Hohner Blues Harp
My question is actually in regards to something that Ronnie says here about it being a "good choice for beginners" who maybe are using a lot of air compared to more advanced players:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7vadsUUSzis
Now, at this point, I consider myself an "intermediate" player. I can hit all of the bends (blow and draw) on MOST of my harps with fairly good precision (sometimes I overshoot the 3 draw). I own a number of Hohner "Blues Harp" harps (G D and E) that I bought when I was a beginner.
I was considering replacing the comb on them (the wood is rough, it's wood, etc.) with a composite comb, but after watching this video, I'm considering just replacing the harps.
If these are gapped a bit more like Ronnie says in the video, they may be more responsive, but wouldn't that make all bends more difficult?
As I look forward to becoming "pro" quality (one day, maybe before I die), just how critical is gapping for the pro? And what are some harps that maybe you'd recommend for the future "pro"?
Gapping won't make bends more difficult. Good gapping will make them easier.
Gapping is critical for pro players, as it makes the harp more efficient in air use and more responsive to the player. Sure, some players like Neil Young prefer the old leaky, air sucking harps of Hohner's worst period, but most good players want something better.
I suspect that, despite what Ronnie says, the air use on the Blues Harp is due to leakage between the comb and reedplates and not any difference in reed gapping. The current Blues Harp model uses only two reedplate screws, the fewest of any Hohner model. This is not good for overall airtightness, which in turn, is not good for playability. With a composite comb, you can potentially use more of the 5 screw placements in the reedplates to make the harp more airtight.
Learning to breathe easy and using finesse instead of force is one of the most powerful things you can do to improve your playing. You'll sound better and will be able to get the harp to do things you couldn't do before.
Try the composite comb and learn to do a little gapping. What have you got to lose?