What harp you would get if you won the lottery

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I am getting another harp as I need an A. I do not mind paying the price as quality is not cheap and over the long haul the most cost effective way to get a great set is buying good harps at the get go. I have two Crossovers I like very much but would consider another type of Hohner. I have read the Special 20 or Deluxe harps are good but never owned one or played one. If you could pick one harp to play going forward what would it be? I know it won’t be cheap but it will hopefully be among the best around. It will not have a wooden comb and will be set up correctly.

P.S. I did not win the lottery, marry into money and neither did my wife.

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If I won the lottery, I’d get a full set of Joe Spiers customs.

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I’ve not tried enough from different makes to really know, so if I won the lottery I’d try a few to if I take to any in particular. I’d deffo try:
Marine band
Seydel 1847
Suzuki manji
Lee Oskar and the many tunings of (assuming i don’t just hate the first one i try)
tremolo maybe (i’ve won the lottery after all :wink: )

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4

… and have them all sent to a harp tech for gapping and tuning…
:money_mouth_face:

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Suzuki Manji – and if you want purer, more consonant harmonies when playing chords – a richer more natural sound – have it retuned to “just intonation”. If you go that route, I recommend Gary Lehmann (Gnarly), Suzuki technician, gnarlyheman@gmail.com

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I agree and that is what I do with all my harps. Its much more fun to play one than trying to fix one.

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Well I could afford the postage Id probably get some nice custom harps from America. But unfortunately taxes and import tariffs etc put them way out of my pocket

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Andy

Its the plan but I just want to make sure there is nothing better than a custom crossover, plastic comb. I can sound my reeds, blow and draw, with a gentle blow about 2 inches from the harps. I would rather have very good harps and the weakest link in my chain my skill level. I never understood a “starter” harp. then a better one and finally a quality custom harp. In the long run this waist quite a bit of time and money.

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Starter harps are good for those who might not stick to it. Personally if the reed plates are gapped and and they are flat to the comb I’d match my few East Tops to my SP 20’s anyway they are my backup harps in case anything should go wrong with my SP’s I also use them to practice on Blow an East Top out no big deal blow an expensive harp out it’s a big deal. I’ve been playing long enough to know now even the best name harps can go wrong. I always have a back up

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For what it’s worth, Scott…

If you invest in a very costly harp - would you always be able to tell the difference in quality as you play it?

Then if it’s lost, you then have great difficulty in replacing it to re-aquaint your own - learnt and specific - relationship with that harp?

Many harp players - including Robert Zimmerman! just play the one provided by the roadie - and then throw it to a member of the audience! As does The Boss!

So if you are not a rock star with Roadie - I would advise you to get a very good regularly produced practical harp!

I’m sure Brendan Power replaces harps and harmonicas, like his underwear! He runs workshops - or did at Sidmouth - and he showed us how to take apart a harp.

This was the most important quality - to be able to maintain - and personalise - instruments.

So go for a very good quality instrument - and spend the rest of your hard earned dosh on a miniature tool kit with fine files and small screwdrivers!

(Fine Files and Small Screwdrivers! - sounds like a CD title!) Lidl once sold miniature tool kits - of amazing quality, so look out for them.

So having managed your expectations - either successfully or not!..

I’d go for a good EastTop Pro 20. They are very well built with a four-screw plate top and bottom. And play it until it needs attention - or you want to just clean and maintain it. Then be brave and try and adjust it with your Lidl tool kit - preferably having been on a ‘Power’ workshop!

(However you can get spares for Lee Oscars and Seydels - and limited - Suzuki’s)

I don’t know if EastTop do a sort of general spares kit - maybe they should!

If you own any valve harp or harmonica - especially Chromatic - then you can always do your own maintenance on these - more troublesome - constructions!

Good luck.

Charlie from London Sarf!

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Very good advice in regards to purchasing a tool kit. Which is probably the most expensive out lay next to a decent mic and a really good quality carry case, As I’ve said before I doctor all of my harps whether they are SP 20’s or East Tops or whatever I buy, I like certain gaps on certain reeds I like air tightness. So expensive or cheap they get the same amount of work and care so they do all play exactly how I like them to play. I don’t want to be on stage thinking "that 6 reed needs tweaking a bit more. They don’t go into my gig bag unless they are firing on all ten Cylinders! I can get my cheaper harps sounding as good as my expensive one’s and being honest I find them a bit simpler to work on, because on The East Tops it’s usually all the high notes, not so much with the S.P’s I tend to have to spend more time on them. I don’t know if this is down to the thickness and quality of the metal when compared to the cheaper harps but they do take a bit more work.

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If I won the lottery I’d probably get the Seydel Wilde Tuned in every key, Trocculus in every key, Hohner Rockets in every key a really nice mic for both singing and harmonica, buy some custom harps I’ve never tried and hire a tech to clean them and keep them maintained (also teach me to do so) on a regular basis. Oh, and design and have made a custom carrying case for them all…for starters.

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I do not care for my Oskar either. Feels like I am plating a oversized match box. I will say playing single notes is every east.

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Charles

Thanks I have two Crossovers C and B b that are customized and lay well. Got the toolkit but dislike using the : fish hook : I have never played a Special 20 was am curious how they stack up against crossovers. I need an A to complete my set bur my L Oskar is not at all a favorite. i have a B b Crossover and even the tech said it plays extremely well. No chromatics, except one I was give. It is old but seems to be fairly well constructed. Ever heard of a Kock? made in Germany. Its difficult to find a tech that is good and handles a chromatic. Without a good tool kit I would have made some form of mistake and messed up my B b. I would not that $250 for it but would not not pay that for another in the box. Its like my favorite fishing. Don’t again will I harps that do not have four threaded hold down screws. Hohner has the best ones. The only reason an Oskar is so difficult to get those screws threaded is to tech the owner to make sure the face plate with the numbers is on top. I never play mine as it just does not have the sounds a Crossover has, even bends.

