Frank, at this point you should know as well as anyone. The fact is cheap harps are cheap harps, you get what you pay for. You're not going to stumble onto a cheap harps that is going to be much better than any of the other cheap harps you've tried. At this point the only suggetion I could give is to possibly try out a Huang Star Performer or Huang Silvertone(but to be honest I don't think you should buy more cheap harps). They're in the cheap range, but maybe not as cheap as you're looking for. Personally I'm not a big fan of the Huang harps and I would not buy one, but I've heard from other people who think they're decent(I was surprised to learn that Norton Buffalo played them). My experience was that they were really inconsistent quality, some were pretty decent and others were really awful. If you get a good one they are pretty good, but they do have a thin tone imho. You can get them on ebay for between $15-$17, that's including the shipping charge.
To be completely honest with you I don't think you should be buying more harps right now, especially not cheap ones. Play the ones you already have, and then later on when you have more money, buy a decent harp, not cheap junk.
"NO I don't play to hard BBQ Bob, I used the same technique as with all my other harps and they're all doing fine"
Just because your other harps haven't blown out yet it doesn't mean that you're not blowing too hard. A lot of people will swear up and down that they're not blowing too hard, when in fact they are. Even when some people first start concentrating on not blowing/drawing to hard, they purposely start out playing really softly, but once they get into it they will begin too start blowing/drawing harder and harder and not even realise it. This isn't an attack on you, it just something a lot of people struggle with and need to work on, it's all a part of developiung good technique, it comes over time not right away. So as a beginner harp player it's something you should just keep in mind.
EDIT: Adam is actually a fan of playing hard, so was James Cotton. It can deffinately give you a sound and intensity that you can't exactly get buy playing softly. But when Adam plays hard, he does so with great technique, which allows him to get the sound he does. Where as begginers that blow too hard, aren't doing it with good technique, and it often holds them back from developing good technique. My personal opinion is that even if your interested in getting that sound that Adam does by playing hard, you should still first learn too play with good breath control, and once you've got to the point where you've developed good technique and good breath control, then you can start experimenting with playing harder. Adam may completely disagree with this, I don't know. I just don't think a beginner should use "I want to play hard/intense like Adam/Cotton" as an excuse for not learning proper breath control, and I think it will actually inhibit them(or slow them down) from getting where they want to be. I'd be interested to hear what BBQ BOB thinks, since he's a big proponent for breath control and not blowing/drawing hard. Also, remember, even if you play hard with great technique, like Adam, you're still going to end up blowing out harps regularly(or at least more often than someone who doesn't blow as hard) .
Last Edited by on Oct 21, 2010 11:56 AM
It retails for $7.99 and plays just like a custom Budda harp. Very responsive, airtight, easy to get all the bends and over blows. The comb is made out of ivory and the reeds are so sturdy they are absolutely indestructible. You can pick one up at THE MUSIC STORE THAT DOESN'T EXIST!!!!!!!!!!!
@ TN Frank. Quite wasting your time buying piece of shit harps. If you buy them, you will sound like crap. A ten dollar harp is a ten dollar harp, think disposable.
Buy a Special 20 or a marine band. Plastic or wood comb. If you wish to ponder for eons which to get, get the 20. Just do it man. 30$. Last you a while. That's NOT expensive for a harp.
You know, I went to buy a cheap drum set the other day. $299. Would have been serviceable. Instead , I spent 550 on a Gretsch jazz catalina set and it is awesome. Makes me want to play more and get better. Same with a decent harp. Kapeesh?
I'm a Golden Melody guy all the way....so when i saw that the Huang Star Performer looked just like my GM I ordered a few. Wrong thing to do. They sucked.
Ryan is telling you right. When I started I was averaging blowing out a GM every 3 or 4 weeks. I now have some that have been played almost daily for 2 years and still sound fine.
I suppose as a general rule..the cheaper the harp, the more you have to work....
I really think a $33 harp is a much wiser investment than a $15 harp..playability and longer life being the reason...
