I purchased this set not really expecting much I just wanted a cheap way to get serveral different keys and some cheap harps to take backpacking. But I have found the Piedmont Blues Harps to be incredibly responsive once they are broken in. A perfect starters set, or in my case a great way to get a buch of different key harmonicas for the price of one. So despite there really cheap material, the Piedmont blues set is a great deal!

Zacharp,
I ordered a set of Piedmont's when I first started and wasn't really happy with them at all, so you must have been lucky and got a better set than I did. I have since moved on to Blues Harps and Golden Melodies, I would have to say the Blues Harps are my personal favorites.

Keep on Harpin'

Tom

I haven't tried the Piedmont Blues yet, but I must say, you're the first person I've heard say anything good about them.

hey pcguyiv,
Have you tried any Hohner Marine Band Harps? I bought one in the key of G to try out and have a sticky 3 reed. Any recomendations or fixes would be helpful.

Thanks,
Tom

If you've got a problem with a Marine Band, the best help I can give would be to return it to Hohner for replacement or repair, if it's new enough. The original Marine Bands are put together with nails and don't always go back together well if you take them apart. If it's one of the new Marine Band Deluxe models, that's put together with screws, you might try taking it apart and cleaning it.

Thanks, It is a newer model, I'll give it a try and see what happens, but it was sticky out of the box.

If it's been problematic right out of the box, I'd say take it back as defective. It shouldn't be that way. I've had more than 1 key of G Marine Band, & have never had any problems right out of the box.

i agree with tom because,
i bought the Piedmont Blues Seven Set over the summer to get a different range in keys, but found the Piedmont Blues Seven Set to be realy disapointing, mainly because at least one reed sticks on all 7 harmonicas,
i would not recamend buing this set.

i now play on the hohner speacial 20 marine band, and would recamend getting the special 20.

I got this set as a gift for my birthday. They have a plastic cover on them and feel odd playing them at first because of the plastic cover. For the price, I don't think they are a bad deal. They are not the most air tight harps I've ever played, but I would say they are similar to other sub $10 Hohner harps like the Bluesband. Not too many sub $10 harps have key options. I haven't had them too long so I'm not expecting great longevity out of them but for the price they aren't so bad. Just don't expect them to be Special 20s or Golden Melodys. It would be a good set to have around to carry one or two of the harps around and not worry about losing it.

If nothing else these are a good beginners set of harps, they're not to expensive, and a cheap investment if you're just wanting to try playing. Since my last review of them I've messed around with them, and they're not as bad as I remembered. I was new to the harp when I bought them, and was kind of green as far as playing. Now after learning to play better thay are what they are, an inexpensive set of harps.

Tom

Here is a great deal, A great starting point

Suzuki Bluesmasters 6 harps - $103 most online dealers

keys A, Bflat, C, D, F, G

I, too, have a set and bought them to have something in seven keys - a place to start exploring keys other than C and G.

My set seems airtight enough, but I don't believe that every note can be trusted. And they don't bend well at all. Still, I sometimes play them just for their unique tone. Rich and warm, which was surprising for a plastic harp.

One other complaint - they had a chemical taste for a long time.

It might be worth checking out the package Hohner is offering the European market, which is a set like this of BluesBand harps.

Im from europe and was thinkin of buyin a set of 7 blues band harps!
I've bn playin for a while with a lee oskar nd special 20.
I've started playin with a band and need sum more keys but don't have much money to spend!

Will buyin them be worthwhile?

thanks for any advice!



Post Edited (2009-08-02 15:23:57)

if you need the extra keys, then by all means go ahead. Personally I don't like the blues band harp, but if it works for you then do it.