Ok. I'd like to put my $5 in on this issue. As a newbie, man a real newbie, I'd like to make my case for the use of alt.harmonica. I haven't checked if it is already in existance so I am not sure if this is a debate of whether to get one or not.
I must say, I like the people on Harp-l. All of them are respectable people who are hear to learn harp, and no BS. The closed list is a pain, but still serves a good point. I don't have to worry about a free-for-all clogging my mailbox as it has in the past. But I must say, I've learned a lot from this list, but not as much as I would've liked. I also play the guitar, and I never had a lesson in my life. I learned from the internet, can you believe that. The great tab archives are indispendible for me.
I think alt.harmonica should be the first step in organzing a service to help newbies tremendously. It is even more important due to the fact that harp lessons are so hard to come by around most of us.
Also, I think some great harp players would roll over in there grave unless the newgroup was called alt.harp!!!