shaneboylan
62 posts
Dec 20, 2008
12:07 AM
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It's been on my mind for too long, it's finally time for me to start a thread for everyone to bitch about the Lee Oskar.
Personally i think they're f****** horrible.
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"Q. How many harp players does it take to change a lightbulb?"
"A. Never mind the changes man, just BLOW!"
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Tryharp
49 posts
Dec 20, 2008
12:26 AM
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I tried them and didint like them.
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Andrew
37 posts
Dec 20, 2008
12:47 AM
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ditto. Binned it. But that was probably rash.
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Aussiesucker
116 posts
Dec 20, 2008
1:32 AM
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Love 'em! One of the 2 best brand harps (at under $50). The other is Suzuki Bluesmaster & Harpmaster.
Didn't like LO's at first but they have lots of alternative tunings ie Natural Minors, Harmonic Minors & Melody Makers & they open up lots of music possibilities.
One of my earliest plastic harps was an LO in C and I hated it because it leaked like a sieve but I took it apart to give it a bath and when I put it tightly back together - voila 'a completely different brilliant new harp'!
For comfort & longevity I put the Bluesmaster way ahead but for tone the LO and the Harpmaster are IMHO brilliant.
Sorry, but LO's for me are way up there with the best.
Have heard that if you have an excess of facial hair then the LO's can ouch!!
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Luke juke
Guest
Dec 20, 2008
3:31 AM
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I bought a couple of lee o's. Thought they were great at 1st. Then i tried to overblow and got this horrible whining, earpiercing oversqueeeel. Now i'll only buy deluxes, i have a brad harrison on its way and i'm gonna try a seydal
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tookatooka
55 posts
Dec 20, 2008
4:17 AM
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Every other day there is a thread on here which bitches about one type of harp or another.
Although a lot of our likes and dislikes must come down to personal preference there is a wealth of experience which any harp manufacturer could learn from.
Wouldn't it be great if one such manufacturer got involved with its customers on forums such as this to find out what it is that harpists really do want? It would save them expensive Research and Development costs and ensure they produced a product that people really wanted.
I'm sure if we all put our collective heads together we could design the near perfect harp which need not be any more expensive than the current market offerings.
It would seem that Suzuki are going in this direction by producing the "Fabulous" but they have really got to bring the price down to a reasonable level.
Now, if they could produce the Fabulous reedplates which fit into a "solid" plastic Bluesmaster type comb with the Chromium Plated Promaster type cover plates, then that for me would be getting near perfection.
Would be nice to hear from any manufacturers out there but I think they may be stuck in the nineteenth century.
When you look at the amount of interest in harmonica playing which I am sure has been revitalised by the internet and the online lessons via YouTube etc by the likes of Adam, any manufacturer who doesn't sit up and smell the coffee could lose out to those who do listen to customer demands. We are in a strong position now and it doesn't take many negative harmonica reviews to affect demand worldwide.
Last Edited by on Dec 20, 2008 4:17 AM
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oldwailer
391 posts
Dec 20, 2008
4:55 AM
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The only LO's I have are the natural minor ones--and one low F. I like them OK--they do catch my beard hair--and the numbers are etched way too deeply into the cover--makes the harp feel dirty under the lips--but they hold up well and sound pretty good.
I do have one minor harp that has a 2 draw that needed some work at first--but it is pretty good now.
Overall, I would rate them as better than average of the harps I have tried.
For overblows, there is a specific way to fix the oversqueel they produce--the Rupert Oysler CD shows how to do this--I'm sure the info must be available elsewhere too. . .
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Luke juke
Guest
Dec 20, 2008
5:42 AM
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Brad harrison is on his way to making harps. With his experience at making customs, i'm sure his new b:radical harps will be the best out of the box harps on the market. I
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MrVerylongusername
70 posts
Dec 20, 2008
6:52 AM
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I use them - I know there are nicer harps, but I'm on a limited budget. I gig weekly and use my C harp on three numbers. That C harp is 5 years old, still in tune and has never needed anything other than the occasional rinse with a steradent tablet. I gig with a mixed bag of harps - mostly Lee Oskars, a couple of Hohners, a Suzuki, a Bushman and a Seydel. They all work for me and I don't think the average Joe in the audience can tell any difference between them.
