The Hohner Special 20 O-Matic. It Slices, It Dices!

I've been considering calling Hohner and asking them if there is some sonic advantage specific to harmonicas with uber-sharp corners but I don't think I could dial down the sarcasm to a reasonable level in order to be taken seriously. Lately I've been using ergonomically designed Suzuki Bluesmasters with buttery smooth rounded edges so it hasn't been a concern. But last week I had to grudgingly admit that the SP 20 is just a better sounding and more user friendly harp, all superficial cuts and abrasions aside. So, what to do? Wear gloves? Maybe.

But Isontoners wouldn't work. Gardening gloves? No. Those see-through prostate exam gloves would give you that hospital chic look but wouldn't provide any padding. This idea, and it is a good one, would necessitate that I design, manufacture and successfully market a "BluesMan Glove". Such a glove would protect your hands from pretty much anything the sadists Hohner could dream up and make you look scary cool. They would be the new pork pie hat. I would need about $3 million in seed money, an out of work Italian Glovemaster and whoever makes those Bud Lite opera commercials. Or I could just go out to the driveway and furiously rub the corners of my harp against the concrete until I achieve the desired effect. Scraaaaape!

Product Review: Fender's Chicago Tool Box

The Chicago Tool Box (along with it's plaid cousin, The Mississippi Sax Case) is, supposedly, the Cadillac of off the shelf harmonica cases. It will hold 18 diatonic harps and one 16 hole chromatic along with a bullet style mic, some cables and maybe a petite sandwich w/dill sliver and chips. I got mine late last week from Harp Depot for $99. The suggested retail price is $149 and most online sellers that I have seen offer them at $119.

The CTB is made of black Tolex, which is a hard plastic/vinyl material used for everything from Fender amp covers and Coffin Cases to marine upolstery in Chris-Craft boats. The edges are wrapped in black leather with white stitching. The locking latches and hardware appear to be chromed brass. The interior is lined with red velvet but does not seem to have any added cushioning.

When I took mine out of the box I immediately noticed something rattling. The latch on the left hand side, although secured, was mounted in such a way that the lid and body of the case did not mate. There was a little more than an 1/8 inch of play between the two. Strike One.

When I opened the case up I found myself staring at visible staples securing the velvet lining. I was actually more disappointed in this than the latch at the time. This is the result off shoddy workmanship and lax quality control. When contrasted with the red velvet those bright silver staples were blinding. Or at least impossible to ignore. Strike Two.

The only other issue, a minor one, is that even with both harp trays filled to the brim with diatonics there is ample room for them move around as the case is carried. As this is not a custom case and diatonics come in varying lengths I can understand and accept this. I will use a thin layer of foam packing material to hold my gear in place and not give it a second thought.

So we've got two strikes on The Chicago Tool Box. Actually I'm going to go back and give the latch another strike. That's three. I'm either going to utilize the warranty or send it back for refund. I'll have to see what kind of a mood I'm tomorrow. The bottom line on this case is that if you can get it $99 or less with no defects you will probably be satisfied for years to come. And you will look very cool slinging it around. Not something to be ignored. But, on the Blues Harp Confidential proprietary "Sonny Boy" rating system (1 being the worst, 4 being the best) The Fender Chicago Tool Box gets 2 1/2 Sonny Boys.

PS I decided to investigate my options so I contacted the seller, Harp Depot. The "cool factor" weighs heavily with me. Kudos to them and to Richard who said he would send me a new case and handle the warranty with Fender himself. I paid for shipping back to HD but that's just the cost of doing business on the internet.

PSS Dateline 11/13/2007. I got my replacement CTB today from Harp Depot. It had exactly the same defect as the one that I returned. I thought that they had made a mistake and sent the same case back to me. I called Richard and he said that he had the first case by his desk. He also said that another customer had recently returned a CTB with the same complaint. Sounds like Fender has a manufacturing/QC problem. Richard said he would check his inventory for a good CTB and send it out immediately. If he can't find one I agreed that a Mississippi Sax case would do. He is also sending me a prepaid return lable for the faulty CTB. More later.....

I Play Harp, But I'm Not A Harp Player

It's not that I don't aspire, one day, to be a harp player. I do. But I'm not there yet. Not even close. And I have no idea when I'll be comfortable enough with my level of proficiency to allow myself to be referred to as a harp player. I've been surfing for 5 years. I have a working knowledge of tides, rips, onshore/offshore flow, swell direction, period and bathymetry as they pertain to my favorite spots. I can paddle for hours, catch, ride and maneuver on waves from knee high to slightly overhead and I can get through a significant hold-down without panicking. If, however, you said to me "Redondo buoy is 4 ft. @ 14 seconds from the SSW", I wouldn't be able to effectively use that information. It's just one of myriad things that real surfers understand like we understand "partly cloudy and 65".

It's the same with harp. I can play some riffs, achieve bends that I'm not ashamed of and split a few octaves. The other day I filled 12 bars in the middle of "I'm Ready" with a solo that seemd to make musical sense and had decent tone. But I have a very narrow understanding of musical progression and structure and I can't play without consciously thinking about what comes next.

I surf and I play harp. But I'm not a surfer or a harp player. I have too much respect for those who have put in the years of effort required to become proficient at these disciplines to appropriate either title for myself. Yet.