Bass Harmonica players: Sound Off!

[BeauKim]

Hi everyone,
Just like my chord harmonica post, I thought it would be great to have a dedicated spot to talk all things bass harmonica.  The target audience would be those playing a chromatic bass, double decker, single, and double reed.  Bass harmonica is a lot of fun!

How long you have been playing the bass?
What is your reason for starting to play it? 
What brand/s do you play?
Favorite song/solo to play on it?
Any special techniques you would like to share? 
Anything else? 

I'll start

How long you have been playing the bass?
I've been playing the bass for about 2.5 years. 
What is your reason for starting to play it? 
My main reason for playing it was for potential recording work (which has happened!), but my love for the instrument has taken over!
What brand/s do you play?
I started with a Hohner extended bass, later I modified it with the Brendan Power Sliderbass attachment, and now I have an Easttop double bass.  The Easttop is an upgrade! 
Favorite song/solo to play on it?
One of my favorite things to play are walking bass lines to swing tunes. 
Any special techniques you would like to share? 
A special technique would be to use the tongue or throat for articulation.  The lowest few note's response really benefit from the tongue ('toh' articulation) and give a cleaner sound.  The throat can add a bass drum-like effect. 

Anything else:
I encourage your to learn to play in several keys and feel free to play your bass in other ensembles that aren't just harmonica ensembles!  It has cool factor, and you can change the tone of the instrument greatly with EQ and microphone technique.  Raw bass harmonica tone to something closer to a baritone saxophone mixed with upright bass tone. 

[John Broecker]

Hello, Beau Kim.

Here are answers to your bass harp questions:

1. How long have I played octave bass harp (2-deck)? 24 years.

2. The reason? bought a used Hohner extended bass #268, for $10.

3. What brands, models? Hohner #268 extended Chromatica bass (2-deck);
    Hohner #265 bass w/Power slider; Victory Octave bass (2-deck).

4. Favorite songs? Pink Panther; Hall of the Mountain King; Stand By Me;
    Malaguena.

5. Special techniques? cough to set the reeds' vibrations; learn all major
    & minor scales & arpeggios.

6. I also play single reed low-pitched basses and a tenor: Tombo Pocket Bass;
    Hohner Polyphonia #7; Suzuki Alto Single (tenor range).

Best Regards

John Broecker

[SlideMeister]

Here's my old bass and chord set that Budishka bought me for a birthday gift in about 1966?  These instruments are a lotta fun and I still take them places when I do a demonstration or something.

[colin]

Hi Group this is my 3rd attempt for my story. I Joined my first ensemble when I was 16 in London we had ONE BASS,when I was 21 I Joined another, ( RYTHMONICS) in Kent UK, we made friends with one of the best in Europe ( THE HOTCHA TRIO )  from Holland who were very generous in giving us all of their music, about 1962 we won all UK  Championship with Mundharmonica Gallup? Long time ago which was from HOTCHA,  We only had ONE BASS & CHORD which were very expensive for us working class Guy’s. Now I will see if this story goes before Part 2

[colin]

Part 2. 50 years Later . About 18 Months ago my Wife & I went to an old friends Birthday party down country NZ we stopped in a little Town for Lunch, coming out of the Cafe my Beady Eyes saw a Music Shop sign, Wow, my Wife’s Happy weekend smile Diminshed Like the Chord ,after being married for 60 years to someone with compulsive Music shop Syndrome, by the time I entered the Aladdins Cave she was 20 metres behind me ,The Lady shop owner started  chatting , I said I play Guitar badly & Ukulele even worse,but my Harmonica wasn’t to bad for senile has been. PART 3 needed stay with me it gets better.

[colin]

Part 3  The Lady said couldI give her some advice, sure I said, she went out the back of the shop returning with a Cardboard Box ( Like a [Christmas] Present) she opened the Box BANG  I fell to the ground, my Pacemaker went crazy, my wife’s thoughts were this is it  ,inside the BOX WAS 6 BASS HARMONICAs  , more than I have ever seen, SHE SAID BUT WE HAVE ANOTHER BOX out the back 4 more, by now I am a. Jellyfied  WreckDribbling like old people do . Apparently they were found in the Attic of some Diseased persons house, no one has a clue to history, No Chord or Chromatics were included. Having lived in NZ since 1967 I  have met & played with only 2 groups, never more than 2 Bass,  I bought one & Rectified all the Rusty screws with St Steel & a Major clean & disinfect was needed , all Reeds were in perfect Tune & playable,     BUT I HAVE DATED TO  1938 the year before I was born,   On the Cover Plate , PARIS EXHIBITION 1937.    BUT  THE STAR OF DAVID WAS ALSO ON,  IN 1938. HITLER BANNED ANY JEWISH Symbols,  SO THE VERY COMPULSIVE BASS PLAYER WENT MANY MOONS AGO.   BOOM  DE BOOM.  BASS PLAYERs

[John Broecker]

Very interesting story, Colin.