Lee Oskar/Tombo were very fortunate in timing the release of their harps. It came at a time when Hohner experimented with mass production techniques and the quality of Hohners plummeted. Ask anyone else who was playing in the late 80s early 90s and they'll tell you the same - even die-hard Hohner fans like Adam will admit it. They lost a lot of people during that time. I was one.
Lee Oskars might have their faults, but they are a tough workhorse and as harps go up in price and the credit crunch hits, I would rather buy one long lived Lee Oskar than three or four short lived special 20s, even if the tuning of the SP20s is more to my taste.
Like I said in elsewhere, there are far too many variables; that's why there are so many good quality harps now. Whatever the motivation of the posters, threads like this are important, they get people sharing their experiences
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99
Guest
Dec 20, 2008
7:08 AM
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I tried the LO when they first came out. I had a lot of trouble with them and wrote to Lee Oscar himself. Much to my suprise, he call me in a few days and we talked about the problems I was having. The gist of the convesation was that I had to work on my approach and that if that didn't work, I needed to learn how to customize the harps to my type of playing. I do commend Mr. Oscar for the return phone call and all the information he gave me. He is a nice guy.
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harmonicanick
88 posts
Dec 20, 2008
3:00 PM
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i totally agree with mr verylonguserwhatsit..
They are a workhorse and do not break easily
i am using yellow label harmonic minor tunings to my advantage live at open mics (its russian music with lots of feeling my dear)
I have golden meld's 1st in my case (I dont think thats lame as one punter pointed out on this forum)
they are sweet and rounded in sound but LO's are good for anyone , better than most in my humble opinion
Merry Christmas to you ...
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Patrick Barker
153 posts
Dec 20, 2008
5:21 PM
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I personally dislike these harps as well. Its weird reading a lot of good reviews about them I have to ask "did I get a particularly bad one? Have these people not tried Special 20's?" I think these harps are as bad as Hohner's MS harps, which are both similar in being hard to bend, not airtight, and costing approximately the same price as the much better marine band.
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"Without music, life would be a mistake" -Nietzsche
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Aussiesucker
117 posts
Dec 20, 2008
5:54 PM
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The first LO I had was a C and I hated it as it leaked on the low end and was impossible to execute any decent bends but after tightening, it is a great harp. I personally think that they are much better than SP20's.
They have their quirks like all brands of harps but they are a quality harp at the price & if you havn't used one of their Natural Minors or Harmonic Minors then you are missing out on a whole new musical experience.
If I was to change the LO's in any way it would be to get rid of the Braille numbers which at first are a real pain but you soon get used to them.
In music stores here there are not too many choices but apart from Hohner there is usually a few LOs in stock ie they must have a reasonable market ie lots of people must like 'em.
Merry Christmas!!
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snakes
60 posts
Dec 22, 2008
2:08 PM
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I started out with Lee Oskars and have approximately 6 keys of them. As a beginner I was not very familiar with what to look for or what I even desired from a harmonica and with Lee being a local in my area I thought what the heck lets try these harmonicas. My first disappointment came when I purchased a key of G. It seemed to be very hard to bend for me (I had just learned to bend at that time). Then upon inspection I noticed a thicker profile that made my embrouchure (SP?) change. Since that time I've tried quite a few different harmonica brands and models and have gravitated away from the Lee Oskars. I generally speaking prefer the Suzuki Bluesmasters and Promasters and even the Special 20 over the LO as they have a more consistant profile (or thickness if you will). I also found the highly embossed numbering on the LO's to be annoying whereas the Suzuki's have a very pleasing polished metal surface that seems to have much less friction. Re-visiting my key of G LO I still find it noticeably harder to bend especially on the 3 draw.
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Andrew
52 posts
Dec 23, 2008
12:48 AM
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Snakes says "upon inspection I noticed a thicker profile that made my embouchure change."