Frank, having a collection of harps based on your reasoning is well, I wouldn't do it. Your getting a Delta Frost because you don't have one? LOL! And if you hada golden Melody for 30 years, wow!, you don't play.
Whatever. What kind of guitar do you have, your main one.
Last Edited by on Oct 21, 2010 12:01 PM
Don't worry about leaving a hole in your set if you carry one. Your set won't miss it while your gone. Just stay in the habit of returning it first thing. I grab whatever key I'm in the mood for that day from my main set; they're the ones I'm used to anyway. Odds & ends harps I stash in my cars, boat, workshop, desk at work etc. ---------- Ozark Rich __________ ##########
@TNFrank said "What's a decent, inexpensive harp to get for a "go to hell" packin' around harp?".
Don't know what you mean Frank. Just so long as you keep it in its box when you're not playing it it should be OK. The boxes are quite tough and take a bit of wear and tear.
Can you be more precise about the " "go to hell" packin' around" bit? What on earth are you thinking of doing with it?
Do you play when you're under the truck or fitting carpets?
As far as playing hard with good technique goes, the real deal is that when you're playing 100% physically relaxed, all of your air passages are so wide open with absolutely nothing in the way and nothing constricting the air flow that you actually get twice as much volume plus far better overall projection with about 1/2 the amount of air needed and so it is easily mistaken for playing really hard and the average newbie I've encountered nearly always play FAR harder than Adam or Cotton ever did.
Ryan's 4th paragraph in his post says it EXACTLY right on the money. I've yet to meet a beginner who actually had REAL breath control.
As far as cheap harps, you pretty much get what you pay for because, the truth be told, you just can't turn a crappy olf late 80's car called the Yugo into a brand new Maserati by being a cheapskate because it ain't gonna happen. ---------- Sincerely, Barbeque Bob Maglinte Boston, MA http://www.barbequebob.com CD available at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/bbmaglinte
Frank, the cold, hard, brutal truth is that it ain't gonna happen because on more expensive instruments, it requires more hand labor and more people to check on the production lines for quality control, which means, from a business standpoint, higher labor costs are going to be involved regardless of where it is manufactured. ---------- Sincerely, Barbeque Bob Maglinte Boston, MA http://www.barbequebob.com CD available at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/bbmaglinte
I think I've worked it out Frank. It's your OCD isn't it? I bet you need to have it strapped to your body so you can do a quick toot toot at a moments notice.
Sort out your OCD and the rest will be sorted too or simply become irrelevant. ----------
Frank, I'm telling you the truth and I have no reason at all to BS anybody!!!! Unless you're willing to take a boatload of time to customize a cheapie yourself, which even with all that work, still won't be as good as a more expensive instrument regardless (and EVERY customizer will tell you the exact same thing I'm telling you). About the only time is if you rob a store or find out about a liquidation of a store or wholesaler, but even still, a truly great playing $5.00 harmonica is going only be in a pipe dreams and this is a SERIOUS understatement. ---------- Sincerely, Barbeque Bob Maglinte Boston, MA http://www.barbequebob.com CD available at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/bbmaglinte
@TNFrank said " You've got some secret inside info on a $5 buck harp that plays like a $45 buck Manji, I just know it. ;)".
Oh well, looks like the games up fellas, Frank has found us out. We'd love to tell you Frank but we in the Secret Harmonica Instrument Tooters brotherhood can't tell you unless you ask the right question and you haven't done that yet.
I'm sorry. Anyway, keep plugging away and when you ask the right question, you'll know because you'll be deep in the S.H.I.T. too.
For a harp that you are just using for practice I'm not sure what I'd suggest, except that you want something rugged. The difference between the Chinese Hohners seems to mostly be what kind of case it comes in. A plastic case will keep the harp from getting beat up. A form fitting plastic case will keep it from rattling. If you don't want to bother with a case, get something with a closed back (Blues Bands are pretty tight in back, SP20's, etc.) The more open backed harps are more prone to getting jammed with pocket lint! Closed backs also tend to be more resistant to cover crushing, but better harps use thicker covers too.