We are all happy to have you as a SlideMeister member.

There are 2 excellent books about Australian harmonica history.
You might already know about them.

"A Band in a Waistcoat Pocket" (1995); by Ray Grieve, published
by Currency Press, Ltd.; P.O. Box 452 Paddington, NSW, 2021,
Australia. 124 pages.

and

"Boomerangs and Crackajacks", (2014); by Ray Grieve, published by
Ray Grieve, Bushlark Music. 109 pages.

www.bushlarkmusic.com

Warning: Indigenous Australians and Torres Straight Islanders: This
second book may contain photographic images of deceased persons.

The 6-pointed star in the Hohner hands & circles trademark, on the
bottom cover of some Hohner products, wasn't a Star of David, a
Jewish religious symbol.

The Star of David is two triangles overlapped. The 6-pointed star of
the Hohner trademark was a representation of the 6 people in charge
of the M. Hohner harmonica company before company founder Matthias
Hohner's death in 1902: Matthias Hohner (1833-1902) and his 5 sons.

The Hohner hands & circles trademark was used from 1886 to circa 1915 (?);
then, a 5-pointed star was used until 1925; then, the 6-pointed star returned
in the logo, until the German government ordered it removed from the trademark,
circa 1938.

Since 1938, the trademark has had no hexagon star, on newly-made Hohner
harmonica covers, but the Hohner company was allowed to use its stock parts
made before 1938, until they were all gone.

Best Regards

John Broecker
Sussex, Wisconsin, USA


 

[colin]

Thanks for putting me right, will hunt the publications , Happy Blowing, CJ

[John Broecker]

The Best to You, Colin.

[colin]

J B  so it could be 1938 ?  As I cannot imagine Hohner would have been allowed to use vital Steel & Brass during the War years .  The Bass I picked was the only one with the Piano Keys Pressed into the covers, unlike the others Which were the same as we used 60 years ago?  If only we had the story’s That they could have told. CJ

[BeauKim]

Colin,

Thank you for sharing your story!  How much did that music shop charge you for the bass?  I hope you're having a lot of fun with that Hohner  single reed bass. 

[colin]

Theydid not suggest a price because they did not have a clue, so I said I will give you $ 100 Nz & suggested to try EBay where more likely eyes could show interest, the big problem, selling from NZ  the Freight charges , ie I sold a mint condition to USA CBH2016 $ 30 USD . If I was much younger I would have bought the Lot up probably for Peanuts,  but at 80 my wife says how will I know what all your stuff is worth, it would be a disasters if my Power  Suzuki CX12 finished up at the Church charity shop, all the best CJ

[Crawforde]

I’m sure some here would be happy to pay the shipping and handling if you can put your hands on more   

[colin]

Will contact & see if any are still around. Cx

[colin]

Have contacted  the shop , they have 1 left, CHROMONIKA. 111.  $100 N Z anyone interested I can pass details to them. C

[Chromatonic]

Well, I'm a Bass Harmonica *owner*. I have:
Swann Diatonic Octave Bass (two non-chromatic octaves, double reed)
Suzuki SBD 29 (2-row chromatic double reed). I am the caretaker of this instrument, not the owner
Hohner Polyphonia (single reed, 1-octave chromatic)
Koch Educator (single reed, two row, chromatic)

Recently departed
Suzuki Bass Melodion
Easttop Pocket Bass

I play the Educator in public about once a month - Solo on "Blood of the Lamb"
I play the SBD at home only, practicing only

I've been playing with Basses about 10 years, but not with any real discipline (much like my other harmonica playing, but to even less effect).

I like the sound of the Educator best; so much so that I recently purchased a Tenor model (harder to sound pretty on).

Have any of you tried the new Suzuki S48B? Thoughts?

[Crawforde]

I’m a wannabe bass harmonica player. Does that count?

[Gnarly He Man]

Well, I'm a Bass Harmonica *owner*. I have: <snip>
Suzuki SBD 29 (2-row chromatic double reed). I am the caretaker of this instrument, not the owner
I play the SBD at home only, practicing only

Yep, that's actually mine 

Have any of you tried the new Suzuki S48B? Thoughts?

I've got it here, picked it up from Daron today--it's the demo, and so is on loan (reckon I am still the warranty guy, he thought I should examine it).
You are welcome to stop by and check it out sometime.