That's interesting, and a bit of a shame: one of the things I love about MBs (although lots of makes will be the same) is that every single one, from the low-d to the high G, is exactly the same size. I now remember that the Lee Oskars are physically bigger than the MBs, and I didn't like that - I can't hold anything bigger than an MB comfortably in my hands, although even then I'd like to round-off the corners of my MBs.
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snakes
61 posts
Dec 24, 2008
9:54 AM
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Andrew,
Yeah it seemed the LO's had different thicknesses depending on what key they were. I recently purchased a MB key of A. I must admit I like the smaller holes and thin profile. No problemo bending with the MB. I must say that the wood comb makes my tongue sore after awhile - then again I am just learning how to tongue block and have been spending a bit of my practice time in this task. The tone is - well - perhaps enough to see if my tongue can tuffen up a bit ( hey isn't that a song?).
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jbone
1 post
Dec 26, 2008
12:03 PM
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over many years i have used a lot of flavors of harp. seydel and suzuki blues and folkmasters are a couple i missed so far, but nearly every other brand and style has spent time in my case. also many years ago i tried a few LO's, and found them to be pretty good quality- this was the late 80's, early in Oskar's manufacture. i didn't care for the price of replacement reed plates back then and didn't see the sense of them.
as i improved, and got more gigs, and blew out more cheap harps up to and including the poorly made at the time MB, Blues Harp, and SP20, i found myself wishing for a bulletproof reed set. i bumped along with SP20, having more or less given up on the wood comb hohners.
when hering brought out the vintage 23, i thought it would be the answer. it wasn't, and i moved on. bushman has a pretty good harp in the delta frost imho, but they don't work well out of the box for some things i do. i bought some Big River hohners in a pinch a few times and contrary to what many people think about them, i have found them to be a decent harp esp for the lesser cost than most of my choices of harp brand. and yes, they are ms series and the plates can be replaced.
but i recently revisited the lee oskar when i found a 5-harp plus a nice case deal for $150. and they are pretty dang good harps to me. with affordable reed plates, and the durability of the harp, i find them to be a good buy and not so difficult to adjust my technique to.
i have in my case right now, 5 LO's, about that many Delta Frost, a SP20 or 2. and a couple of Big River. many time when i reach for a harp in a particular key, it's a tossup between a LO and another brand of harp. what i'm working toward is using whatEVER harp i grab, in the right key, and making it sound good.
my main struggle has always, always been, fitting my habits and style to the harp i'm using. wind control has been such a huge improvement for me, my harps last much longer than they used to and just perform better all around. it's almost like i need to revisit brands and styles i once blew off, since i have made the leap into more responsible playing. i may have missed out on the good qualities of some harps due to being a hard and sloppy player some years ago.
i do recall very well when hohner was the only harp you could get. this day and age, we are so lucky to have a lot of competition in the market. i still won't buy a MB, and at $50 for a deluxe, i feel like i can do better with 2 "lesser" harps for the same money.
so bitch about LO"s if you want to. i find them to be very acceptable. and now i'm waiting for a bitch thread on some other brands.....
the bottom line for me is, it's up to ME to make what i have sound good. whatever it is.
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Philosofy
97 posts
Dec 26, 2008
5:50 PM
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Most of my harps are Lee Oskars. I don't smoke, so I want to be able to clean my harps: back in 86 the only ones with plastic combs were LO, Huang, S20, and GM. Golden Melody's would catch my beard, and Huangs were too fragile. I liked the reed replacement system of LO, so that's what I got. I have no problems with them, they are very durable. I've only had one problem with a replacement reed plate (that was probably damaged due to the packaging.)
I recently got a Delta Frost, and I wasn't impressed. The reeds weren't gapped right, and, believe it or not, that's the first time its ever happened to me in over 20 years and 60 harps.
I met Jason Ricci recently, and he told me that LO and Bushman's were the worst for overblows. I just learned about overblows, and can't do them yet, so I don't think I've missed anything with my LO's.
I've also met Lee Oskar, and he's a great guy, and very proud of his harps. He knows he tunes them a little differently, and acknowledges that he can't be all things to all people.
