Thread for harmonica owners

**LostSoul** · 02-02-2020

I bet there's someone who plays harmonica in here. I need one for sampling, not the "golden" ones, just something with a solid sound. I found here the list, if you have any of those let me know, all these reviews look the same for me, actually. Just do not want to buy one and realize that it sounds like crap on the record. I can do things with fruity loops, but that's the last thing I'd like to fix

**rcarlberg** · 02-02-2020

Wouldn't it be easier to download some pre-existing samples than make your own? I imagine it would be tough getting the right mic, the right environment, the right length of sample, the right number of samples, etc. etc. Sounds like WAY too much trouble to me.
https://freewavesamples.com/instrument/harmonica
https://www.looperman.com/loops/cats...-wavs-download
https://freesound.org/people/CBeeching/packs/7335/
https://zero-g.co.uk/products/harmonica
https://sonivoxmi.com/products/details/harmonica

**The Dark Elf** · 02-02-2020

I've played Lee Oskar's for the past 30 years. If you want to keep a good-sounding harp for any length of time, I would suggest getting some that don't have wooden combs (the main body of the harp with the holes) because the wood swells and distorts the sound over time. Lee Oskar's have a plastic comb (never warps), and in addition has replaceable reed plates, combs and cover plates. The other nice thing about these harps is that they not only come in standard diatonic models, but also minor keys. They are about $40 apiece, less than half the price of a Seydel, and with interchangeable parts you can keep them virtually forever.

**Shadow** · 02-02-2020

Is there a blues site somewhere, I bet some of them would have recommendations.

**progmatist** · 02-02-2020

As a general rule, wooden reeds sound better, but are too easy to blow out. Harp players with whom I've played will soak their harps in water, to make bending notes easier. Plastic reeds are more resilient, but sound plastic as one would expect. And of course, plastic reeds are more difficult to bend than even dry wooden reeds.