GermanHarpist
726 posts
Nov 30, 2009
1:35 AM
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You all know these crappy hand bellows that you find in music shop. Did any one of you find out how you could actually test your harp with that?
This weekend I went to my music shop and tried to figure something out.
After checking the single hole to see if all the reeds actually vibrated all I found out was the following:
By using the chord blower you could see how well the different reeds responded relatively. I.e. you play the reeds as a chord with different pressures and check if the different reeds start sounding faster or slower relative to each other. This takes some good focusing, but I think that this should be a way of checking the quality of a harp.
Any other ideas/experiences?
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germanharpist on YT. =;-)
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Andrew
784 posts
Nov 30, 2009
3:14 AM
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I think it's a total waste of time because, judging from your 3-hole-gapping thread, you already know the OOTB gaps are going to vary and you're going to mod them anyway. I don't buy from shops any more anyway; I buy mail-order.
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Kinda hot in these rhinos!
Last Edited by on Nov 30, 2009 3:15 AM
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tookatooka
807 posts
Nov 30, 2009
3:28 AM
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When I was buying L.O's a while back, the shop allowed me to test them once I'd paid. If it was duff, they would exchange it there and then. Trouble is you feel a bit intimidated to really let loose and try it properly.
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LeonStagg
44 posts
Nov 30, 2009
6:01 AM
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Interesting tookatooka,
Do you know what they did with the rejects?
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kudzurunner
820 posts
Nov 30, 2009
7:24 AM
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During the late 1980s, when I was buying three MB harps a week at Manny's Music and Sam Ash in NYC, I used the testers. Since I basically never got a harp that had a completely nonfunctional reed, I stopped testing hole-by-hole. Instead, I did as you did and used the chord function. (Note: in my experience, the salespeople NEVER have the faintest idea how to test a harp, or what to listen for. If they test it--and they don't always do that--they do it purely as a kind of ritual of assurance. It's entirely for show. They're usually guitarists or drummers or occasionally sax guys, and they just don't give a s--t about harmonicas.)
I'd always test the chord, and in particular I'd listen closely to the way that the draw chord sounded on two or three different harps in the same key. The salesguys knew me and were willing to let me try a few at a time since they knew I was a steady customer. What I found is that some Marine Bands just had a great, lively chord sound and others didn't. I'd pick the live one.
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tookatooka
809 posts
Nov 30, 2009
7:37 AM
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@LeonStagg@ Ah! The rejects. Well if it was really bad I'd hope they would send it back to the manufacturer but I expect it was just put back on the shelf until a novice player came along.
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LittleJoeSamson
150 posts
Nov 30, 2009
7:45 AM
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Back in the Midwest, I bought all my harps thru an independent music store. I bought everything from full sets of LO's to cheap Huang's to more exotic stuff. I could have gone to a slightly less expensive chain store, or shopped around online, but the owner treated me right.
I had ordered about $200 in new harps...a variety.
When they came in, I tested them on the spot. One, I think it was a Hohner Cross Harp was badly out of tune, more than one hole. The owner was listening and I asked him if he heard what I did. He said, "Yeah, that one's a piece of junk". He asked me to hand it to him, whereupon he put it in the case, set it on the floor, and then stomped on it.
"Now, it's damaged goods!"
He refunded my $$$ and ordered another, that he didn't charge me for later.
That's one of the reasons he got all my business.
Those store counter bellows are a useless gimmick.
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harmonicanick
481 posts
Nov 30, 2009
8:09 AM
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'He refunded my $$$ and ordered another, that he didn't charge me for later'
Now that is customer services!
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CJames
40 posts
Nov 30, 2009
8:10 AM
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tookatookta, that's quite interesting, I doubt any of the shops I go to would let me do that however, as good an idea as it is. Too bad I live in W.A. and nearly any decent harp available i have to get over the net - no testing there!
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sorin
106 posts
Nov 30, 2009
8:22 AM
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You can say GOODBYE to testing harps in store , at least for the Hohner harps , they sell them now in blister package so you cannot test them.
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KeithE
66 posts
Nov 30, 2009
9:40 AM
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Sorin - I was going to say the same thing about Hohner. I first noticed the blister packs in a Guitar Center and thought that perhaps it was only going to happen in the big chains, but I've seen the same packaging in a smaller neighborhood store as well.
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528hemi
55 posts
Nov 30, 2009
10:15 AM
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I bought 3 more SP20's and another Manji last weekend.
The SP20's were un-usable OOTB. They were reallt badly gapped. Now that I have 20 harps I am getting really good at gapping them. :)
You even need to gap the Manji's...They are much better OOTB but I had a few lemons as well but after gapping the Manjis they are real tight and response real nicely.
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barbequebob
143 posts
Nov 30, 2009
3:14 PM
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Like it or not, no OOTB harp is ever gonna be really perfect for anybody, and you either gotta do the work yourself or pay the money for a customizer to get set up for the way you play because everything is for the masses with production line stuff and it's impossible to please everyone.
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Sincerely,
Barbeque Bob Maglinte
Boston, MA
http://www.barbequebob.com
CD available at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/bbmaglinte
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CJames
41 posts
Nov 30, 2009
7:21 PM
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The main store I buy my harps from still doesn't sell them in a packet which is good, not sure why though.
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sorin
107 posts
Nov 30, 2009
9:13 PM
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Because they still have the old stock .
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CJames
48 posts
Dec 01, 2009
8:43 PM
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The supplier must have the old stock still then cause they ordered in a bunch of special 20's among other things still out of the pack
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