Since you've already tried Blues Bands I'm not sure you're going to find something better under $10. For a non-OB, tough, comfortable harp (although you may catch mustache hair in it), you could save up and try a Lee Oskar. For the same $20-$30 you could get a case of 7 Piedmonts or for a little more 12 Johnsons. They won't sound great, but if you lose one it's no big deal because they are so cheap. And the case the Piedmonts come in is almost worth the price by itself (although since it holds 7 harps it's a little big). I hold my good harps in them.
The problem is, most $10 or less harps are pretty similar. The other option is to hit ebay and look for used harps and clean them up. Stay away from Golden Cup and Bee harps! The other thing, is don't get so attached to your harps! I know it's tough, but sometimes it's best to just tell your harp,
'It's a good day to die! We are going out there. I won't do anything to hurt you on purpose, because you are a good harp and a good friend, but if you happen to get lost or damaged, although I will mourn you, it's not the end of the world.'
Huang Star Performers - $12.95 I used them on stage for many years. Haven't tried one recently - except my few old ones that still are in tune - and they are decent harps. If you want some Johnsons for free - (they came gratis in the case I got) Pay me $20 for shipping and packing and I'll send you a bunch. - They are good for giving away. ----------
Tooka, I whisper into them all the time! Here is a sample:
It's understood there is a candy vending machine, so I didn't have to tell the harmonica. It could see that for itself! But it didn't know I needed a quarter (well, it knew I didn't have a quarter since it had just been in my pocket, but it didn't know I NEEDED one.) :)
My Advise would be Roll around on the cheap Harps you own already, crush them to death it should take about 12 months or more of squishing,start fresh with some Real Harps to easy :)
Get some Custom Buddha Harps anything else is a Peice of Junk :)
It won't matter how hard you BLOW it wont break He can set them up to your playing style, if your a soft Player he sets it up for you personaly,,,you no other person :)
But if you BLOWHARD on your Harps, he will set it up to your personal Requests and give a Free Lesson on how to play that harp and care for it, well thats got to be value, your Harp will last for ever it don't matter how Hard, YOU BLOW your harps :)
So mate do your self a favor use the Harps you have now to learn on, Squish the hell out of them, by the time your done you should be ready for a custom Harp :) ---------- You did Ask i gave my OP:)
Hey Frank - you've asked the same question more than four times. Do you really expect the answer to change from the last time you asked that question? The last time you asked that question was last week? Due to your shitty attitude, this will be the last time I answer one of your questions. LOL!
Don't buy cheap(<20$) harps, unless you're buying a birthday present for a 5 year old who will inevitably destroy it. You get what you pay for. It's a waste of money. Catch the SP20s at a good price from Rockin' Ron or elsewhere. If you blow a reed, they now sell reed plates for 17 bucks.
And stop with the LOLs, please. Unless you provide video evidence that you are in fact 'laughing out loud', you will be considered insincere.
----------
Todd L. Greene, Codger-in-training
Last Edited by on Oct 22, 2010 5:45 AM
Frank, dont take this the wrong way but you remind me of me when I FIRST got into skateboarding as a kid. I started at around 7 or 8 and continued on into my late 20s but my point is, when I first started I never wanted to "mess up the RAD graphics" on the bottom of my board so I would half ass skateboard. It wasnt untill one of the better skaters in the area told me something along the lines of "If you keep worrying about your shoes or your skateboard, just babying everything, you arent going to learn very fast or very much." Dont be afraid to let the "spirit" of playing harp take over and maybe it will even help you control your ocd because you will be distracted thus lowering or off-setting any medication costs. You can either accept that playing the harp has a certain cost associated with it and just roll with it or you can continue to "add to your collection" of sub par harps for the sake of collecting. I still have the same lee oskar c harp I started with. Plays great. I now prefer sp 20s but it plays great still 18 months or so later. I KNOW I play too hard trying to get down all the blow bends and being able to riff in the upper octave but for now all my harps play great and Ive been playing them for nearly a year. Oh, I think you have more harps than me. Not that it matters but just making a point i guess. I have 2 LOs, 3 sp 20s and a MB. If its any consolation my son got a harp from chuck e cheese for a handful of tickets. Maybe you could look into those. Anyway, good luck, Frank. ---------- "If you dont go within, you go without."
