brands of harps

[popcorn]

1. I'm new here but not to the harp. I've been playing since Stevie Wonder was "Little Stevie Wonder"(about 45 years). 2.You said Charlie Musselwhite uses Lee Oscars. Well, the last time I looked in his box (July) it was full of Marine Bands and Golden Melody's. If you'd like, my guitar player has done some work on Charlie's earlier stuff and just moved back to California where he is Charlie's neighbor now. If you'd like, I'll have him ask Charlie if that's changed. 3.My own favorites are the same as the Blues Brothers---not the actors, the guys the characters were patterned after---Paul DeLay and Curtis Salgado. I've talked to and received harp instruction from both of them and they use the Big River. It has the same reed plate as the Blues Harp and the Pro, but it's cheaper. Replacement reed plates are available, but cost as much as a new Big River. I got to the site looking for info on slide guitar. I just bought a gold-plated slide and thought I'd find out how it works. I like the site. Your dead-on info on harp makes me confident the slide guitar stuff is for real, too.

[jeffl]

Hey Popcorn,thanks for chimin' in; I'm a harper from Minnesota,and even though this place is dominated by sliders,we do have a core of harpers,from novices to pros. One thing I've liked about this place is that if I've been fostering inaccurate information,or prejucides, regarding music,equipment,technique,etc.,it usually gets challenged here by somebody,and I can get straightened out for free, before I reveal my ignorance in public. We got enough guys around here that we can usually get the right answers with some effort. Welcome aboard.

[dcblues]

I'm pretty sure Musselwhite used to endorse Lee Oscars, then Herings. I'm not sure what he plays now.

I haven't listened to Salgado much (and the one time he was in town a few years ago I got a flat tire and missed his show!), but I'm a big deLay fan. He's one of the most interesting and unique blues players working today, especially on the chromatic.

[popcorn]

1. Thanks for the quick responses. There may have been one or two Lee Oscars in that box, but I never saw him play oine of them all night It was the Golden Melody's and Marinew Bands and of course, the chromatic. 2. I'm in the mid-Willamette valley in Oregon, so my prejudices are with ythe local boys. Curtis grew up in Eugene (where he met Jim Bulushi during the filming of Animal House and that's how the Blues Brothers were born) and Paul DeLay lives in Portland. Both are about as nice a people as you'd ever wanty to meet. 3. Northwest Blues exists, and Portland has a Blues Festival that is second only to Chicago's in size, but for the life of me, I can't say that Northwest Blues has a unique identifiable sound like LA Blues or Chicago Blues.

[bosco]

Hey Popcorn-

Welcome to the BigRoad...even though you didn't post an intro in the "A Bit About Me" forum...we accept all vagabond harpers here to try and keep up with the plank spankers.

I think DC is right, Charlie had an endorsement deal with Oskar at one time but that was years ago and doesn't mean they were his optimum harp of choice. Junior Wells endorsed Oskars towards the end of his career and when pressed to comment on them said, "The price is right, I get them for free!"

Rolling Tussing III used to hang out here at the BigRoad (as Slide 6). He's from here in Michigan but relocated to the Portland area a couple of years ago. If you've heard of him or know him, tell him we miss him!

Bosco

[ricochet]

Rolling Tussing III used to hang out here at the BigRoad (as Slide 6). He's from here in Michigan but relocated to the Portland area a couple of years ago. If you've heard of him or know him, tell him we miss him!

Sure do!

[barbequebob]

Presently Charlie has an endorsement deal with Suzuki, mainly using the unvalved Promasters. Just because someone is getting an endorsement deal, it doesn't mean it's their real harp of choixe. In the 60's, Guild outfitted Muddy Waters band with guitars, basses, and amplifiers (but not harmonicas), but once the deal contract was done, he immediately switched back to his '56 Tele and Super Reverb amp.

[dblues]

Hey Popcorn, I lived in Bend OR. for ten years. Saw alot of Curtis. Unfortunately Paul was in prison several of those years so hence it was the No Delay Band at that time. When he did get out he was a Chromin' maniac. Played that alot more than diatonics. I use Big River Harps the most. With just a little tweaking they are great and the price can't be beat for the quality. I played alot at Black Butte Resort and other places around Bend, Sisters, Tumalo and Redmond as a duo, trio and 5 piece.

http://www.soundclick.com/dblues

[Erikjr21]

Curtis Salgado/ Wow he used to play in salem at a small time recored store. My dad was in the North west blues asosiation and we loved him. What a trip to here about him again.

[steel1953]

Wow, glad to hear someone like Paul Delay uses Big Rivers. I don't feel so alone!...........
I have to say it took a while to get used to them, specially after playing SP20's. One thing I do that makes a BIG difference ( at least for me ) in the area of comfort, is round/smooth off the sharp edges of the reedplates. It's amazing what a couple of minutes of effort makes........

[James]

This looked like a good topic for my first post.

Saw Charlie in July and he was using Marine Bands, Golden Melodies and a CX 12 and one of the new fireball mics. I was lucky enough to to see James Cotton few weeks ago and it was all marine bands although he did have a few of the new all wood Suzuki harps in his kit but never picked one up.

I almost forgot, saw Mark Hummel a few weeks ago and it was all Hohner as well, MB and a special 20 and he is an awesome player.

Seems like the vets stick with the tried and true.