely new to harps so far, so I am not skilled enough to have a secure opinion but as far as I have read and heard, Fender Blues Deluxe harmonicas are a cheap and reliable option for beginners.

And plus, they are MUCH cooler than any other cheapo harps in the market, because they're Fender products :lol: 8)

But, if you are stepping further, there are the Blues Deville ones:

Image

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Post subject: Re: Harmonica
Posted: Wed Aug 17, 2016 11:49 am
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Going by the looks of the Fender branded harps, they're made by Hohner.
And last I checked, they're actually slightly cheaper than the equivalent Hohner branded ones.

Nothing wrong with Hohner - my personal favorite harp is the Hohner Marine Band Crossover, but I also use the "regular" Marine Band.

But as a new player learning, you probably want to buy something cheaper, mostly because you will almost certainly ruin some reeds while learning to bend, and cheap harps cost less than replacement reeds or combs for more expensive harps.


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Post subject: Re: Harmonica
Posted: Wed Aug 17, 2016 1:46 pm
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arth1 wrote:
Going by the looks of the Fender branded harps, they're made by Hohner.
And last I checked, they're actually slightly cheaper than the equivalent Hohner branded ones.

Nothing wrong with Hohner - my personal favorite harp is the Hohner Marine Band Crossover, but I also use the "regular" Marine Band.

But as a new player learning, you probably want to buy something cheaper, mostly because you will almost certainly ruin some reeds while learning to bend, and cheap harps cost less than replacement reeds or combs for more expensive harps.


So do you think the Fender Blues Deluxe is the $6 Hohner Blues Band or $20 Hohner Blues Bender?

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Post subject: Re: Harmonica
Posted: Wed Aug 17, 2016 2:22 pm
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mh2000 wrote:
So do you think the Fender Blues Deluxe is the $6 Hohner Blues Band or $20 Hohner Blues Bender?


To me, it looks very much like the latter. Flat-head screws and key stamped into the metal.

But of course, if OEM made for Fender, anything could be different, including materials or reeds, so it's hard to say.


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Post subject: Re: Harmonica
Posted: Wed Aug 17, 2016 4:32 pm
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arth1 wrote:
mh2000 wrote:
So do you think the Fender Blues Deluxe is the $6 Hohner Blues Band or $20 Hohner Blues Bender?


To me, it looks very much like the latter. Flat-head screws and key stamped into the metal.

But of course, if OEM made for Fender, anything could be different, including materials or reeds, so it's hard to say.


Thinking the same. What's $10 to try it out? Even if it has crappy Blues Band reeds, it will hardly be a disaster! :)

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Post subject: Re: Harmonica
Posted: Wed Aug 17, 2016 5:58 pm
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mh2000 wrote:
Thinking the same. What's $10 to try it out? Even if it has crappy Blues Band reeds, it will hardly be a disaster! :)

Yep. Anything sub-$30 isn't going to be the greatest, but also no big loss if you bend a reed. But just a little practice, and before you know it, you'll be like this guy:



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