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Tryharp
57 posts
Jan 02, 2009
3:19 AM
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I said I didnt like em earlier, well I pulled an old Lee Oskar in A out of the dead Harp bin today, it hadnt seen daylight for a couple of years. I actually bought this harp when I was at university in '93, I tried to play it for a couple of days and couldnt so chucked it in a draw for 16 years. Anyway I decided a couple of years ago to give harp another go, so pulled it out, but the 2 draw reed wouldnt sound, pulled it apart gave the reed a plink and it just broke off. So I went to the music shop and bought some new reed plates for it, installed them, but it still wouldnt play, so I then went and bought a golden melody, and I was away, no problems.
Anyway I thought now that Ive played a couple of years and have built some chops, and have tinkered with harps a bit, Ill pull it out and see if it was me or the harp, this is what I found. The three hole draw would not sound. The one and two sounded like a stiff westerly breeze was blowing through the harp with the note, everything was all pretty stiff and difficult to play, and sounded terrible!
I pulled it apart. All the draw reeds were set with basically no gap, all the blow reeds had a huge gap. Anyway I closed the gaps down on the blows, and gave the draws a little bit of room to breath, and well, I hate to say it, but its not a bad harp. It is much harder to bend say the 2 draw than a SP20 or MB, but I suspect it would loosen up with a bit of playing. This harp would turn a beginner right off playing ( having said that out of 15 Hohners bought, I had a MB in G that was also a shocker )
If you try to overblow this harp it squeals like a Banshee, I think you would have to wax the rivetts.
Anyway, in my cars glove box I have bits and pieces that I've bought but dont play with much, I have a GM in C, Big River in D, Hoosier boy in C, and Ive wanted an A in there. I was thinking of buying a new harp, but after a bit of reed work, I think the Lee Oskar can make the move from dead harp box, to glove box!!!!
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Philosofy
104 posts
Jan 02, 2009
8:40 AM
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I've found the Lee Oskar replacement reedplates aren't gapped very well. I think its because they're just set on a piece of cardboard and shrinkwrapped. They need a better way to package the replacements.
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harpwrench
1 post
Jan 03, 2009
7:27 AM
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Self-tapping screws leave a "hump" on the reed plate around the hole as they go through. Instead of cutting threads cleanly like a machinist's tap, the screws force the metal to squeeze out from where the new threads are. This prevents the plates from properly mating to the comb, causing an intolerable air leak.
Filing these areas flat will usually make a fairly significant improvement. In the case of installing replacement reed plates, the few times I've messed with a LO it was an absolute necessity.
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Philosofy
106 posts
Jan 03, 2009
11:00 AM
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Great tip, harpwrench.
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Miles Dewar
141 posts
Jan 03, 2009
5:27 PM
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Lee oskars are good, but not good as gifts, people may get confused
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---Be Positive---
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MD1032
15 posts
Jan 07, 2009
10:28 PM
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I tried one of these as one of my first harps, in the key of A. It's lasted a long time, but it has quite a few disadvantages. Firstly, the A442 tuning is just ridiculous. I'm going to hazard a guess and say that 90% of all instruments out there are tuned to A440, and at least 99% of pianos are tuned to A440. Playing along with any band with these, you're going to just immediately and permanently be out of tune, and I don't know about you guys, but I just can't function unless I'm in tune.
Then there's the cover plates. Normal harmonicas like the marine band, special 20, suzuki bluesmaster, heck, any harp I've tried, allow your lips to slide over the surface of the cover plates. The Lee Oskar cover plates create a steel wall against which your lips are forced to ram against, creating, at least for me, a very uncomfortable seal.
On the upside, they last a long time due to the thick reeds. On the downside, they're harder to bend and don't have as sweet a tone as a special 20 IMO. The response is loud, but seems a bit slow to me. Loudness should never be confused with good sound. Amp a Lee Oskar, then amp a Marine Band. The difference is quite apparent, at least to me.
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SilasJackson
19 posts
Jan 07, 2009
11:53 PM
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Got a LO for Christmas. I must have gotten a good one. Mine bends really easy right out of the box. I have mostly Hohners, but I like the LO just fine. I suppose it's going to boil down to preference, like everything else.
