Good day to all my harpin' friends! (grin)))

I was wondering, what key is your favorite to play in? In other words, if you were stranded on a deserted island, what key would you hope to be stuck with for the rest of your life?! lol

I've taken to collecting Marine Bands in all 12 major keys. The only key I haven't rushed out to buy is the F#, although, I might consider an F Low down the line.

If I was stranded on a deserted island, I'd hope to have a Marine Band in the key of A. My second best choice would be Bb.

~always Maria.

for overall sound, I like the key of G. I can actually sing along much better, though with at least an A and no higher than a C. As far as C goes, though, I'd rather have a low C harp rather than a standard C.

As far as I can tell, the 1896 Marine Band doesn't come in a Low C. And, after you explained Low & High key tuning, I thought a Low C would be very nice to play. Could you tell me what harmonicas I could find in a Low C?

On a side note, I use to think I sang in a G, for I have a fairly low speaking voice for a girl. But now I realize I sing in the key of A, which is probably why I prefer my A harp over others. lol

~always Maria.

Bushman makes low-tuned harps (Soul's Voice Low Boys), but they are about $60 from Harp Depot (http://harpdepot.com/productdetail/~Model/12LB~/d.html).

They come in C, A, G, & F. C is the highest, and it is 1 octave lower than the standard C. Next is A, then G, both 1 octave lower than the standard tuning. F is the only one that is different. It's actually 2 octaves lower than the standard tuning, making it the lowest of the 4.

The original Soul's Voice from Bushman runs about $30 and comes in the standard 12 keys as well as Low D, E & F which are all one octave lower than the standard tuning, so D is the lowest and F is the highest, but is still lower than the normal G. They also have high G and high A which are both one octave higher than the standard tunings, so therefore, they are both above the standard F#.
(http://harpdepot.com/productdetail/~Model/12~/d.html)

All in all, Bushman makes the Soul's Voice in 21 keys (including the 4 Low Boys) which is more keys than any other harp out there without having to be a special order.

BTW, the standard Soul's Voice are well worth the $30 + shipping. I haven't tried the Low Boys yet.



Post Edited (09-23-05 12:30)

The hohner marine band model # 364 the C is one octave lower. I have one and the tone is very pleasant. It has 12 holes, and a wood comb. They sell for under $30, everthing sounds good on this harp.
Irv.