SMOKEY
3 posts
Dec 16, 2008
3:10 PM
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Hey guys,
I am being offered a an early xmas gift and I would like the opinions of experienced players.
In just a few hours I will have the opportunity to pick up either: 2 special 20's OR 2 Marine Band's OR 1 of each of those. OR I could get ONE Marine Band Deluxe... What would you guys do? and WHY?
Now about me: I have been playing for just over 2 weeks, I am progressing very quickly. I have good single note tone from all holes Draw or blow, I got the blues scale down almost perfect but slow, I have a couple of shuffles I can bust out and jam on. I can bend 1,2,3,4, hole draws 80-90% accurately. And to my amazement, I got weak but decent vibrato! I got a MS blues harp right now in A and its great. I play blues and plan on mastering this instrument.
Again, 2 special 20's OR 2 Marine Band's OR 1 of each of those. OR I could get ONE Marine Band Deluxe... What would you guys do? This will of course be a woodshed harp for me because I am still learning. And I would love to know the pros and cons of each of my choices. NO other mentions like seydel or bushman because I am buying local for now and they only have hohner. Thanks GUys.
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Chris Jones
3 posts
Dec 16, 2008
3:26 PM
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Hmmm... So you can get 2 each of SP20 or MB? I would go with a Bushman Delta Frost or Seydel.
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Aussiesucker
107 posts
Dec 16, 2008
3:26 PM
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Sp20s would IMHO be the most suitable for a beginner. Keys of C and Bb would be useful for following Adams lessons. Apart from Sp20s my real preferences are for Bluesmasters or Lee Oskars as IMHO their longevity is superior. However it is all a matter of personal preference.
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tookatooka
51 posts
Dec 16, 2008
3:39 PM
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I haven't used any of them but IMO the Sp20 because if you are going to be hard at it, the plastic comb would be much kinder to your lips. Once you've mastered it then experiment with other types.
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MrVerylongusername
53 posts
Dec 16, 2008
4:25 PM
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Absolutely I'd go for 2 Sp 20s. 2 harps are better than 1. A Marine Band Deluxe is overpriced for what it is - a Marine Band with screws and a PARTIALLY (was it really too much effort to finish the job properly?) sealed comb. A Sp20 is reasonable for what it is A MB with screws and a plastic comb.
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TylerLannan
31 posts
Dec 16, 2008
5:47 PM
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I play both SP 20's and MB. SP 20 is more comfortable to play for longer periods of time but I love the crunchy tome of the MB's.
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*you can only keep what you have by giving it away*
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Anonymous
Guest
Dec 16, 2008
8:58 PM
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Mbdeluxe. Mb tone, with the airtightness of a sp20. They are also still partly made in germany by hand. The reeds are NOT the same as a standard mb but are much more responsive andairtight
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schaef
Guest
Dec 16, 2008
8:58 PM
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I'd get 4 sp 20s
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SMOKEY
4 posts
Dec 16, 2008
11:12 PM
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In case anyone cares Heres what I got: I got a SP 20 in C and a Marine band in D. I figured I am going to purchase many harps in my "career" so I might as well try them all.. I am going to put a comparison of these harps in a write up soon after I get some time with them. But for now I can whole heartedly say that the MB tone is the best. I absolutely love the sound it makes so much I wish I would have gotten two!!! The SP 20 sounds "bluesier" (for lack of better descriptive words) and is way more playable out of the box... More to come.
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Luiz
14 posts
Dec 17, 2008
2:40 AM
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Hey!
I think you did a good choice. I was going to recommend you to get one SP20 and one MB.
It's important to try different harps and see which one you like the most, it's a very personal thing I think.
I understand SP20 are easier for beginners, I am a beginner myself, but MBs are my favourites. Their sound and also shape, weight, etc.
I have tried SP20, MB, MB deluxe, Blues Harp, Pro Harp, Bluesband and Hering Free Blues.
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SMOKEY
6 posts
Dec 17, 2008
4:37 AM
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Luiz,
That sp 20 sounds pretty good, better than my blues harp. It plays the best so far, I can bend all bendable notes easily. I just don't like the way it feels against my lips and its kinda ugly and cheap looking.
I am totally in love with the MB and like you said the shape, weight and sound just do it for me. I guess Now I am going to have to figure out if I can live with this unsealed wood comb or learn to seal my wood combs, swap nails for screws, work the reeds etc etc... Maybe I will just shell out for the MB deluxe next time...
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snakes
55 posts
Dec 17, 2008
12:21 PM
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Hey SMOKEY,
Glad to hear you bought one of each as that would have been my suggestion. I've been playing for a little over a year and have tried many harps and I still try a new one when I can spare the dough. My suggestion though would be to pick a specific key after you have a good complement of harps (I like the key of A) and buy all your test harps in that key. Reason I do that is to compare apples to apples as each different key has different nuances that are still a bit hard for me to disseminate when I am trying to compare them. Just a thought.