[Danny G]

I got one of the new Sirius Low, Low C chromatic harmonicas a few days ago. Too busy getting ready for winter to put any time into giving it much attention right now but plan on playing melodies rather than using it as a bass.

[Wendellfiddler]

I haven't had much opportunity lately to play my standard Suzuki 29 bass but I still consider it to be an instrument of interest for me.  I started playing a Hohner that I restored - maybe 15 years ago.  One of the great things about the old Hohner basses is that the combs are so large you can fix cracks easily by cutting splints from other old wood combs and glue them in  - it's almost like house carpentry. 

One of the coolest situations I've used it in is in small acoustic ensembles - e.g., mandolin, guitar, voice sort of thing.  It can hold down the chords and supplement the music in all the ways an acoustic bass can without the burden of needing an SUV to move it.  haha.

I prefer the tuning of the Suzuki to the Hohner and I also like plastic combs so I only have Suzukis now, but they are all great.  I have the microphone attachment for the 29 which makes it really easy to mix the sound on stage.

I have and enjoy my Hohner G bass. It has a shorter range and only one reed per channel, but once you get used to the sensitive approach required to make it work it's much fun.  There is a significant difference in sound and feel of the single reed vs double reeded bass. 

No plans to get into the Suzuki slide bass but like Danny, if I were to do so it would probably be more to play melody than bass lines. 

Doug Tanner

[Wendellfiddler]

BTW, the new SB48 is tuned like a cello, right?  So it starts on C2 which is a 6th above the range of Hohner and Suzuki double basses.  Nice concept and likely could be used as the bass in a small group but it does have some drawbacks from my experience. 

First of all, both with harmonica bass and upright acoustic I do use the lowest octave of the double bass a lot.  And the double basses being all blow they have no valves!   That - is one of the great pleasures of playing harmonica bass.  I would miss that.  No slide, no valves, no maintenance - haha.  What I wouldn't miss is the weight!  It's amazing how much stress there is on the back while playing harmonica bass standing up!
 
dt

[BeauKim]

Thanks for chiming in, everyone!  Double reed and single reed basses are awesome. 

I had a chance to try the Suzuki Bass 48 at SPAH and it had some very noisy valves on several low notes.  It was a demo instrument so I'm sure they should have been adjusted.  The volume was lower than a regular single reed bass (Hohner G bass) and the response was slower.  The convenience of note placement and possibility to play octaves and other splits was nice!  It has the same low C as a cello. 

I am pretty sure that Borrah Minevitch Harmonica brochures actually advertised a harmonica tuned to this same exact octave, but I'm positive it wouldn't have played as well.  I wonder if there are any floating around in someone's collection. 

[The Lone Harper]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gfiqW1WaGbw&feature=youtu.be

[Danny G]

EXCELLENT !!

[Crawforde]

That was awesome.
Not enough coverage of Ross on the Bass though.

[Gnarly He Man]

That was awesome.
Not enough coverage of Ross on the Bass though.

Dude, he's the bass player--if he were the singer, there'd be more.

[Crawforde]

Yep.
But I’ve never heard him sing.
He is a Rockin keyboard and harmonica player.

[SlideMeister]

I loved it! (especially the way the girl wrinkles up her nose when she sings. ) Waaaay cute!

PS
and Yeah, the bass was good too 

[BeauKim]

Ross and the crew sound great and are all great musicians!  Lately, I've been listening to one of his bands, the Sherrifs of Schroedingham's CD, "Going to the Sun."  Track 12, Stumptown Black and White," is a great piece that pays homage to the harmonica bands of the 1930's with some wonderful bass Polyphonia #7 solos and the whole other range of harmonica types. 

[Vagabund]

Thank you for the always interesting and useful informations in this forum and  and this subject!
For more than a year now  I enjoy playing the EASTTOP MINI BASS as a welcome change to playing chromatics.
Although it is not on the list of eligible harmonicas in the first post I would like to share my experience:
* It is very easy to play.
* You can start immediatly as the notes are arranged in a very useful order (for example F - C - G side by side).
* It is loud
* No valves, no maintenance

I play it in our chromatic harmonica ensemble (mainly when playing local folk music)
and in an informal weekly meeting group of senior diatonic players (mainly playing local and English/Irish/American Traditionals.

My focus now is to find smooth transitions from one chord-root to the next, avoiding simple 1-5 Humtas.
Of course there are restrictions as there are only diatonic Notes c d e .. b plus bb and f#.#
But it is possible and it really makes fun!

Any ideas on how to find good sounding easy walking lines are apprecciated!

Ferdinand