Andrew
112 posts
Feb 11, 2009
2:08 AM
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I just ordered 3 MBs: -
Eb, DeLuxe A, 14-hole C.
I hope I did the right thing!
Last Edited by on Feb 11, 2009 2:10 AM
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jbone
11 posts
Feb 11, 2009
4:34 AM
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depends on if you like the wood combs.
i prefer either plastic or sealed wood.
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Andrew
113 posts
Feb 11, 2009
4:54 AM
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Damn, I just remembered I wanted a low-F but I forgot to add it to the shopping trolley.
(by plastic I mean credit-cards, not combs!)
Last Edited by on Feb 11, 2009 4:55 AM
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RyanMortos
75 posts
Feb 11, 2009
6:38 AM
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I agree, way too easy to point & click, fill up a cart online, and post orders with a credit card. My dough disappears so fast when Im in a new stuff shopping mood online, lol. Maybe when I get my taxes organized Ill get a few other keys soon too (though at the moment Efiling is driving me insane with what it looks like its doing with last years stimulus).
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~Ryan
PA
Ryan's Tube - Containing [0] uploads and counting...
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Oisin
112 posts
Feb 11, 2009
2:39 PM
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Andrew...you will learn to love that 14 hole C harp.
However when you first get it you will notice that it takes a bit more puff than usual to play it and the holes are ever so slightly further apart than a normal 10 hole.
But the low holes sound beautiful. The Eb will sound great too as will the deluxe although i own 4 of these and I've never really liked them and do you know I can't tell you why...thay just seem more "delicate" to me. I don't know if that's the right term I'm looking for.
Anyway...I envy you ....you can't beat waiting for harp stuff to arrive on the post man.
Oisin
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Andrew
114 posts
Feb 11, 2009
2:58 PM
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I don't plan to buy more than one deluxe. It's going to be a reference harp that I'm never going to strip, promise!
But I'll be disappointed if it's not as good as the harps I've tinkered with. I can aim to make my harps better than the deluxe, but if they already are, then I wasted my money! I filed the corners off an MB a few weeks back. That pearwood is much harder than I expected!
Actually, I didn't completely waste my money, as my A harp is at my girlfriend's house, and I think she ditched me, but I'm not sure. Long story!
Last Edited by on Feb 11, 2009 2:59 PM
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Scoltx
26 posts
Feb 11, 2009
3:37 PM
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Don't you love the anticipation? Checkin' the mailbox everyday? I just ordered 2 Golden Melodies (C and Bb) to attempt learning some overblow stuff. Heard they were a good harp for OB's and have never played one so thought I'd try em out.
Eldery Instruments has an additional 10% off Hohners until Presidents Day (I believe). So I pulled out the plastic and did the deed.
Last year I ordered a 12 hole MB 364 and love the low notes, it's got a kind of sax quality to it. Great for Sonny Boy II's Bye Bye Birdie type riffs. I'd like to try the MB 364 Solo tuned model as a cheaper alternative to a chromatic for some D minor, 3rd position stuff. Apparently it's tuned like a chrom but without the button for the extra sharps and flats.
Anyone got one? I'd like to hear if you play it much and what you think.
Last Edited by on Feb 11, 2009 3:47 PM
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Andrew
115 posts
Feb 12, 2009
12:33 AM
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The anticipation is nice, except that if I'm at work when they arrive, they won't get delivered!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e2jOaYkPvug
Now, this version of Bye-Bye Bird is definitely in the key of A, so I bought a low-D for that reason. But only C and G are available on a MB14. So either Rice Miller is playing a low-D or it's in the key of G and he's playing a 14-hole in C and it's coming out a tone sharp because the video is played fast or was run slow on record; I doubt it.
And now I realise I've got a CD with a souped-up version in the key of G; so that probably is played on a 14-hole in C, but the YouTube version is way better!
Last Edited by on Feb 12, 2009 1:01 AM
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Oisin
115 posts
Feb 12, 2009
1:20 AM
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What Sonny Boy's got there Andrew is an 12 hole Echo vamper which you could get in all keys. I have a few of these I bought off ebay for about £15 each. They were only made in Europe till the 70s then they changed the name to the Marine band 364 which was what was sold in the US. You can still get these too.
If you want one of the originals (with Bell Metal reeds) you can still pick them up.
Here's one for sale at the moment.
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Hohner-Mouth-Organ-Vintage-Echo-Vamper_W0QQitemZ200307797232QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_MusicalInstr_Harmonicas_RL?hash=item200307797232&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1683%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12%7C39%3A1%7C240%3A1318
Not sure what key it's in though. Be warned though they're not quite as air tight as a modern MB but you can do a little work on them and tighten them up. They sound great.
Oisin
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Andrew
116 posts
Feb 12, 2009
1:44 AM
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Wow! I'd better check last night's Lotto numbers! I really appreciate your knowledge and advice, Oisin, but it's a bit too soon in my career to splash out on that kind of specialism. But one day! Bell metal is basically bronze, isn't it?