An Old Man told his Grandson--"Good thing everybody doesn't like the same thing." Grandson said--"Why's that Papa?" Grandpa said--"Cause if they did, then everybody would be after your Grandma!"
Pretty profound observation, don't you think?
SJ
Last Edited by on Jan 07, 2009 11:54 PM
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Tryharp
61 posts
Jan 08, 2009
2:58 AM
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MD1032
Off Rick Eppings site
"Hohner diatonics are tuned to A=442Hz at moderate volume so that they should not drop below A=440Hz at full volume", and I thought LO were A440, but Equal Tuning????
I'm no expert, but experimenting with tunings, correct me if I'm wrong.
Harpwrench, I filed those humps down, but unfortunately it didnt make much difference with mine, leave'n it in the glove box.
TH
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harpwrench
3 posts
Jan 08, 2009
6:23 AM
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There's a video on youtube of the Lee Oskar (Tombo) factory. At one point there's a lady gapping harmonicas- so fast you can hardly see what she's doing, but that's what she's doing. Can you see why one guy might get a good one and the next guy doesn't? It's worthwhile for players to learn how to gap their own harps, no matter what brand you play.
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MrVerylongusername
96 posts
Jan 08, 2009
6:29 AM
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Ha! you beat me to it tryharp! I was just about to post the same quote.
Hohners are tuned at A=442, just the same as Lee Oskars (and Suzukis). Golden Melodies are Equal tuned, the other Hohner diatonics are compromised tuned, close to JI but 'sweetened' a little. Hohner have been playing around with the tuning sceme of Marine Bands for years.
Until I found Epping's quote, I had always presumed that Marine Bands were A=440 because of what's stamped on them, but I guess it's like the 'ground' switch on the Bassman reissue - just there to preserve the historic look.
The only true JI harps out of the box are some of the Hering models, like the 1823 mentioned in another thread, and the Suzuki Fabulous (who's crazy price puts it in the same league as a good custom, so it doesn't really count as OOtB) BTW according to Pat Missin, Herings are tuned anywhere between A=442 to A=445.
So the brightness of Oskars which some folk don't like, must really be down to the composition of the reedplate and covers (and thus different harmonics) and not as I'd previously assumed to tuning pitch.
Also it's worth pointing out that although A=440 is the ISO standard, it isn't universal. Many orchestras, particularly in continental Europe, tune to 442 or higher http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pitch_(music) and I must own one of the 1% of pianos - my wife's is tuned a semitone below concert pitch, and I'd always understood this to be relatively common.
Sorry to take the thread off at a slight tangent...
Last Edited by on Jan 08, 2009 7:27 AM
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DaDoom
12 posts
Jan 08, 2009
7:34 AM
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I have tried one Lee Oskar in the key of A so far. It was on of my very first harps and not so bad at that time. Once I tried other brands and models I started to dislike LOs a bit.
Most of all I find the shape of the cover plates a bit strange on the LO. They are so thick that you need a mouth like Mick Jagger to play them.
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Philosofy
112 posts
Jan 08, 2009
10:49 AM
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I spoke with Lee Oskar once, and he talked about how his tunings are different than other harps: something about solo playing vs. rhythm playing. Can anyone explain to me in simple terms what he was talking about?
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MrVerylongusername
99 posts
Jan 08, 2009
12:01 PM
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@Philosophy
It's a complex subject, but simply it's about whether the harmonica is tuned so that chords sound nice for rhythm (Just Intonation) or whether they tuned so that the intervals between the notes are equal for soloing (equal temperament).
Years ago Pythagoras discovered that the sweetest sounding interval occured when the ratio between the frequencies (or at that time the length of the vibrating string) was 3:2 this is a perfect 5th.
Unfortunately though if you try to build a scale in fifths it doesn't quite work. You'd expect to end up with a note 7 octaves above your starting note, but actually it ends up sharp. (actually it's about 23.5 cents)
Tuning temperaments are about how that 23.5 cents (called the comma) is spread out between the notes. A wiki search on temperaments should explain things far better than I can.
