Lee Oskar harmonica brace review
I’ve long been a fan of Lee Oskar harmonicas. So when I started trying to play in a brace, I tired the Lee Oskar brace. Though wire, it is fairly firm. Plenty firm enough for folk riffs. I find that with a hand to help hold the harp, some aggressive blues licks can also be played. This trick works well when playing guitar with open tuning, where a free hand can occasionally be used to hold the harp.
I’ve tried a few braces, and I found the Lee Oskar harp brace to udjust well and hold its position well. The wing nuts are easy to use and readjust if necessary as I’m playing.
I did learn something the hard way. I had bought some Hohner Special 20 harps, figuring that they might be better for folk and take a little more abuse if I blew too hard while concentrating on strumming. I understood the comments I found online that the harmonicas were hard to get in and out of the Lee Oskar brace, but I still thought overall it was worth it. Then I put a Lee Oskar harmonica in the brace and discovered it isn’t exactly the same size! Lee Oskars are just a bit smaller, and they pop in and out easily.
So if you want to play harp on a brace, I can highly recommend a Lee Oskar brace, especially if you are going to use it with Lee Oskar harmonicas. An additional advantage is the availability of minor key harps from Lee Oskar. Though tone may be the deciding factor, I’ve grown accustomed to the blend of chords and the ability to precisely select higher notes that are crisp and cut through the mix. I also find the Lee Oskar harp bends more easily.
- the Muse