From: Rob Paparozzi Date: Fri, 10 Dec 1999 14:59:27 -0800 Subject: =?iso-8859-1?Q?I=92ve?= got to admit =?iso-8859-1?Q?it=92s?= Getting Better! (long)
I know I haven't posted in awhile and now I'm bombarding the list (home w/ a Cold), so I apologize for the Bandwidth............
As far as I know, there is no other instrument that requires such a diligent maintenance schedule. Some of the ones that come to mind like the Woodwinds, do require lots of shaving and tweaking of the wooden reeds. Pianos need tuning and tweaking on regular basis as well. Basically, once their axe is setup and overhauled properly, the player is “good to go” for quite a stretch with minimal daily maintenance.
Since tuning on the Harmonica cannot be done (easily) on the gig, we have to continually monitor this situation at home along with the individual gapping, sealing and cleaning in what I call a semi-surgical environment.-) Some cats are good at this and actually enjoy taking it to the fruition of a great playing instrument on the gig. Others plod thru it as a chore, and dream of that “fantasy world”, where the Harp always responds perfectly, leaving you an extra 10 hrs a week to practice and MAKE music. I must confess I’m in the later group that believes that a screwdriver is an instrument played with virtuosity by guys like Bob Villa.
So we continue to look for better instruments, enter: Oskar, Hohner, Hering, Suzuki trying to improve on and build a better Mass tooled instrument with replacable parts. But unless “quality control” gets better, these imperfections will continue to plague players of all levels. These companies all appear to be working hard on the problems at hand...and it’s our job to provide them with our playing concerns.
Enter: Filisko, Sleigh, LaVoie, Missin, Yerxa, Tate/Giordano, Farrell, Romel, Infande, Naruhn, Gardener and many other talented artisans that are on a perpetual quest for THE better instrument. Other players I’ve run into at conventions like Mike Easton and ‘Brad’ (don't recall his last name) are also continually pushing the limits in search of the better playing axe. This is not “news” that WE harp players haven’t heard before, in fact we’re all too aware of these problems. Better dissemination of technical info can be credited to SPAH, HIP, AHN, Easy Reeding and more importantly to HARP-L, a media where all these players and Technicians are graciously willing to share their efforts with the world.
No, I’m not writing all this to stir up a “Pity Party” for the already poor underdog of musical instruments, I concur 100% w/ Blackie Shackner, who basically sez, we must stop complaining, roll up our sleeves and get to know these quirks of our instrument, so we CAN make better music on them. I just wanted to write this as a way of saying, “ thanks” to ALL the talented Player/Craftsman for keeping the wheels (and Buttons) moving! Muchos Gracias!
( I Play and Endorse: the Toots Hard Bopper, and Hohner Marine Bands customized by Joe Filisko. I also use Hohner Harmonicas with Lavoie Titanium and Farrell Lifetime Combs.) - -- All the Best, Rob Paparozzi Email: Chromb~arthlink.net My Web page: http://home.earthlink.net/~chromboy/