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harpwrench
5 posts
Jan 08, 2009
12:46 PM
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Here's another way to explain it. When two notes are played, the difference in frequencies creates a third note. This is called a "difference tone". These difference tones can sound out of tune with the original two notes, on a harp tuned to ET. On a harp tuned to just intonation, the original two notes (all of them actually) are offset sharper or flatter a little bit so that the difference tones sound smoothly in tune. Some harps are in "compromised" just tuning, so some of the difference tones sound smooth to the chord, but not all of them.
Amplified playing can make the difference tones very pronounced, and it's a very important part of the "Chicago sound".
Last Edited by on Jan 08, 2009 12:46 PM
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bluemoose
27 posts
Jan 08, 2009
4:08 PM
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My main complaint about LO's is that the cover bolts and
nuts are of very poor quality. They strip easily and
then you are left with a pile of covers and combs.
I ended up using turbolids on SP20's and transferring
the much superior bolts and nuts to the few LO's I still
had...but I haven't played them in ages.
moose
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the frozen canuck
2 posts
Feb 24, 2009
9:46 AM
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well guy`s i`ve played on a mb & a seydel .But with out a question i perfer a l/o,i have frm A to G all sound great .Me thinks it`s a matter of preferance
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Andrew
137 posts
Feb 24, 2009
2:26 PM
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Up a true perfect fifth is 3/2 and down a true perfect fourth is 3/4. You can go from C to C' by going up a fifth to G, down a fourth to D, up, down, 6 times each, so that you end up with (3/2)^6 x (3/4)^6 which is (9/8)^6 = 2.0273, i.e. sharper than a true octave.
Last Edited by on Feb 24, 2009 2:26 PM
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SilasJackson
46 posts
Feb 24, 2009
9:50 PM
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Look up "A=432hz".
Something about the entire Universe is sympathetic to this frequency. There's even a movement to get the A=440hz tuning changed. Lots of information on the subject is out there. Of course, then practically all fixed-pitch instruments would have to be replaced. All sorts of wierd cosmic, celestial, voodoo, transcendental hoopajoop going on with A=432hz. Very strange and perplexing.
Check it out,
SJ
Last Edited by on Feb 26, 2009 9:15 PM
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SPANKY
2 posts
Feb 25, 2009
7:47 AM
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like many of you i don't care for the lee oskars either. to me they are huge and they stick to my lips.they feel like a plastic and metallic huge corncob .i prefer the marine bands but use special 20s. the reason is i got tired of the marine bands drying up and leaking or blowing up from moisture . i just could not provide a good home for them.
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Randy G. Blues
3 posts
Feb 25, 2009
2:29 PM
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I played LO's back a couple-and-a-half or three decades ago... WHen I started playing regularly again about 18 months ago I picked up two more LO's locally at a brick and mortar (and they charged a LOT for them). I got them home and was shocked at the number stampings. A talk with Lee later on proved that they had made a new stamping die to replace a worn one. The 1 through 10 numeral stampings were so deep it was like playing a major diatonic, Richter tuned cheese grater. He offered to do what he could to make things right (a VERY kind gesture), but by then I had changed brands of harp.
I pulled one out for fun to blow a few notes the other week and was not pleased. I agree that they need gapping right off and maybe some plate filing to get them to be more airtight. The covers are also VERY closed off at the back and need to be bent open. Did that with a few Bushmans and that helped them.
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atty1chgo
49 posts
Apr 29, 2011
7:31 AM
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I consider myself a beginning to intermediate player with only a few years of playing experience. Most of my harps are Suzuki Manji's. After becoming a little frustrated at the stiffness of my Manji in D, and after blowing a reed in my Special 20 D harp (which I prefer), I bought a Lee Oskar Major Diatonic D (A-441 Plus tuning) yesterday. Maybe it is just my experience level, but I find the LO to be a bit slippery - I don't know if I am describing this correctly, but I am getting multiple (unwanted) notes, whereas with the Special 20 and Suzuki I don't have this problem. Is this what is being described as the harp not being airtight, or is this the result of the tuning, or perhaps my playing? Also, the sound is just not as loud or as expressive as MB, Manji, or Special 20.
