
I've recently begun playing the harmonica, so I've been comparing some of the more popular harmonicas.The Bushman 'Delta Frost' has a good reputation and judging from what I've seen online an enthusiastic following. The other harmonicas to which I am comparing the 'Delta Frost' are the 'Hohner Special 20' and the 'Seydel Silver +'.From the perspective of learning to bend (which I started on the Hohner) I found throwing the 'Delta Frost' into the mix very helpful.The reeds are more responsive and I am able to hear the pitch better on the Bushman harp, plus it's easier for me to avoid the honking I've been getting on both the Hohner and Seydel, yielding a more plaintive bluesy sound.On the negative side of the equation, when bending hole three, my 'Delta Frost' sometimes produced a high pitched squeal and ringing sound.Also, the increased responsiveness is not an entirely unmixed blessing, it's easy to keep overshooting and undershooting the target pitch, resulting in what one of my friends used to call the Edi Brickell rollercoaster.I had to adjust my technique to address these issues, and the experience improved my playing on the other harmonicas, so it was all to the good.On the other hand, though changing bending technique reduced the chance of its occurence, the ringing and squealing would come back at the most inconvenient times, so I decided to look into the matter further and see if it was a problem with me or the 'Delta Frost'.Happily, I discovered that there is an easy fix, a couple dabs of nail polish at the rivet end of the offending reed.I am including a link (with pictures and sound clips) so you can see how to do this repair if it becomes necessary:
I sinned and posted a web address which has since been deleted, so if you do a search on "Why do I get those squealing/ringing noises" in your favorite search engine you should pull up an article by Pat Missin with the necessary information.
It's an easy enough repair, just note that you will need a much finer brush tip than on the applicator for most nail polishes, and you'll want some nail polish remover to clean the brush or remove any mistakes you make.
One final note, I've seen some pretty authoritative claims that the 'Delta Frost' is essentially a Suzuki 'Bluesmaster'and/or 'Harpmaster', the only evidence that I can personally attest to regarding that claim is that the squeal I fixed on my 'Delta Frost' is also an issue on the Suzukis.If that's true you could save a few bucks by getting a Bluesmaster. At some point I'll be testing a 'Bluesmaster' and I'll revise my review if I learn anything.
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Bushman Delta Frost Harmonica, Key of CProduct Description: When metal experts told Bushman that Phosphor Bronze offered greater hardness, tensile strength, elasticity, and toughness than brass, they ordered some and began cutting it into reeds for the Delta Frost. They knew we'd be gaining durability with the Phosphor Bronze, but they hadn't counted on the wonderful, unique, gritty, fat tone that it produces!
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