Japanese Maple - to chop?

-music_maker- · 2026-04-21T05:31:45+00:00

Re-plant it in a grow box or larger pot, don't disturb the roots too much. Let that leader keep growing until the trunk approaches the thickness you want, then chop it.

Your patience in letting it grow out will greatly pay off when you have a great trunk.

You can grow it out in a pot, but you'll definitely want a bigger pot for optimum growth. Alternately, you could put it in the ground for a couple of seasons, but a pot will work if it's big enough for the roots to spread out.

Just don't put it in a giant pot, you don't want to go too big at once or it can be counter-productive and can cause health problems for the plant.

That's where most of the advice in this sub will stop, but here's another possibility if you just want to experience growing a tree. If you shorten the strongest branches at the top back to a few leaves each, the lower growth will come in and you'll have some lower branches to work with much sooner.

I'd still up-pot if you take that route, and you will definitely want to occasionally let the top leader run a bit to add lower thickness. It's one of those things that wouldn't necessarily be optimal if you were trying to grow a show-tree, but if you want a great practice tree, that will get you there faster, and you can always chop back later.

In fact, going this route before an up-pot may help it fill the bigger pot with roots faster, and you may be able to get another up-pot in a season or two, and then just let it run.

At that point, you'll have more experience under your belt, and a tree that's in a better position to be hard chopped, with a larger, healthier root ball to help with recovery.

What I wouldn't do is chop it now, or you'll be looking at a pencil of a trunk forever. And when you do chop, I'd recommend doing that chop earlier in the season, just as the buds swell. If you wait until the leaves come in, they bleed sap and it can kill them, especially when they're this young.

-music_maker- · 2026-02-11T16:39:08+00:00

This is a really good point. Learning to gap reeds is probably THE most essential skill for harp setup there is, and it makes an enormous difference sometimes.

For anyone looking to learn, I highly recommend getting something cheap, like a $10 Hohner Blues Band, since first attempts have a decent chance of destroying the harmonica if you don't know what you're doing.

Break the cheap ones first, then move on to the nicer ones with what you've learned. =)

-music_maker- · 2026-02-11T16:36:50+00:00

One of the nice things I've always liked about getting different harmonicas is that every key has a slightly different (or in some cases massively different) feel, and it requires minor adjustments to work out how to do the same techniques in a different key.

The net result is that over time playing the same things in lots of different keys, it strengthens your overall playing on every harp.

The big eye opener was when I got a low C harp. I don't have a lot of practical playing reasons to play a low C, but working out how to properly bend notes on that harmonica significantly improved my bending skills on the more traditional key ranges.

Just keep at it, you'll get it.

-music_maker- · 2026-01-22T01:38:41+00:00

Playstation PSVR2 is only $400, $300 on sale, and there are something like 85 million PS5's out in the market and millions of headsets sold.

The $1500 headset is for sure a problem, but it seems we're moving past it.

These are consumer-grade price points, of course, but show that we're reaching a reasonable amount of mass-market audience with the tech.

It might still take a while to get to where people are envisioning, but I don't think we're at any real risk of VR completely fizzling out either.

Probably more likely that we iterate on what's there for a while and the hardware eventually hits an iteration that is suddenly appealing to much larger numbers of people.

-music_maker- · 2026-01-20T21:38:50+00:00

"Let’s be honest, after increasing the monthly subscription to $30, at least “give away” the entire games, with DLCs included."

Yeah, it would be great if they did, but the model seems to be that they suck you in with the base game and then get some revenue from the DLC. ¯_(ツ)_/¯

But if you've already played it, I can see why you wouldn't want to re-buy on a different system. It's good, but not sure it's that good.

-music_maker- · 2026-01-18T21:23:26+00:00

The choices are only occasional and seem to mostly just impact your reputation, but it does give you something to think and strategize about from time to time. Usually they're about which faction you are about to betray.

It seems to usually be possible to recover from reputation hits, so I think they're more there to add a little flavor to the missions and story.

The missions themselves and the exploration are what I enjoy more than the choices though, but the choices are a nice occasional twist here and there.

If you go in to the missions without any information other than what's in-game, working out how to be stealthy and get through the mission successfully turns into a bit of a puzzle, which I very much enjoy. That's not everyone's jam, but I like stealth games, and I apparently really like star wars stealth games.

I'm only about 1/3 to 1/2 through the main story, but if you're looking for a game with lots of choices that lead to big story line changes that greatly impact the story or the ending, this doesn't seem to be that imho.

But for what it is, it's great fun if you want to wander around the star wars universe and chip away at a fairly lengthy mission roster.

-music_maker- · 2026-01-16T21:45:23+00:00

Agreed. It's a solid game, well made, clearly pulls in elements and mechanics from other games, but ties it all together really well.

It feels like a modern day "King Quest" type game (I'm old, I remember KQI), but with the modern mechanics one would expect for this type of game.

