Roy Ale
14 posts
Feb 28, 2025
4:38 PM
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( Edited March 2 ) oops / sorry i typed in the wrong thing I meant to only ask about OVER Blows . I can draw bend and blow bend very well .
a harp player told me a certain make and model of harp Over Blows better than some other makes and models ? is this true ? is yes what harp is it ? to me i can get any of my harps to Over blow by reed gap adjustment . But i might change what harps i buy if a certain make and model blow bends better . I can blow bend and draw bend very well . Nice to have the edited option
Last Edited by Roy Ale on Mar 02, 2025 4:32 PM
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Spderyak
437 posts
Mar 01, 2025
7:23 AM
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It may have been valved harps that you have heard mentioned. All blow notes are bendable, as are the draw notes.
I can't say the technique for playing these harps were easy for me to learn. (I still play a mix of harp types)
Gazell harps are frequently mentioned , but it is a bit of a rabbit hole if you opt for valved diatonic harps, but also very interesting.
good luck..happy playing.
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florida-trader
1591 posts
Mar 02, 2025
10:47 AM
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I’m going to paint with a broad brush here. Aside from technique (skil), which the most important factor, the ability to produce the additional notes – draw bends, blow bends, overblows and overdraws – available on a 10-hole diatonic harmonica is a function of how responsive the harp is. And the responsiveness of the harmonica is largely dependent on how much of your breath acts directly on the reeds as opposed to escaping through leaks in the harmonica. Those leaks can be caused by a bad seal between the reed plates and the comb. They can also be caused by gaps that are too wide, which will permit air to escape through the reed slots without acting on the reeds themselves. The gaps can refer to what we typically think about as being the space between the tip of the reed and the reed plate, but they can also refer to the width of the individual reeds vs. the width of the reed slots. You can tighten tolerances through embossing, but that isn’t really what is being asked by the OP.
The question that is being asked is if there are any harps that overblow and/or overdraw better than others. The short answer is yes. Others may contribute and make their own additions but here is my short list. Hohner Crossovers, Golden Melodys, Special 20s Rockets and MS-Series Harps, Suzuki Manjis and Seydel 1847s. These are the top-of-the-line harmonica offered by each of the respective manufacturers. They are more expensive because they have tighter tolerances than other models. Theys use better materials. They take longer to make. They get more attention during the assembly process. Hence, they are more expensive.
Any of these models are great foundations for overblow/overdraw harmonicas. But, as good as they are out of the box, they can all be made better by adjusting the action and embossing the slots. If you really want a harp that will make overblowing and overdrawing easy, there is no getting around doing some reed work.
With all due respect to Spderyak, it is impossible to overblow or overdraw half-valved harmonicas. I am not suggesting that they are not a viable option for playing chromatically on a diatonic harmonica, which after all is said and done is the purpose for using overblows and overdraws, but the valves on a half-valved harp prevent this. What the valves do enable is the ability to blow bend the 1-6 and draw bend the 7-10, which is an entirely different way of playing. The question that was asked was about overblow harps.
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Tom Halchak
Blue Moon Harmonicas
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Spderyak
438 posts
Mar 02, 2025
11:26 AM
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Yes, i missed the part where he only wanted overblow info.
I think asking about blow bends threw me off thinking he or she wanted to know about harps that were bendable more than others.
My mistake.
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Vaclavh
17 posts
Mar 02, 2025
12:57 PM
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Tom's description is great. For Hohners, I'd simply say: Sort harps by price, anything from SP20 up will overblow with some adjustments, including embossing. And without adjustments, no harp leaving a factory will overblow unless your playing technique is really good. Custom models will and the much higher price is well deserved given the amount of work done on them.
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Roy Ale
15 posts
Mar 03, 2025
7:14 AM
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I had to edit my original post . made a mistake on wording . Question is only for Over blowing . Thank you all for your input . I have Special 20s , Suzuki Manjis , Seydel 1847 and Seydel Session Steel. I do adjustments to reed gap to get over blows . Tom , should a Seydel Session Steel Over blow just as well as a Seydel 1847 ? i would think they would be the same but Session Steel was not mentioned .
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Gnarly
Alternatetuning
3173 posts
Mar 03, 2025
10:00 AM
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Tom's combs probably help--he sells a lot of them, and air tight is king.
But as with Ron, he's a pal, so I am probably biased.
Lotta folks are claiming that the Trochilus overblows well, and plus you get the slide notes. I have not had my hands on one yet, but I have recommended them to others, who have had good reports.
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shakeylee
764 posts
Mar 04, 2025
12:37 PM
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I have found bushman John Lee harmonicas OB well
And Suzuki manji or fabulous reed plates on aftermarket combs like blue moon do well
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www.shakeylee.com
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