What ever tool you think gets the job done the best!! I am a gear freak - way too much for even a collector - but I try to use it all.

I have every key of the following (all costum gapped by me for overdraw/overblows - which makes them harder to play standard blues on - bummer!):

Lee Oscar - definitely not recommended for overblows/overdraws
Hohner Melody Maker - recommended for overblowing by players like Jason Ricci

I also have some new Marine Band Deluxes: excellent tone AND playability - an all around fantastic harp. (I guess now I will be looking to try some Suzuki Promasters too - as they have been recommended - by more than a few players!)

into a Shure "green bullet" mic (what is the actual model number of these?) although I really want to try an Astatic or other modern ceramic mic (right?)

INTO effects - preferable all analog but I normally just plug into a little plastic Boss ME-33

Here is my rig set up on my...my....my...my MySpace page:

Blues harps (Lee Oscars, Hohner Marine Band Deluxe, Hohner Melody Makers - all gapped for overblowing, Hohner Super 64x Chromatic, Hohner XB40) INTO

SHURE"Green Bullet" mic INTO

BOSS Multi Effects ME-33

(and for bigger shows INTO)

FENDER Prosonic 60 watt, class A (or class AB), open back cab with
- two 10" Celestions

Although here again I want to find a little 50s Fender - Champ, Princeton, (Deluxe for guitar), or (Jason Ricci recommended - and I agree!) Peavey Classic 50 4x10 or possibly - according to your and many others' recomendations (like Tone Quest Report) - a nice Victoria! The amp - really the speakers in the cabinet - is the "instrument" that you are listening to!!

If any is interested in my other mountain of gear (I play ALL musical instruments!) check out:
http://www.JamesGraff.com

All the best!
James Graff
http://www.youtube.com/graffjamie
http://www.GarageBand.com/artist/JamesGraff



 

I'll have to give the Suzukis a try amigo! Hell, I've just ended up playing what seemed to blow good at the time... which was Lee Oskars for awhile. Then got facinated with Dannecker Blues Harps after reading some endorcements by Charlie Musslewhite. Love the "heft" of them... and definitely the "Cadillacs" of blues harps- but DAMN they're expensive! ( about 150 bucks a pop! ) Then, just about 3 months ago somebody told me to try a Bushman Delta Frost; and shit man! REAL fine harps man!!! All in all I've got about 46 harps or so... most Lee Oskars, the rest Bushmans and 4 Danneckers that all play good from their own particular strengths. Shittiest harps I ever tried? Huangs! Mercy... for as long as they've been makin' em, they are the worst excuses for harps known to man!!!

- Butchie
 

about 20 years ago I bought a Huang C harp and I loved it mostly because it played like it was already broken in, but that's the last good Huang I ever saw and I still have it. Someone bought me a Huang and couple years ago and it was pure junk.
 

I use Hohner Chromatics exclusively too. Actually I use only one C Chrometta. I figure if my friends playing Keys only get one Piano tuned in C, I should limit myself accordingly :-) (OK - that's silly, but they're pricey.) That said, more octaves might be nice to have.

Speaking of my cheapness - I use a Pocket Pal. Here's why: It's $5 and the chambers are tight. No leakage, fast response, triple bends and blow bends better than expected.

I used to have this thing for wood combs (read: Marine Band) but, honestly, life is better w/o leakage.

As for soaking harps in whiskey, it's just better to drink the whiskey straight and who knows - doing so will help harp playing better than soaking will.
 

I guess we'll never get to the bottom of who makes the best harp. Lets face it, we all play differently, we all have different physiology so what's cool for me might be terrible for the next man.

I'm self taught and when I statrted playing I didn't know any other harp players so had no clue what to do! I started off on Hohner marine band but didn't like the feel of the wooden body on my lips. Tried just about every brand of Hohner harp including the Meisterklasse and wound up favouring the Special 20's. These seemed to give a decent tone and appeared to last a bit longer when played hard.

Had a few flings with other brands, Lee Oscars, Huang etc but didn't get on with them although I haven't tried Suzi Pros so can't offer my opinion on these.

Things have since changed in the King household... I have two words for you gentlemen... Antony Danneker. I cannot believe how good his custom blues harps are plus he offers a fabulous repair service for any blown reeds. Granted, not too accessible if you live in the States but great for us guys accross the pond. Expensive they may be but well worth every penny.

I've tried lots of mics but I must say that I like the Astatic JT30's best although I do have an old green bullet on stand by.

As far as amps are concerned I use a '59 Bassman with a fat tube rectifier for gigging or, if the venue is small, I play through an ART Tube Studio V3 into a tweed pro-junior.

At the end of the day if you like your tools and you enjoy what you're playing who gives a fuck what anyone else thinks! It's funny but I used to worry about playing in front of other harp players in case they thought I wasn't very good. I have only recently come to the realisation that, no matter what anyone else thinks, it won't change how I play and if I'm cool with what I play that should be enough.

I love playing and listening to other harp players for inspiration - you guys keep doing what you're doing.
 