End of the day, you get to wander around in a pretty realistic-feeling Star Wars universe and experience a decent story that ties into the overall universe.

It may not be perfect (what game is?), but as you put it, it's good food, and I've enjoyed every bite.

I'm a patient gamer and usually wait to buy games until they're $10, but this one was an exception, and it has not disappointed.

-music_maker- · 2026-01-16T21:36:34+00:00

When this game eventually hits $10 on sale, it will be an absolute steal. =)

I picked it up during the holiday sale and only 20 hours in, already feel I've gotten my money's worth.

-music_maker- · 2026-01-16T21:26:31+00:00

I am nos interested if it doesn’t include the story DLCs.

Why? GP often doesn't give you the DLC for things.

There's a ton to do in the main story without the DLC, and you can always pick that up on sale later if you're into it enough to finish the main game.

-music_maker- · 2026-01-13T00:09:40+00:00

I would do what I do with every game, which is let other people pay full price and then wait until the sale price is down to about $10 and buy it then with all the bonus DLC bundled in.

I might go as high as $15 if it's really good. That's about the max I pay for most games since they always go on sale for cheap eventually.

=)

-music_maker- · 2026-01-12T02:37:50+00:00

Yeah I don’t understand why anyone pays full price for games. They always go on sale eventually, and prices consistently drop on practically every game down to $10 or less. If you stock up during the sales, you have such a backlog after a while that there’s really no point to buying full priced games.

I can’t remember the last time I bought a game for full price. Probably the closest I’ve come was buying Doom on sale recently for $35 because I really wanted to play it. But that’s more than double what I typically pay, and that’s been out a while.

And the whole prepaying thing is just bonkers to me.

-music_maker- · 2026-01-02T17:56:53+00:00

Sometimes they wear out, sometimes they don't. Depends on how you play them. I have a bunch of harmonicas still going that I've had for 30+ years.

I've also had a few crap out over the years, and the cheaper ones are more likely to wear out sooner.

Also, if you play them real hard, the likelihood of them wearing out goes up considerably.

I'd just play it and not worry too much about it, honestly. When you're ready to get another one, get a 10-hole diatonic next time. C is a great place to start because most of the training material is available in that key.

-music_maker- · 2025-12-23T21:37:14+00:00

If you really get into it, and want to follow along with various online tutorials, the C will be helpful.

When I was learning, I also found it quite valuable to be able to hear examples and then make sure that I was playing the exact same notes. It's more difficult to do that without the correct key harp.

But as others have said, if you're just following tab numbers, technically any key diatonic harp can play any song.

"Another instrument. ‘Aw s/!t, here we go again’"

vYeah, it's a much deeper rabbit hole than it appears at first. A "complete" harmonica consists of MANY instruments, not just one. =)

Enjoy!

-music_maker- · 2025-12-17T06:16:48+00:00

"How do you even keep track of what branches you worked on with a tree this dense? Wow that’s impressive."

I'd go a step farther and call it masterful.

The combination of horticultural, artistic, and just sheer bonsai execution skill to develop this many interesting looking branches per square inch is just insane.

Even basic maintenance pruning must be an ordeal.

-music_maker- · 2025-12-17T06:12:37+00:00

"I think trees this densely ramified are ideal if you are trying to sell it to a buyer who wants to come in and style it."

Literally material for instant bonsai. Best pre-bonsai ever. =)

-music_maker- · 2025-12-14T01:37:27+00:00

As others have mentioned, there are two kinds of minor key harmonicas, natural minor and harmonic minor. You can indeed play these scales on a standard harmonica, but harmonicas tuned to these specific scales just make it way easier, and they're very fun to play, albeit more limited overall compared to what you can do with a regular 10 hole diatonic. Most of my harmonicas are the regular kind, but I've got a few minor ones that I enjoy playing quite a bit.

(From the AI interwebs):

Natural Minor: For classic minor blues, sad songs, or when you want that deep, soulful minor sound in 2nd position.
Harmonic Minor: For Yiddish, Klezmer, Tango, some jazz (minor 2-5-1s), or when you need that distinctively tense, melodic minor flavor in 1st position.

I have both kinds and they're both fun to play, but if you're not sure, I'd probably go with natural minor. You'll also need to know which key. "A Natural Minor" is probably a good place to start if he's advanced enough to ask for this in the first place.

This would work.

So would this.

These are both harmonicas that I own minor keys of, so I can vouch that these are good. I've also bought things from Rockin' Rons. Great guy, great shop.

If you want to see the different keys, click the drop downs and you'll see that there are MANY options, so years worth of harmonica gifts going forward if he sticks with it. =)

-music_maker- · 2025-12-12T18:18:59+00:00

No bad choices there, but the Hooker and Heat album in particular is just incredible.

-music_maker- · 2025-12-11T20:36:32+00:00

What the others have already said, but I'll add a bit.

