Promaster


Yes, that’s Promaster and not Postmaster. Although many of you know me as a Postmaster, I am also a harp player since about this time last year. I took up the harmonica, because I realized that the nerve pain in my right arm would probably prevent me from playing the guitar seriously.

I’ve really come to enjoy the harmonica, thanks in large part to my friend, Tom B., an excellent harp player. He dropped by one afternoon with Amy and a large suitcase full of harmonicas. Being a generous mentor, he gave me a handful of Big River harmonicas, Pucks, a tremolo harmonica and a nice Hohner Chromatic 260. That got me up and running, but I eventually had to buy a good selection of harmonicas in different keys. I’ll talk more about each later, but for now I’ll declare that my favorite is the Suzuki Promaster.

I like the tone of the Promaster and the heavy, resonant feel of it when I play. I would say that the sound is very similar to the Hohner Special 20, but with a richer, fuller tone. I have come to enjoy the Huang Silvertone Deluxe, too. But, unless you’re playing amplified, the Huangs take a bit more work. So, for now my first choice is the Promaster, followed by the Special 20 with the Silvertone Deluxe running a close third.

From the Suzuki site:

We are proud to offer the best professional harmonica you have ever played! Consider the machined Phosphor Bronze reed plates (replaceable) or the computer-aided laser cut, tuned and bendable reed system and the satin anodized, milled, billet aluminum alloy comb that holds it all together. All these cutting edge components combine to produce an instrument unparalleled in the industry. The ergonomically designed, polished stainless steel reed covers provide maximum playing comfort while the inner components produce the rich tones and clarity so sought after by professional players. Once you play a Promaster, you won’t want to put it down. Even the soft lined, hard shell carrying case is specially designed for comfort and protection.

5 Comments

  1. I tried commenting on your 1st post back but it’s closed so I guess I’ll leave that comment on this one and add. Sorry it’s so long (and I’m so long-winded).

    I have yet to play the harp, but I’ve jammed with a decent blues harmonica player before. I played rhythm guitar while he played over it. Wish I had a recording of it, for he was quite good.

    The next instrument I’m going to purchase (besides a synth) is a pennywhistle. Love those things.

    Ecclesiastes 5:5 It is better not to vow than to make a vow and not fulfill it.

    True dat. That’s why I try not to make any promises. Makes my word mean nothing.

    css is awesome. I use Dreamweaver and it does the css for you. You do however have to know css basics so you know what css is doing for you.

    MySQL is da bomb. It’s so easy to use. I actually have been using Oracle for ten years now professionally and I strongly suggest people try out MySQL for small sized databases. It works. It’s efficient. And it’s easy.

    PHP is nice, but unfortunately I only know how to do a few tricks and that’s it. Wish people would use more PHP and less ASP because PHP works on more browsers.

    I’ve always admired Camille Paglia. Even when I disagree with her (which is often), she’s at least entertaining at worst.

    And welcome back!

    May 18, 2008
    Reply
  2. Bo – Use this:
    http://akismet.com/

    I don’t even need an anti-spam word any more. Akismet stops all the spam. It’s rare one gets through. If I had to guess, probably one spam every two or three months.

    It’s built into WordPress, so all you have to do is set up an account and activate it.

    May 18, 2008
    Reply
  3. Camille said:

    Nerd alert!

    May 19, 2008
    Reply
  4. Denise (Mom) said:

    Camille…what are you doing looking at Dad’s blog…you’re supposed to be vacationing in England!!! ( call when you get back on U.S. soil tomorrow )

    May 19, 2008
    Reply
  5. pietyhill said:

    Thanks for the hot tip, Mr. Z… I’ll check it out. It’s good to hear from you again. I’ll be reading your blog, but probably won’t be commenting much… I enjoy your stuff a lot, but I’m taking a more laid-back approach this time… mostly just newsy stuff.

    May 19, 2008
    Reply

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