Santa came early this year in the form of a bag filled with Bushman Delta Frosts (hey, 4th place at last year's Bushman Harmonica Video contest is something to brag about) The most pleasant surprise of all these harmonicas was the Low F, the 1st low harp for me after my G harp. A lot of sources say that lower keys are hard to play, but that definitely doesn't include the Low F Delta..... man does that harp play.... right out of the box it wails and sings like a (dare I say it?) a customized harp... Mind you, I don't have any experience with customized harps, but I DO HAVE a set of very easy playable Deltas to compare with, but I tell you, this is way different... the bends are like butter, I just have to think "bend!" and there she goes... out of nowhere..... (no, not really, but it sure feels like it) Not to mention those looooong sustained soft draw notes with a touch of throat vibrato fading out to nothing..... Anyway, if anybody is thinking of getting a low F, I would urge you to try a Delta Frost.... "A Whole New World" is waiting for you... When I have some extra time, I will put something on youtube for the non-believers.... in the mean time..... Merry Christmas!!
I don't think they sell Delta Frost harps at my local music shop, but I just ordered a Marine Band Deluxe (in key of E). It will be my first harp of a higher level than MB, BH, etc. I can't wait to try it !
Well Done Dutch, that sounds a good prize for coming fourth. I just broke out my Delta Frosts after a while and am enjoying them all over again. Look forward to your Low F video.
Congrats on your placing DutchBones and the free harps. Free is good. I've always wanted to try a Delta Frost as I like Suzukis and heard they were similar. Maybe I'll check the internet again...
Last Edited by on Jul 02, 2009 9:06 AM
snakes. If you can't get DF's, I heard the Suzuki Harpmaster is more of less identical. I'm gonna try one. Don't forget you should be able to fit Promaster plates.
Thanks tookatooka. I already have a few Bluesmasters, Promasters, and Fire Breaths. Maybe I'll just save for more Fire Breaths as they are awesome. Didn't realize the Harpmaster was essentially a Delta Frost. I like your "When I'm not blowing, I'm drawing." quote. Mine is probably more appropriately "I suck and when I don't suck I blow." Yes - those are metaphors.
TookaTooka: I may be mistaken, but I thought it was the Suzuki Bluesmaster that is like the DeltaFrost. I have had all 3. To me the Harpmaster is an OK harp, but the Bluesmaster is my prefered of the 2 (I got a 6 pack of Bluesmasters). I still like the Delta Frost and recomend them, when you can find them. Delivery problems with the Delta Frost has me going back to the Special 20.
Jim, I play Harpmasters (right price, solid harp)and although I've never seen a DF in person all the pics I've seen of them look identical to my Harpmasters.
Dutch-conrat's, your submission was great. John at Bushman recently ran a special for less popular full reed plate sets mounted on combs for $12.50--I got low F, B @ Es and put some old covers on them...I had posted recently that my new low F rattles on the 1 draw but I bet I'm still just playing too hard. Sounds great though.
Jay/Jim--the DF combines harpmaster plates and bluesmaster phospor bronze reeds, but they are set up differently than the Suzukis and play better than them. They're not custom, but Bushman plinks the reeds and they play more easily than the suzukis. I had a bluesmaster in E and compared it to the DF in E that I just got and the difference is striking. I've been playing MBs a lot lately but I still think the DFs have the gest combination of great tone and playabilty for out of the box harps.
The best way to get them is not at the bushman site. Complaints about availabilty and service are rife. But the good news is that DFs are now carried on musiciansfriend.com (ginormous guitar center sister company) and availabity is now much more reliable. Pardon the prosletyzing for Bushman, but I'm a huge fan of their harps.
They are of the opinion that the reed material may be different but how much that makes them sound different is open to conjecture. The BluesMaster may sound better than the HarpMaster Jim but that may be due to the back being more open which could increase the volume? Just a thought.
Sorry to hijack your thread Dutch but this is Bushman related after all. ----------
I have a promaster suzi in low F and it wasn't so impressive out of the box. I did emboss etc. and it's a lot better. Love that bottom end. The Suzi bluesmaster is one that I bought out of curiosity, did the embossing etc. to it and I just don't like the feel. I never play it. It's still in the box and in my truck. But what do I know? I'm an ex-hoosier living in south Florida. Hey what the hell, it's all conjecture anyway.
"Sorry to hijack your thread Dutch but this is Bushman related after all."
No sweat T, I've got Deltas and a few Harpmasters, and although they look, feel and sound alike, I never had a stuck reed (or any other problem for that matter) with my Deltas, can't say that of the Harpmasters....
And now, for those who didn't have the (good? bad?) fortune to watch my winning entry......
Coast2coast music usually has them I got all 7 keys from them.
Yes, Deltas are NOT the same as Suzukis. There are cartain changes. I like them. Not a voice of experience, but they are responsive and hanve nice tone.
Hey Dutch, Well done on the comp and prezzies my man,Sorry i have been off the forum lately, My Dicky Ticker (that's an English expression meaning bad heart)Has been giving me a bit of a kicking but i'm still not dead so HA!. I have a Delta Frost in C, I didn't take to it straight away but i now find it's the harp i reach for the most, It's a really nice responsive Harp with full tone and i would recomend Bushman's stuff to anyone P.S. Hey Wailer hows that Buddah Harp playing ?
Hey Geordie, you got me worried for a moment when you mentioned your "Dicky Ticker", thought you were talking about your "low D" , glad it's not that serious... either way, take care guy....
All the other forum rascals, thanks for the kind words. For people like me (who are not in a position to go somewhere to jam with buddies) this medium (the internet) is the closest thing there is to challenge yourself and throw yourself in front of an audience.... don't get me wrong, I don't do this only to get kind remarks, but it sure feels good to get some....
This is funny! It was called a "Leaky Dick" back in the 60's when I was stationed in Germany.
The Buddha harps are playing great, Geordie--glad to see you back on the forum again.
My quest now in life is to build a harp that's as good as the Buddha ones--I haven't made it yet--but I'm gradually closing in on it.
Congrats, Dutch! Its interesting--it seems to be just as hard and slow to get a DF whether you win it or buy it!
Last Edited by on Jul 04, 2009 5:54 PM