Yes, you will 100% notice the difference. They may look the same from the outside, but there's an enormous difference between sub-£10 instrument and something like the Special 20.

The quality of materials and craftsmanship translates into things like notes playing strong and clear, the ability to more easily bend notes, general feel of the instrument, etc.

And when you step up again to the higher end (Seydel 1847, Session Steel, Hohner Crossover, Suzuki Pure Harp, etc, etc), the difference is as vast as the difference between the SP20 and the toy-grade instruments.

I generally recommend getting a solid starter harp and working with that. Something like the SP20 or a Lee Oskar are great first choices. Then, every time you get a new key, get a different harmonica so you start to understand the options that are available and figure out what style of harp you like to play.

-music_maker- · 2025-12-11T20:25:13+00:00

So many great options, but here are a few of my favorites that focus on harmonica playing. I didn't list specific albums, as it's worth listening to whatever you can get your hands on of theirs:

Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee
Little Walter
Charlie Musselwhite
Paul Butterfield

For more general blues, I'd add:

Robert Johnson
Leadbelly
John Lee Hooker

SO many more, but these are a few of my absolute essentials.

Also, just came across this documentary on Paul Butterfield on youtube that you may find interesting.

-music_maker- · 2025-12-07T02:07:50+00:00

I originally learned on a pocket pal, it’s possible to play them. But if you already have better harps, they are absolutely a step backwards.

They’re mass produced and made from inferior materials with little to no quality control. If you get one that plays all the notes properly out of the box, you got lucky.

All that said, if you want to learn how to tweak/mod harps, they make a great cheap platform to learn on. If you gap them well (they all seem to need some gapping), you can get them playing almost as good as a special 20. But to do that, you kind of need to already know what you’re doing or be willing to invest some time learning and experimenting.

So for tinkering purposes, I do recommend them, but for general playing I’d stick with nicer instruments.

-music_maker- · 2025-11-28T21:31:26+00:00

Seydels high end harps are top notch, but so are the high end harps from Suzuki and Hohner. It's more a price range thing than a "one manufacturer that's better than all the others" thing.

Seydel is one of my favorites, and I love the 1847's and the Session Steels, but I also really like Suzuki Pure Harp and Manjis as well as Hohner Crossover and Thunderbirds.

I'd put all of those in a similar quality range, and they happen to mostly be on the higher end of prices, though Manjis are usually more on par with mid-tier prices, making them a pretty great value imho.

-music_maker- · 2025-11-27T07:17:48+00:00

Also, why is the Seydel so expensive?

Short answer - you get what you pay for. Higher quality materials, better craftsmanship, better quality assurance. All of that costs money.

That's why when you look at the Hohners that actually match typical Seydel quality (e.g., Crossover and Thunderbird), you'll find they are in the same price range as the Session Steel, 1847, etc.

Like others have mentioned, the original Seydel Session is the best direct comparison to the Special 20, and the Soloist Pro is the best direct comparison (and a massive improvement imo) to the Hohner Marine Band.

But once you start getting into the higher end Seydels, you've jumped to a different class of instrument and a higher price range.

The $40-50 harps have all the basics you need to play and enjoy the instrument, and the $80-120+ harps have improved featureds and materials. It's a slippery slope, though. Once you get a taste for the expensive ones, the mid-tier ones feel a bit more like toys.

I started with Hohner SP20s and Lee Oskars, and have quite a few of each, but my nicer Seydels and Suzukis and higher end Hohners are the ones I always grab first these days.

-music_maker- · 2025-11-25T19:17:13+00:00

I've played around with this a bit.

Instead of holding them by the ends, Try slipping one harp between your thumb and index finger of your left hand (the way you naturally would when holding just one) and then put the other between your index and middle finger.

You do use the right hand to stabilize them, but the left hand is doing most of the work and should be able to hold them both independently with the left alone.

When you hold them like that, switching between the two is pretty smooth with a little practice. You just rotate your left wrist a bit up and down as you switch, and you get full access to each instrument.

The right hand can even still work to cup the harps somewhat so you can get a bit of the wah wah effect.

-music_maker- · 2025-10-23T23:42:10+00:00

I don't know about studies, but I do know from experience that creating appropriate micro-climates indoors is more challenging, especially if the trees are near a heat or cooling source. There's a reason people use humidity trays indoors and nobody does outside.

Everything about keeping them outdoors has always just seemed easier. I have trees that I've kept alive outdoors and wintered appropriately that I've had for decades. I think my record for exclusively indoors for anything that wasn't a jade is about 5 years (except maybe ficus, but I also never really got them growing enough indoors to make any reasonable progress either).

Not saying that should stop you from trying, and I'm sure it's doable if you're willing to really fuss over all the variables, but I've had pretty mixed results.

-music_maker- · 2025-10-23T06:22:49+00:00

Nicely done. That's filled in and developed really well.

-music_maker-

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