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SMOKEY
8 posts
Dec 17, 2008
5:50 PM
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Yeah, Good point there snakes... Just to clarify though, you mean a Marine Band in one key may play differently than a different key in the same brand harp?
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snakes
56 posts
Dec 18, 2008
1:25 PM
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Sorry my comment was a bit nebulous wasn't it? What I feebly attempted to say was that each different key of harmonica is a little different even if the different keys of harps are made by the same company. So what I try to do is compare all of the first time purchases of harmonicas in the key of A. That way I can pick up a Lee Oskar (or any other brand) key of A and blow through the same notes as the harp I am comparing it to (say a Suzuki or Special 20) and not have to mentally accommodate any differences due to the key. Does that help make my previous statement any clearer? It also helps me to be able to play the same notes in the same key to better evaluate differences in tone of the different harmonicas - not to mention bending, etc.
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oldwailer
385 posts
Dec 18, 2008
1:36 PM
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Hi Snakes!
That makes sense, if you can afford to have a dozen or so A harps around--I find it difficult to just keep a good harp in every key I need on hand.
We ought to think about doing another whiskey drinking--er--jam session soon. I'm going to have some time off, since I bunged up a knee this week. . .
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SMOKEY
14 posts
Dec 18, 2008
9:02 PM
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Yeah, cool man. Thanks Snakes.
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snakes
57 posts
Dec 19, 2008
11:27 AM
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Oldwailer,
That would be awesome. I promise to allocate more time to jamming without neagating the obligatory libations. How about sometime soon after the holidays? I am going to have a hip replaced on the 9th of Feb and will probably be a little out of sorts for awhile after that date so lets jam before then. Lemme know your schedule - obviously weekends are best with the long commute.
SMOKEY,
Oldwailer is right. I forgot to mention that I get a little carried away at times and have been known to lack a little moderation pertinent to certain endeavors where I've invested some passion. But that aside, the method I mentioned really has helped me make good assessments relative to harp makes and brands. (Pay attention to Oldwailer's posts as he is a wealth of information as well as an occasional source of well received comedic relief.)
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oldwailer
389 posts
Dec 19, 2008
12:15 PM
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OK Snakes--I'll send you an email when I figure out my schedule. . .
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chromaticblues
Guest
Dec 23, 2008
11:41 AM
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Heres the deal. There is no perfect harp! Each one of the more costly harps will something better than the other harps. About 15 years ago (after I had been playing for more than 5 years) I started taking harps apart to figure out why some were louder and easyer to bend. What I found was the loud sharper harps like Lee Oskers (and the bushman harps) have thicker reed plates and the thickness of the reeds changes from harp to harp. O.K. once I figured that out I did just what snake said, but I did it with an "A","Bb","C" and "D" harps. I did it with many different harps and have taken harps apart from timt to timt ever sense. This IS WHAT MAKES HARPS DIFFERENT. This is not my opionion! I have measured everthing possible!! First off the material of the comb doen't effect the tone as much as the way a harp is built. and no a special 20 is not marine band with a plastic comb. The louder harps like Lee Osker, bushman and marine band deluxes have thicker reed plates than marine bands. The harps with thicker reed plates have thinner reeds than the marine band making it easyer for the to soud a note, which makes it easier to bend which makes go flat sooner! YOU don't get something for nothing! Now people will say I'm wrong and that they don't go thru harps fast at all. I'm telling you from a mechanical veiw and personal findings from a harp player that has played for 22 years, most of that making money at it!!
My conclusion is a special 20 is a good all around harp for the money. If you a good to advanced harp player you'll find you can't make any other harp sound like a Marine Band. That being said I think Marine Bands are a pain in the ASS! I am constantly working on my harps and never really get them to the point were I can't hear air getting by. I hate that about them, but because they have the thinnest reed plates and thickest reed, that gives them a unique sound qaulity not found in any other harp! Trust me I've looked for a higher qaulity harp with the same sound. It doesn't exist!
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djm3801
5 posts
Dec 23, 2008
8:18 PM
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I think advice to try different ones is right on. I have a Blues Harp in C, a Bushman in C, a Seydel Blues Soloist and also a Lee Oskar. Love the Bushman. Seydel is good too and really solid. I also have a Sp20 in Bb and love that. I have some coming in for Christmas gifts and asked for more Bushman harps in different keys based on my liking of the C harp. That's me. but you will not know until you try different ones for yourself. I do have a MB in A (not a Deluxe) and I feel it is leaky and flimsy, but too many folks like them so I will fool with it. Get one of each and do not overlook other brands. Heck, i used to shoot trap and different shotgunc cost a couple of grand - A $30 harp is a cheaper hobby and you can do it indoors or out.
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