Beelzebob:
Well, I can finally play this with some consistency in context, but I haven't come up with a riff that makes it seem worthwhile. Does anyone have a suggestion? I can play it without having to hit 6D first, that was my obstacle for a long time. I'm playing it on two OOB Suzukis that I found on Amazon for $15 each, a Harpmaster Bb and a Promaster C 7th tuning (same as country tuning). Wish I had bought a lot more but I was wary of a ripoff. They've been good harps. But the deals gone. Very annoying how expensive harps have gotten, way past inflation. Cheaper to buy a guitar and change the strings once in a while. Harp was supposed to be a cheap way into the blues, no more.
Matt:
My harmonicas costy me more than my guitars do, annually. I know manufacturing harps is very labour-intensive, especially setup and tuning, and wages have risen over the years (and rightly so) but I can't help feeling a little bit of a sting every time I buy a new harp.
I mostly use Special 20s because they are durable, but the Marine Band harps seem to OB easier, especially out of the box. Even so, both of these types benefit from a bit of reed gapping to make OB's work well. All I can suggest is that you try to set them up to be a bit more OB-friendly. Also, OB-ing does get easier and become more natural the more you do it, though it never feels like you are getting very far when practising. I could never OB an OOB harp that was higher than a B initially, but now I can manage to OB the 6 on a C and D harp, which was a surprise. There is a real knack to this technique - I'm not even sure what it is - but I am gradually improving in this area without really knowing what I am doing right :-\
Otis66:
--- Quote from: Beelzebob on March 26, 2015, 08:19:17 PM ---Well, I can finally play this with some consistency in context, but I haven't come up with a riff that makes it seem worthwhile. Does anyone have a suggestion? I can play it without having to hit 6D first, that was my obstacle for a long time. I'm playing it on two OOB Suzukis that I found on Amazon for $15 each, a Harpmaster Bb and a Promaster C 7th tuning (same as country tuning). Wish I had bought a lot more but I was wary of a ripoff. They've been good harps. But the deals gone. Very annoying how expensive harps have gotten, way past inflation. Cheaper to buy a guitar and change the strings once in a while. Harp was supposed to be a cheap way into the blues, no more.
--- End quote --- There is a lot more to guitar than changing strings. Plus now a days strings will coast you about rhe same as a reed plate. :)
Beelzebob:
<There is a lot more to guitar than changing strings. Plus now a days <strings will coast you about rhe same as a reed plate.
I paid $4.00 for my last set of strings. I hear about people getting all kinds of stuff done to their guitars, but you don't have to do any of that. I keep thinking I will need new frets someday but it never happens. If I were a better player or played out, I might get better hardware, pickups, frets dressed, crowned, or whatever it is they do to them, etc. Some players need to do that stuff, but I think a lot is just guys needing to tinker, as with cars, woodworking and things like that. I've been lurking on the PRS forum lately and it is pretty funny. Many of these guys buy guitar after guitar after guitar. You start to wonder how many of them are proficient at their instrument. But one guy admitted that he couldn't play at all, he just collected them. I'm betting he's not the only one. What were we talking about? Oh yeah, the 6OB. ; )
Matt:
You might like to try Gussow's 'Watermelon Man' lesson (not the free one) which features the 6OB. It's a cool Herbie hancock number which requires that note in key places.