What was my previous favorite (diatonic) harp?... That's a good question, Steve, and one that I had to think about for a while because I thought one diatonic would just pop into my head, but none did. I had to spend some time and contemplate your question. (My overall favorite harp is actually my customized Suzuki Chromatix SCX-64... but we're talking about diatonics here.)
I guess I have several diatonics that I like a lot, for various reasons.
I like my Suzuki Promaster MR350 because it was the first diatonic I ever got (actually, my husband got it for me) and I consider it eye-candy. It feels good in the hand, has some heft to it, and is ergonomically shaped. However, it has some problems. Perhaps the CNC Lathe was imporperly programmed at the time the harp was manufactured, maybe it's something else, but long story short, it leaks like a sieve.
It's still playable, but takes and extreme effort and a lot of air draw with a LOT of air movement to get it to bend in the lower octave (apparently very unusual for this make and model of harp). When I do get a successful bend, the the bend is almost impossible to maintain and it waivers. Plus, I'm having to draw with such force that my lungs fill up with air too quickly. I can hold the harp up and "back light" it, and I can see daylight through the harp above holes 1 & 2, and under holes 9 & 10. I do not see this phenomenon with any of my other harps, or any of my husband's harps. I've been told I should send it back to the factory, but I haven't. Maybe because I want to keep it "as is" to be able to explain to others that "this is what you don't want to see" (another instance of "Reslove the odd"...). But I still like it because of the aluminum body (even if it may not be cut right) and because it's easily washable/cleanable.
I like my Seydel Blues Session harps, in particulare my key of G harp (RIP), because I like the sound of the lower keys. And, with the plastic body, it's easy to clean, too. I wore out that particular G harp (thus the "RIP" ), so replaced it with an upgrade to a Seydel Solist Pro in Key of G (along with several other keys). It's a nice looking harp, plays well (though not as well as the Steven Tyler harp), and sounds good. Due to the wood comb, however, it/they can't be soaked and cleaned like the Session Blues harps or the Promaster MR350.
So... I guess to answer your question, after an evening of introspection, seems I didn't really have any single, all-around, "favorite" diatonic harp. Have several that I really like a lot for various reasons, but didn't really have a "favorite".
Now I DO have an all-around favorite diatonic harp, and it's the Steven Tyler Signature Series harp (even though it has a wood comb) because it is SO responsive to even the slightest air flow, and plays so effortlessly.
The reason why I warned that the Steven Tyler Signature Series harp is not for people who have an allergy to nickel is because the reed plates are nickel plated. Through various Harp-L posts, I've read of people who have an allergy to nickel (and/or chrome), and prolonged contact with nickel (or chrome) causes acute dermatitis and swelling of mucous membranes. So those individual are somewhat limited in their choices of instruments due to their allergies. Fortunately, I have neither.
Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 07/19/2013 07:27PM by EarthDogHarpin.