If there was such a thing as a $5 harp that wasn't junk, then the combined knowledge and experience of all the players on the board would have informed you of that in one of your very first threads.
Why does it have to be a shitty harp to be your beater? My carry about harp is a golden melody that overblows like a hot knife through butter. If you treat them right, they are pretty tough instruments. Keep 'em in a box or a sleeve, don't sit on them, don't blow them too hard, avoid water and don't feed them after midnight. Simple rules.
MrVLUN, I have to disagree about feeding them after midnight. I know you're not supposed to but when I did, my harp got all mean and nasty, but in a good, bluesy way. As for water, I find if you put a drop or two on them they bud off and reproduce. No cheaper way to get harps!
.....Don't carry a cheap harp in public; someone might see you with it. Have you no pride? If you had a Harley at home would you go to the club on a Suzuki (no relation)? ----------
Frank, at the risk of piling on, wait, we're way past that aren't we? Anyway, you are rapidly becoming a legend here on MBH, though I'm not sure if it's good or bad. Seriously, after saying that this place was the "wrong bar" for you, talking trash about the members here on another forum, and for a thread in which you asked what amounts to the 400th version of the same question: "Should I buy a(some) really cheap harp(s)?" ---- You have over 50 responding posts, displaying an amazing, for this forum, consensus. That is no mean feat.
Meanwhile a thread about Blind Mississippi Morris having his harps stolen and a thread about video of the Butterfield Blues Band TOGETHER have fewer than ten.
I'm not sure what that says about us. And here I am, poster #5_ responding.
here's a cheap way to carry a cheap harp in public.
carefully peel a banana and eat the insides. then you glue the skin to your harp and viola! you are innocently carrying a fruit you've become very fond of.
no more embaressing scenes where passersby turn up their noses or make catcalls like, "even my three year old carrys a stage 3 joe spiers w/ composite comb!" ---------- MP hibachi cook for the yakuza doctor of semiotics superhero emeritus
Geeeezzzzzz, guys. If TNFrank gets your panties in a twist with this, then what happens when something that really matters goes sideways. I couldn't do my job if I had such a low "annoyance" threshold as I see from a few. Guess I'll just duck and run and ask elsewhere. Ciao4now ---------- In every real man a child is hidden that wants to play. Friedrich Nietzsche
I've got this awful feeling I'm stuck in 'Groundhog Day' here. So I might well have said this hundreds of times before, but FWIW check this out. Christelle playing on a toy harp which looks like it's made from bubblegum :)
Its not the paint job. It is the fact that it comes in only one key that indicates that even Hohner doesn't feel this is a harp for the serious player/musician. Here is a description strait from Hohner
Featuring special heavy duty chrome reed plates that spec out to 2.25 mm thick, the new 225 Deuce and a Quarter harp produces thick rich tones that will stand up to abuse longer than most any other harmonicas. This heavy duty harp feels great in your hand and has a loud voice that really projects making it perfect for Blues and Rock. The “Deuce” is a custom harp designed for players that are ready to rock and who want to look really good while doing it. It is available in a limited quantities and only in the key of A (to accompany jams in the key of E, which is most guitar players favorite key). This harp features special black cover plates and a black plastic carrying case with custom Deuce & a Quarter graphics. Available while limited supplies last.
Notice it says "will stand up to abuse longer than most any other harmonicas" i.e. perfect for Basic Biker Bar Harmonica played by people with little technique and believe they have breath control. ----------
Last Edited by on Oct 22, 2010 2:10 PM
The thicker reedplates means the arc of the vibrating reed is greater, placing greater strain on them. Thick plates mean the harp is louder at the expense of reed life.
I just have to ask... How can "what's the cheapest harp I can get..." become a conversation? Don't bother to answer because I won't be back to read it. Thanks for listening.
