[Harp-L] Review of Seydel 1847



Hi folks, 

 

I'm posting a review on the two Seydel 1847s I just received last week.
These two harps are an A and a G.  They are definitely louder than my
current harps (sp 20s) and it's easier to produce the volume in that it
doesn't take as much pressure.  They are very tight.  Some people don't like
this but I do.  They are compromised tuned and the octaves are beat-less.
One thing that I noticed right away is that I can do a full step bend on the
lower end - 1 through 5 - with very little pressure.  So, on a song like
Juke for instance, that ends with a full step draw bend on 2, I can get it
nice and straight and smooth without bearing down very hard.  This is
important to me because on a song like Juke, (and this is true in lots of
blues harp playing) I want to be able to get straight, full bends without
throat vibrato at low volume.  This is real easy on the 1847s.  I can also
get vibrato on deep bends at low volumes as well.  So in other words I'm
getting a lot of control on these harps with less of a struggle than with
the sp 20s.  

 

I tongue block throughout my playing both for octaves and tone as well as
just a way to jump around the comb quickly.  The smooth seal and slightly
convex profile on the 1847's comb is great for tongue blockers and it's
great for pursing too.  I incorporate a lot of shimmers (tongue slid back
and forth over several holes) and glissandos in my playing as well and the
1847 comb is great for these techniques.  Oh yeah, through 10 are nice and
clear and sound much more easily; I can blow bend/trill 8 and 9 with great
ease and10 bends down a full step with ease as well.  

 

I've read a post or two about the fact that the holes are just a little bit
farther apart and I wanted to add that this is true.  I've had to adjust my
playing a little for this but it was not big deal - took me about 15 minutes
to get used to this issue. 

 

I also want to add that these harps look great and feel substantial.  Every
edge and corner is smooth and rounded off, the cover plates fit tightly to
the reed plates, the finish is very smooth and flawless - this is a very
nice harp, a very good looking harp too.  They also come in a very nice box
and although I tend to case my harps and pitch the boxes I'm going to have
to hang on to these one because they're really nice.  

 

I guess I'll see how they hold up over time.  I play a lot and I usually get
year and a half out of my most used sp 20s (G, Ab, A, Bb, C) before
something goes wrong; and that's after a lot of fooling around with gapping
and embossing the reeds and slots.  I don't intend to tweak these harps at
all and I shouldn't have to for $90.  I'm definitely going to buy some other
keys as soon as I get some more mad money, probably a C, D, and an Eb.  I
have two Soloist Pros on order, a Low D and a Low F that cost me $70 a pop
(for just intonation and the fact that they're low octave harps) and I'm
looking forward to seeing how these play.  I should add that I already have
a Soloist Pro in Bb and all of the above remarks are true for this harp as
well except that it's not quite as loud and the 1847s.  

 

I think I'm turning into a Seydel player.  Ten years ago I got some Suzuki
Pro Masters and I was really jazzed on them for about three months and then
I saw all their draw-backs and reverted back to my sp 20s.  I actually sold
the Pro Masters and didn't even keep one of them.  These Seydels are
different though.  I really like them a lot.    

 

Sam Blancato, Pittsburgh 




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