[Harp-L] Seydel 1847 stainless steel reed harmonica

[Jonathan Ross <jross38@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

fjm writes (all quoted text is his):

"This is by far the best stock out of the box harmonica I've ever  
played."

High praise indeed from someone who has tried most, and many customs  
besides.

"The bodies are sealed maple."

Better than pearwood, as it's much more dense.  Plastic would be  
better still, of course, but then you'd get people complaining about  
the price since it's "only" plastic (as if the comb material has a  
significant effect on the price--not unless it's solid gold, I'd bet).


"I can see that I will have a problem with the coverplates I have an  
odd grip and it stresses the centre of the coverplates. I'll end up  
crushing this coverplate flat in no time. I've already deflected the  
G in less than 5 minutes playing time."

Why can't all companies follow Hering's lead and go to a thick chrome- 
plated brass, as they do with the Hering Blues range?  I know the  
answer, but if I were designing a new harp, I'd definitely take that  
as a starting point, as those are impossible to damage from simply  
holding.

Excepting the Hulk, of course.

"The combs are longer than an 1896 and perhaps a tad thicker. The  
hole spacing ends up being wider because the holes themselves are  
larger. "

Seydel uses a wider spacing than other manufacturers.  Almost  
everyone else uses the same reed and hole spacing for diatonics.   
I've not found it to be a problem, but like any change it may need an  
adjustment for certain techniques, I'd bet.

"Bear in mind this is just an initial assessment. I'll report back as  
I get more time in on these 1847's. Pretty much the only harmonicas  
I've ever played that I like as well have been pre war Marine Bands."

High praise again, and I look forward to reading how your experience  
with these progresses.  I should buy some for myself, as well as the  
new Suzukis, if only to sample what's new and what seems to be a  
growing higher-end mass-manufactured market.  I'm glad to see  
companies making the effort to improve what's out there and offer  
some new ideas.  Stainless steel reeds is certainly a very exciting  
development in terms of potential longevity.  Of course, I'd love  
someone to take up the Magnus idea and explore modern plastic reeds  
and integral molding in the harmonica, since we now have fifty years  
of experience with plastics.  But Stainless steel is a big  
development for the instrument--a truly new reed material being made  
commercially.  That doesn't happen but once every fifty years or so-- 
if then.


" I also miss the numbers because that's how I know at a glance which  
way is which."

I've seen people complain about the numbers from an aesthetic  
standpoint, but I'm with fjm on this--they make it so easy to tell  
which side is which, and without them you get into fumbling.  The  
Turbolid eliminates this, but for traditional style covers numbers or  
some other easily noticed marking is a good thing, IMO.

"Wow, the hole spacing thing is really throwing me for a loop. I  
can't play clean sets of fast triplets in time. I'm slowly making  
progress on this but it is a radical change from virtually all of the  
10 hole Hohner hole spacing."

I'm sure you'll adjust if you give it time.  As I said before, it is  
different from all other manufacturers.  Apparently, that's the way   
Seydel made harps have always been.  All others are probably copying  
the Hohner spacing, but who knows which was first.  I bet it's mostly  
a matter of familiarity, and if you had learned on a Seydel it would  
be natural and others weird.

Similarly, when I play a Piccolo or Vest Pocket harp I find it hard  
to get good accuracy.  The holes are too close together.  However, if  
I'd learned on them regular harps would probably feel quite awkward.   
Indeed, when I did play Piccolos fairly regularly, I was able to get  
used to them in a short amount of time.

Thanks for sharing this with the list, and I can't wait to hear how  
you get along with these new Seydels as time goes by.




 ()()    JR "Bulldogge" Ross
()  ()   & Snuffy, too:)
`----'