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Oisin
116 posts
Feb 12, 2009
1:54 AM
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That's right Andrew about 3 to one copper and tin. It's not really anything special in that you won't notice a huge difference in tone but the ones I've got are all still in tune after 30-40 years so there must be something in it!
They are actually not all that expensive, a new MB364 is about 3 times the price you'd pay for one of these on ebay. I think Adam posted a youtube video of one of his friends playing one on the street a little while ago.
Oisin
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Andrew
117 posts
Feb 14, 2009
1:23 AM
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Well, my harps arrived this morning, and I've got to say the Eb is better out of the box than the DeLuxe A! I can only get the 6 OB on the A, but I can get 4, 5 and 6 on the Eb! The thing I don't like in general about the A is the gapping - you have to suck in a lot of air before sounds come out, and I hate that. I think I'm going to have to close most of the gaps down, but I won't do it for at least a fortnight. I was thinking of buying a new D. It certainly won't be a DeLuxe now!
As for the 14-hole, I'm embarrassed. I don't know why, but I expected the second octave to play like the first octave of a normal diatonic, but of course only the first octave does. I like my simple low-D MB a lot better at the moment.
Last Edited by on Feb 14, 2009 1:34 AM
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Tryharp
84 posts
Feb 14, 2009
4:55 AM
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Andrew,
I bet you had fun opening up your mail parcel.
Well I recon you are paying extra for the sealed comb, opened up back, rounded tines, and screwed construction with the Deluxe, ( which I think is worth the extra if you dont want to do it yourself )IMO the reedplates are not much different to the standard MB. I know a few disagree and think they are better, ( I may be wrong, I,ve only got one Deluxe in Bb and about ten standard MB'S) but I worked on the reeds just the same as my other MBS to get the response I was after.
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Andrew
119 posts
Feb 14, 2009
5:11 AM
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Well, after warming up the deluxe to body temp and playing on the 14-hole for 5 minutes, the deluxe was a lot easier to play (in comparison), but I'll make up my mind to tweak it in a week or two.
Another criticism of the deluxe is that the rounded corners are irrelevant, since the brass reedplate isn't especially comfortable to hold - if they are going to round off the corners it should be more drastically, IMO.
Yep, my final verdict on the deluxe will probably be that they are a total waste of money.
Last Edited by on Feb 14, 2009 5:12 AM
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oldwailer
502 posts
Feb 14, 2009
8:29 AM
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Andrew,
"As for the 14-hole, I'm embarrassed. I don't know why, but I expected the second octave to play like the first octave of a normal diatonic, but of course only the first octave does."
There is a 14-hole that does play the same in the low octave and the second octave--it's called the Marine Band SBS (I think that means "Steve Baker Special")
I have one in F, which is really nice for playing in C when you want a high solo that cuts through, and still have the low octave to hit back-up mode without changing harps.
I have a 12-hole version of the 14-hole C you have, and I like it very much for playing songs like "Bye Bye Bird," but I could probably saw off the top two holes and be just as happy with it. My Low D regular MB is much more comfortable to play. . .
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Andrew
121 posts
Feb 14, 2009
9:08 AM
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Damn, I wish I had known about that SBS before!
One thing that's very curious about the 14-holer is that as you go up the octaves, the blow notes get further and further away from the draw notes, which means you can do some wild blow-bends on one of those things. Now I have to work out how to incorporate them into music!
P.S. Thanks for your replies, Oldwailer, they are appreciated!
Last Edited by on Feb 14, 2009 9:09 AM
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Andrew
132 posts
Feb 20, 2009
3:27 PM
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Now I'm doubly annoyed at myself. I've been looking at the Steve Baker Specials and I've decided that F is the only key I could justify buying, but I've only just bought a Low-F MB and I should have bought the SBS in F instead. SBS's are pretty expensive, so I can't justify buying one at all now.
Last Edited by on Feb 20, 2009 3:28 PM
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oldwailer
517 posts
Feb 20, 2009
9:50 PM
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Hey, Andrew, All is not lost--just put the Low F MB in your hands just like you were going to play it--then inject a regular F between the bottom of the left hand middle finger and the top of the left index finger--just above the Low harp.
You probably won't get a really tight cup (I get a pretty good one, but I have very large hands) but it will work.
Now--this takes a bit of practice--but you can do that cool call-and-response between the two--just like with an SBS. I came up with this method because I only have the one F SBS--but I also like to play stuff the same way in C and D--both low and high.
I'm just about ready to put up a video of this technique with the tune "You Got To Move--" which was discussed on an earlier thread. I'll try to let you know when I do it so you can see it if you should be interested. . .
OK--I posted a little vid of it--here's the link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=10Iz4MMJvr0
Last Edited by on Feb 21, 2009 4:20 AM
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