Hey,

I use Lee Oskars, mainly coz I got one for my 14th Birthday and they sounded pretty good, I've listened to a whole bunch of blues greats, using all sorts of mics, amps, leads and harps, but the best ones I've found, is the acoustic stuff.

Stuff like Sonny Boy <i, Sonny Terry, those guys did it all without the equipment, and they had to use some of the poorest harps around, what I say is, if you can't make it sound good without an amp, then good on ya!!!! There need to be more players out there happy with the tone THEY can make, not the harp, amp, lead, cab, mic, etc. As a very wise guy once said to me from Chicago, "Don't forget to practice acoustic, that's where you develop your tone!". I happen to agree.

I use a little ole amp made by VOX, it's a 15 watt solid state with a valve pre-amp, works like a charm, picked it up for £119 (aprox. $240). Got that around six months ago, i gots a little ole mic painted red (see profile pics) with a pretty standard vocal mic element picked up for £15 ($30), and my pride and joy which is a Hohner Blues blaster.

But, as I said before, this don't mean jack, unless you gots the bellows to pull it off. I've heard so many guys with a JT30 mic, an original '59 Fender Bassman, and Marine Band harps, that frankly, just sounded boring, coz they'd spent all their time looking for equipment, and not practising!!

But, that's my 2 pennies worth,

Earl
 

Ok I have played harmonica for about 30 years started on the standard Hohner Blues harp, in my opinion one of the hardest to learn on. At least out of the box with no modifications. Tried a few Marine Bands when I used to do some Neil Young cover tunes and those have thier place in that genre. Now I have a set and a half of the Hohner Special 20 560/20 Harps. I have had a couple get a few bad reeds but nothing out of the ordinary for a 20 dollar harmonica, they bend easy out of the box and Im pretty happy. But I got to tell you the more and more I look at those Promasters Im getting some serious GAS about those. Gear is gear, I play keys too and that is my main instrument, but I did get a small Crate Palamino 15 watt Class A tube amp and a green bullet and it screams if setup right. I will have to try the Suzuki's and probably a good Tube Mic pre to give me some compression. James you have great <myspace>style</myspace> and thanks again for the add.
 

So, James, I want to move into chromatics. I love the big sound you get on a diatonic. I don't know if you can get that on a chromatic, but I don't know a lot. Honer has a couple chromatic/diatonic hybrids. How would you compare a chromatic and one of the hybrids? What would you recomend for me who is just learning. 'Cause diatonics are hardwired to a key and I play by ear and moving to a chromatic means I have to learn all the scales and mode... which is what I want.

Paul
 

James;
I have played every harp there is from Horner, Lee Oskar, Danneker, Bushman Deltas Frost, Seydel, etc and have blown them all out within weeks or months - L.O.'s probably stand up the best BUT Suzuki just keeps cranking! I love the metal combs - better to get those single notes. I play Promaster Valved and they can be tricky - you can really blow some off keys if you aren't careful but all in all Suzuki I feel for the money is the best. And if you can't spend a lot - try the Suzuki Bluesmasters - last I checked they were around $18?
I also play Suzuki Tremelo's and Chromatics - It's almost like the car business back in the day - everybody thought Japanese cars were shit but now? Show me an American car that still runs good after 200k miles!
Anyway, I recommend Suzuki all the way. I play a lot of Bossa Nova stuff, Jazz and Blues, R&B, Funk - they work with everything.
Love, Peace and Harmonicas
Shawn
 

Hi James.
My oppinion on harp brands is what you feel comfortable with. As a lady harp player ive always liked and used Lee Oskars because i feel they,re so easy to play . It dont take much puff to blow those things.......but the downside is i always seem to wear them out quickly, it costs me a fortune. I know that you can get the replaceable reed plates, but the music shops over here dont stock them in my experience. Anyway your definetly right about the Suzuki Promaster. I have two !! and like you said they last forever...I do like them actually. They have a very smooth, sweet sound. But again i must say over here in England you go into a music shop and its a Lee Oskar or a Hohner. You really have to look around if you want something a bit different.... From Lorraine.
 

James my man, I don't generally comment on things that are so subjective, but I just felt led to spew forth when i read what Earl T. Harper had to say.
Hohner, Lee Oskar, Suzuki...to each his own special brand of poison. I've played the Hohner Special 20 for years, and it seems to suit me quite well. Other harp playin' friends of mine prefer other models of Hohner(Marine Band), or other brands all together. Truth be told, they make 'em sound fine. Why?...
Glad you asked. [;^) They all know how to play extremely well WITHOUT an amplifier. They can get great tone without benefit of an amp or a mike. If you can do that, playing through an amp can produce, and usually does, an awesome sound. If you can't , then the best electronic equipment in the world will only magnify how awful you sound.
I enjoy your playin', James, might even have to test drive one of those Suzuki harps you use. Keep it alive and filled with energy. God bless. Oh yeah, make sure all them peoples "Catch a Blues Buzz"!!!
Franco Paletta
 

To paraphrase B.B. Kings drummer as quoted in Modern Drummer Magazine, "the blues is old, your equipment shouldn't be."