[Harp-L] Lee Oskar Melody Maker vs Country Tuning

[Opus314 .]

Country Tuning gives only changes on note (5 draw up a half step) to give
you the major 7th tone in 2nd position...

(and you can draw bend it back to it's original sound when needed)

So if you don't want to mess your standard diatonic mind up to much...
maybe this is the best choice...

The Lee Oskar Melody Maker on the other hand changes 3 notes... (3 blow up
a step, 5 draw down a half step, and 9 draw down a half step)

But gives you two complete octaves of the major scale in 2nd position...

(and you draw bend the 5 draw back to it's original sound when needed)

The question - any conversation or opinions on choosing one over the other?

Thanks for any comments.

[SawDoc58]

I was getting tired of playing E on my A so I bought a melody maker in A
so I could play 3rd position major blues in E.

[Tony Eyers]

I went down the Melody Maker route about 15 years ago. I then extended
the tuning to include the two notes at the bottom and the one at the
top. I called the result Major Cross. Details and sound clips at
http://www.harmonicatunes.com/retuned

Tony Eyers
Australia
www.HarmonicaAcademy.com
...everyone plays

[rex]

Actually your post should say draw 5 and draw 9 UP half a step, not down.

I have both tunings. Melody Maker is better for playing single note at a 

time melody. It also is good for adding in the occasional accidental 

because the bent notes are all useful notes. The Country tuned is

better if you want to use some chords or octaves. Drawing on the low

end is the I chord. Blowing on the low end is the IV chord. On a C harp

playing in the key of G you get a G chord and a C chord. On the 

Melody Maker you get the G and an Am chord. In second position

the blow 6 is the the key note and on the Country harp you can play

the blow 6 and the blow 3 together as an octave. An expert player

can get the same notes available on the Melody Maker by bending on the

Country tuned, but if you can't get the 3 bends accurate on draw

3 then you would probably sound better on the Melody Maker.

If you like to play fast, such as Irish tunes or fiddle tunes, then

the Melody Maker is probably best because hitting bends 

accurately at speed is difficult. If you want to back up a Country

music band with a singer then you probably want the the Country

tuned harp so you can add in some blues style riffs, chords, and also 

follow the melody closer than a standard Richter. 

This is all just my humble opinion as a perpetual amatuer.  

Most Country tuned harps are labeled in first, so a C plays

in G in second. Lee Oskar lables in second so a G

Melody Maker plays in G. I'm not sure how Seydel labels

their version. I think it's called a Melodic Maker?

If you get a Lee Oskar Major in C and a Lee Oskar

Melody Maker in G you can swap the top plates and 

have a Paddy Richter in C (nice for Irish) and a Country

tuned in C (plays G in second). So you can try four

tunings. Richter, Melody Maker, Paddy, and Country.