New Harp Troubles
HI!
I have just bough a C Harp (Hohner Bluesband Enthusiast). For some weird reason, im not being able to get a proper sounf from holes 1,2 and 3.
So far I have been using a marineband C harp. There the first 3 holes sound well.
Is the harp i bough faulty? Or am I doing something very wrong?
Regards
Amartya
Thanks a bunch!
The tragedy is that where I'm living now, the only harps available are plastic or plastic comb ones. I have just comepleted the C - harp lessons and was desperate to start with the A harp!
Oh well :(
There's nothing wrong with plastic combs. Many good qualty harmonicas are made with plastic combs, but many bad ones also.
Good ones with plastic combs that I know of:
Hohner Special 20, Rocket, Golden melody, and Big River models
Suzuki Bluesmaster, Harpmaster, Olive and Manji
Tombo / Lee Oskar
EastTop
If you're getting decent sound from he Marine Band and not from the Bluesband, then it likely is the harp that's causing the problem.
The Bluesband is a poor quality harmonica - there's no point sugar coating that fact. The entire Hohner Enthusiast series are third-party products made in China from inferior materials and with little or no quality control. Sometimes you can get one that plays OK, but my experience is that they are generally leaky and out of tune. These models allow Hohner to offer harmonicas in the low-priced segment of the market, but at the cost of both quality and reputation.
HOWEVER
I would recommend that you pay attention to the sound you're getting from the Marine Band on the draw notes in Holes 1, 2, and 3.
If you experience any of these phenomena, work to produce clear, drag-free notes. If as a result you improve the response you get on those notes, you may find that the Bluesband also becomes more playable.