Thanks and keep well.

Scott

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I sended my Seydel Steel Session C to a harmonica technician in Belgium, he made it so much better for € 25 plus sending costs. It’s also possible to order a new Seydel and let him “fix it” before sending.

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If I won the Powerball, I’d salary a harp tech and set them up with a workshop. Their job would be to keep me in fine-playing custom harps, and to offer their service to the global harp community at a heavily subsidized price (e.g., just enough that people wouldn’t abuse the service).

Then I’d establish a scholarship fund for elementary schools that want to become principals. The condition of receiving funds would be to establish harmonicas as part of the elementary school music curriculum. I’d use my funds to boost fund-raising efforts so that the fund could become self-sustaining. Once it was self-sustaining, I’d move on to doing the same for middle schools, and then high schools.

Then I’d build an army of harmonica players by giving or funding free harmonica lessons in blue collar working-class neighborhoods. These would have an ensemble component so that people can play together and have a reason to be less isolated.

Then I’d establish another fund for harmonica R&D scholarships.

Along the way, I’d build a collection of every harp from each major maker. The strength and weaknesses would be cataloged and made available. It’d be like an instrument library, all instruments sanitized after each loan. The purpose would be to build stronger evidence for the assertions people make about different harmonica models and brands.

But, if I just won the lotto, I would not be able to do all that. But I probably would buy top of the line chromatics from each maker.

And I’d buy a backup set of Assassin Pro harps. I’m currently thinking of buying an EVOs chromatic in C. I have one in Bb and like it very well. But I have so many harmonicas (including many chromatics in C) that it is tough to justify.

I’d have a titanium CBH made. These are really cool harps but I dislike plastic on my lips. Maybe I’d try I Titanium CX-12.

Maybe I’d fly to China and meet some makers and design some new harps, like a second gen CBH.

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Lots of nice harps to be had for sure. Having had no harp over $100 ever I can only say my favorite of all time is the Suzuki ProMaster. They’re very special. I, too, like Crossovers and most Hohner harps. The Golden Melody is very good in my opinion, great sounding and easy to carry with its rounded corners. The Special 20, according to Corky Siegel, is all he’s used over most of his career. I have several 20’s - very good gear. My point is- why do you have to spend a lot when these harps in the $50-$90 range are exceptional? Lee Oskars are also very responsive and good sounding…at $50. Reminds me my first Hohner Marine Band cost $3.50. That’s right - I’m 100 years old…give er take a couple decades. If I’m still breathing - I’m still blowin’ on a harp. Good luck!

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Corky Siegal is exactly why I switched to special 20’s. Never like wooden combs back in the day they were awful

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My first 10-hole was a Hohner Blues Harp MS. Of those I have a set of seven: A, Bd, C, D, E, F, and G. I’ve been told they’re difficult to play, but I’ve also added gaskets to them and it does help. Bending is easier after adding the gaskets, s’pose a better seal between wood and reeds.

After the Blues Harp I got an XB40-A. It helped making bending easy, but the price was so I only got one new and two more, C and G, used. Hohner no longer offers the XB, but worth a mention here.

Next I thought about the Hohner Masterclasse, but then learned about the Yonbere D1. Each has benefits, but I have no desire to stick a block of aluminum in my mouth. Then Yonberg released the D2 with a hybrid combo. An amazing harp so I got all six keys the had: A, Bd, C, D, F, and G. The Yonberg is toughest and loudest harp I have; though brighter sounding than the Hohner’s. Also very easy to open, clean, and reassemble on the fly with an included screwdriver. A very well engineered case with Seydel reed plates.

Since I’d started with the 10-hole someone always mentioned the Special 20 in conversation no matter where. And, when a set of six came up stupid cheap on ebay I grabbed all six (A, Bb, C, D, F, and G) for $20 +/-. Like $20. They are not so old to be nailed together, but did leak. I cleaned them up and added gaskets. Even the ol’ stained reeds work.

All great harps thus far, but I like a lower rumble and began looking into Low tuned harps. It was between Seydel and Hohner and, in-the-end, I got a set of Hohner Thunderbirds. For me, because of the bamboo comb. They play like any Richter tuned harp just lower. They are pricey so I have four: Low-A, Low-C, Low-G, and Low-Low-F. This was a sound I like. Slightly lower riffs in second position, but it first position out comes that deeper sound.

My last harp – aren’t you happy? is one I wanted just because. It’s a Tombo 1140R 25-hole all blow contrabass in C. It’s a monster of a chromatically tuned diatonic at two octives below middle C. I playea Bb bass in Jr/Sr highschool. Easiest harp I have to play from printed sheetmusic and a blast to play a melody line on.

Ok, enough abut the features the harps I have, how about the one? Of late I have been thinking about a full set of Wilde Tuned Rock Harmonicas based on the Seydel 1847 Classic. Maybe make more out of the high end.

Hohner
Blues Harp … $50-$70
XB-40 … $100-$200 (discont)
o original retail $400
Special 20 …,… $40-$50
Thunderbird … S125-$150

Yonberg
D2 … $115-$130

Tombo
1104R Contra-bass … $300
o original retail $1,200 - $1,400)

Seydel
Wilde Tuned …,. $110+/-

Merry Christmas all,

Greg <><

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I love a Pro Master. I love that shape , the sound, and the weight.