Harmonica advice please

[bod]

Long story told short, I'm into another round of pesky hand surgery and aiming to have another run at getting some kind of grip on harmonica while guitar-play is out... As implied, I've had a go before but very much a beginner... I've just been having a quick look online and there is a vast amount of info out there, which, to be frank, I'm not up for wading through and evaluating right now (not least cos I want to buy and get started asap) , any informed brief pointers / pros & cons comments on any of the following will be gratefully received:

New vs used

Brands - Lee Oskar / Hohner / others

Models

Wood vs plastic block

Anything else I should be bearing in mind

Thanks

[Deleted]

New v used??
Eewww !
"aw, smell your harmonica son".

[Deleted]

You can't go wrong with a Lee Oskar - plastic comb, replaceable reeds and a good reputation. It's what my harp player Dave Smith uses..and I've got one of my own for noodling around on.

[Dessery]

I'm very much in the same place as you when it comes to harmonica, I pick it up again at least once a year but never get anywhere

I have however bought a couple including Lee Oscar's and hohner, I personally like the hohner blues harp, they were recommended to me for being easier to bend with, not sure if that is true but I liked them anyway.

Only other tip I can recommend is the tape trick to cover up holes when learning to bend, helped me massively in practising until you get to the point you can blow single holes (I never quite got that down, maybe next year)

if you can, buy a spare and keep it in the car, great for when you have a spare couple of mins waiting for something/someone.

And lastly check out Adam Gussow's YouTube channel, that man can play!!

I also have to agree with TT on the used, eww!!

Good luck and most of all, enjoy!!
David

[Dessery]

Should of said actually that the Lee Oscar has much bigger holes than the hohner ones I own which is great for trying to blow single holes but maybe not as good down the line when your getting into tounge blocking.

As with all these things though, its very much down to personal preference. If you can afford to, buy a couple and see how you get on!!

Hope your hand recovers soon
David

[blueshome]

My post on this seems to have vanished.

Horner or Heering with a wood comb for the traditional sound. Jerry Portnoy has some excellent instructional material around.

Also check out if there is an NHL group near you.

[petej]

Hofner special 20 plastic comb smooth and very easy to play
Hohner Blues harp wood comb slightly different in tone,but i think sounds better than special twenty
both are nice(Gob Irons) thats what we call them
petej

[washboardchris]

Hi, if you are going to soak your harps go for a plastic comb(the wood ones swell up & can cut your lips up )another vote for Lee Oscar

[pete1951]

Some very good players play Lee Oscar, and because they are all plastic/brass/stainless they don`t rust, etc. They are tuned a little sharp, which gives them a `bright` `forward` sound. Wood comb harps (like the more expensive Hohners) sound (to me) warmer (better?). Wood combs have improved and don`t swell up as much as they used to, plus most now have followed Lee Oscar and have screwed, rather than nailed, covers, so maintenance is not so hard.
PT
I play a little and have mostly Lee Oscars, for a non-pro player they get my vote.


PS:If you just want 1 harp get a `C`(plays `Blues cross harp in G) , this is in the middle of the range (a low G sounds great, but is the hardest to bend notes, a high `F` can be bent, but is a bit `thin` and blow bends can kill bats)

[purpleorange]

I wrote a long reply and lost it as I wasn't logged into the forum.

I am a harmonica player who plays a little guitar sometimes, personally I would stay away from the lee oscar harmonicas as they are tuned to equal temperament so the chords aren't going to sound great, it is much better to have a harp that has a compromised tuning as this will make the chords sound sweeter and still work well for melody notes.

If you want a good quality instrument that is good value for money you should get something from the Hohner marine band range (marine band, deluxe, crossover, special 20, thunderbird), unlike the rest of the Hohner harmonicas these ones are still handmade in Germany and are better quality than Hohner's other ranges that are made in China.

The original Hohner Marine Band is probably the best 'bang for the buck' professional level harmonica that you can get, the quality is great and the wooden combs are well sealed so swelling isn't really a problem. This is the same type of harmonica that everyone from Dylan, Lennon, Young, the two Walters, Sonny Boy Williamson 1 & 2 and 99% of the other harmonica players worth listening to played. The marine band has got the job done for over 100 years and I can't understand why anyone would want to play anything else, they sound great, play great, feel great and look great.

The one thing with the marine band that could be a problem for you is that they are nailed together so they are a little harder to take apart, I have got used to the nails and I prefer them to screws these days.

If you want screws you should go for the marine band crossover or the deluxe depending on your budget and your tastes, they are a little more expensive than the standard marine band. All of the marine bands harmonica combs are well sealed these days so swelling shouldn't be a problem, if you are worried about that you should go for the crossover as it has a bamboo comb that can't swell.

Seydel also make nice harmonicas, but I don't know much about them.

[purpleorange]

The only other thing that I would add is that I think that you need to play in the tongue blocked style to get the most out of it.

Also try t get used to playing the harp gently it will give you better control of the harmonica in the long run and you are less likely to blow a reed out, it is a lot harder to replace a reed on a harmonica than it is to change a string on a guitar.

[bod]

Thanks for the input, everyone - new harmonica arrived today, and I'm currently making my way through Jerry Portnoy's freebie beginner lessons youtube, and am reliably informed that I'll be getting a month's subscription to his further online lessons (Sonic Junction) for Fathers Day