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ridge
252 posts
Apr 29, 2011
8:44 AM
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Pretty sure it's because the hole openings are slightly larger on LO than a SP20 or Manji.
There was a time in my life where I had a full kit, then slowly realized they were not for me and switched back to Hohner.
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chromaticblues
803 posts
Apr 29, 2011
9:56 AM
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Hell all the manufactures make bad harps. Like harpwrench said get in there and see what you can do to make your harp work better. The more you learn the better your harps get then the better you get then your better than your harps and have to learn more untill your the best damn harp player in all the world! Well you will get better anyway!
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toddg
41 posts
Apr 29, 2011
11:46 AM
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I like them ! And Lee is a great guy too !
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toddlgreene
2948 posts
Apr 29, 2011
11:50 AM
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I still use them, although they are no longer my only harps like they were for almost 20 years(except for the odd SP20 or BluesHarp). If I've got a gig and get in a bind, I won't hesistate to buy a LO. i prefer them with the covers opened up, gapping and some embossing, but they've been played OOTB by me for many, many gigs.
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Todd
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colman
46 posts
Apr 29, 2011
2:49 PM
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I like any harp and i can honk on them all but i still buy MB`s
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Matzen
179 posts
Apr 29, 2011
4:05 PM
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I think they are decent harps. I just like SP20's more. I do know a few pros that really like them (they like them enough to purchase them even tho they are Hohner endorsers!).
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Rick Shanks
39 posts
Apr 29, 2011
4:21 PM
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Although I'm no pro, I've have been playing Lee Oskars over 20 years now ! Dozens of them in all tunings ! Love them.. And I agree with Todd, Lee is a great guy :)
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KiwiRick
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Jehosaphat
50 posts
Apr 29, 2011
5:15 PM
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There is not a large selection of brands down here in NZ,but i have tried a few.Personaly i'd have to say that i find the L/Os the best oob in general as well.
Having replacement plates is a big bonus too and with mix and matching it is relatively easy to come up with some unusual tunings.
Bought my first Hohner in years the other week,must say they have improved in the interim.
The (other) Kiwi Rick
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dougharps
65 posts
Apr 29, 2011
10:04 PM
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I used to play Special 20s, Marine Bands, and Blues Harps (before MS), and kept blowing reeds flat. (Probably beginner technique issues and maybe poor manufacturing at that time.) There were no internet groups and few books that would inform. Blowing reeds flat is what motivated me to figure out on my own how to retune notes. A friend told me about Lee Oskars lasting longer, and did last a lot longer, so I used them a lot for a number of years. Then I was reading about difference tones, and tried just tuned Herings. The difference tones were powerful and if they were played alone, sounded great. However, the Herings sounded flat when playing with other musicians.
I went back to Special 20s and Marine bands, and like them best, but I can still play a LO fine, and it plays and sounds ok if not doing a lot of chords. They do squeal on overblows.
I think they are good harps for certain purposes.
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Doug S.
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Gnarly
26 posts
Apr 30, 2011
1:17 AM
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I just retuned some old LO harps to country tuning for a customer--so I have a bunch left over as payment.
Only a few needed repair--they really are well made--
I owe my interest in altered tunings to LO--it was a G Melody Maker, I bought it on a whim and found it very useful.
I am tempted to try tuning some of these to Major Cross in just tuning!
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chromaticblues
807 posts
Apr 30, 2011
4:04 AM
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@ Gnarly I have done that to quit a few Lo's and it makes them much less harsh. I've built a number of custom LO's and they are very high quality harmonicas. They suffer from some design flaws, but are made with high quality materials.
I could spend 15 minutes with Lee Oskar and the people at Tombo and they would a harp to recon with!
I've wondered why they don't make another harp for blues players. The model they have is great for country and/or jazz but not blues. I just think its obvious that they aren't trying to branch out. For instance look at Hohners line or Suzuki. With those two companys if you can't find a harp thats right for you maybe your not looking hard enough. With Lee Oskar you got well a Lee Oskar! It doesn't make very good business sense. OH well don't make me no nevermind!
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