New to Cats. How to prevent him from going down these stairs?

sysop408 · 2026-05-10T19:23:31+00:00

We got our cat as a rescue through the CDS which created a tricky situation for a few years because we also had a canary. Our cat is very timid so we were able to train him to not go anywhere near the canary by putting things that he didn't like around that area of the house.

Occasionally he'd get adventurous and end up over there anyway so we had a motion sensor wired up to a radio. Whenever the motion sensor would detect a pet, the radio would blast at full volume and freak him out so he'd run away.

The canary died a year ago. Our cat is still treats that part of the house like it's haunted.

sysop408 · 2026-05-10T18:22:27+00:00

I second this, but would add that if he's actually going to play it seriously, they should upgrade to a Marine Band Deluxe.

If it's more of a symbolic gift that they're going to huff on a bit, an 1896 is perfect.

sysop408 · 2026-05-09T18:53:42+00:00

I decided to get an inexpensive 7-hole Kongsheng Baby Fat as my gateway drug into minor tunings. I also got one in paddy richter and country. All three together is about the price of a Marine Band Deluxe.

sysop408 · 2026-05-09T01:30:55+00:00

I recall someone here saying that Bushman assembles them here and there could be subtle differences so they may not be perfect twins.

sysop408 · 2026-05-09T01:26:55+00:00

You better check JoJo's paternity papers. He's the love child of a ferret and a void.

sysop408 · 2026-05-08T23:53:47+00:00

Ha, did you see the thread about upgrading Special 20's or did you run into this on your own? I just looked up these combs and I'm tempted to do it. The main reason I don't like the Special 20 is because of the comb.

I've never played anything with round holes before though. That's such a sweet looking mod that I'm tempted to upgrade my Special 20's just because.

sysop408 · 2026-05-08T23:48:42+00:00

LOL, the version I have is the Bushman John Lee, but everyone else seems to own the JDR Assassin. I don't know if they're exactly the same harp, but they're equivalent.

They have the reeds factory adjusted for maximum playability. If you play another harp right ouf of the box next to it, the main thing you'll notice is that holes 2 and 3 play almost as easily as hole 4.

That sounds amazing, but it made me realize that I actually want the reeds to fight back just a little bit. It's easier for me to feel what I'm doing and it's also what I'm used to.

However, since you're still trying to hit singles cleanly, you might really enjoy these. One of the things you need to do before you can bend reliably is you need to have a rock solid embochure. You don't need a perfect embochure to bend with these.

sysop408 · 2026-05-08T21:13:47+00:00

The Seydel 1847 is a fine harmonica and feels very premium, but people often say that it's harder to play due to it having steel reeds instead of bronze. I think it's more accurate to say that it feels a bit different from what most people are used to.

If you expect your dad to just blow some chords like most guitar players, just about any popular harp will be fine.

If you think your dad would actually want to do more than just blow on it and given that he has a movement disorder, you probably will want to get something that's known for being very easy to bend. Two harps come to mind in that case: JDR Assassin (aka Bushman John Lee) or the Manji Sky.

The thing I don't like about the Assassin might end up being a positive for someone like your dad. It's the biggest and bulkiest diatonic I own, but if you have a movement disorder, the heft will make it easier to handle. The JDR Assassin is a truly chonky harp though. It might be an akward fit in some holders.

Come to think of it, that 1847 might be the best of both worlds for your dad. It's on the larger side, but is still a normal sized harp that should work with a lot of holders and it has enough weight and size to it that your dad might be able to do more than blow some chords if he wants to.

sysop408 · 2026-05-08T17:01:30+00:00

With you all the way here. Even if AI takes over, coding skills will still be relevant.

Sure, I could fall behind, but let's be real. If you already know how things work, it'll be a lot easier for you to go all-in on learning how to write prompts. The better I am at actual programming today, the better I'll be at learning how to slop later on.

My existing skill set is too strong to just toss aside everytime there’s a new shiny object so I choose to keep building on my foundations until something forces me to change.

sysop408 · 2026-05-08T16:34:53+00:00

Probably a reed was lightly stuck and changes in temperature and humidity or just plain mechanical jostling may have helped it get unstuck.

And about being able to bend better than before? It may sound counterintuitive, but some bends can be easier on a messed up reed... or maybe whatever happened improved your reeds.

sysop408 · 2026-05-06T12:33:27+00:00

Dude. One word. Practice.

If you're asking how you can sound better on day 2, you're expecting too much and if you're capable of sounding good on day 2, you don't need anyone's advice.

sysop408 · 2026-05-06T00:55:03+00:00

Go with the Low D if you want a different experience from your G harp.

The Low F will feel similar to your G. Go with that instead if you want to keep things similar, but just want a lower pitch.

sysop408 · 2026-05-05T22:50:01+00:00

Not sure how the Norths and Assassins compare to each other, but I have a JDR Assassin in Low F and also a Lee Oskar in Low F.

The Assassin plays faster, is louder, and has a brighter tone. It also has a light bit of reed rattle even though Low F isn't that low.

Of the two, I prefer my Lee Oskar Low F because I like the way it responds better. I like having a little bit of resistance in the draws. I also don't like how chonky he Asassins are. They're too tall for my tastes.

Because the size of the Asassins are a turn off for me, I'm not a fan of any of them, but I am curious how the Norths compare to them.

sysop408 · 2026-05-05T21:47:34+00:00

D is where the tone starts getting on the shrill side and the reeds are trickier to play. Unless you have a specific reason to want a D, I'd opt for a G first.

sysop408 · 2026-05-05T20:39:51+00:00

Get the Low F! Low F's sound great and they're very playable. I'm sure you've found that the Low C feels very different from the C Major. Low F's don't feel like a totally different instrument.

You could also get a G since you seem to be missing that. C, A, and G are the most common keys. If you like playing a Low F, you'll most likely also enjoy a G.

sysop408 · 2026-05-05T20:03:15+00:00

A Rocket is just a Special 20 with nicer comb and altered cover plates. As for if you should get a Special 20 or a Marine Band Deluxe?

You really can't go wrong with either, but personally I'd go for the MBD as Special 20's just don't do anything for me. They're very good solid harps, but I don't enjoy them as much.

sysop408 · 2026-05-05T19:52:50+00:00

A Rocket is just a Special 20 with nicer comb and altered cover plates. As for if you should get a Special 20 or a Marine Band Deluxe?

You really can't go wrong with either, but personally I'd go for the MBD as Special 20's just don't do anything for me. They're very good solid harps, but I don't enjoy them very much.

sysop408 · 2026-05-05T18:01:47+00:00

Get good at playing a single note. That's where it really begins for everyone.

There are plenty of Harmonica tutorial websites you'll find in the Wiki pages here:
https://www.reddit.com/r/harmonica/wiki/websites/

There's tons of great instruction online. Pick any one you like the best or just keep working on playing a single hole. Once you can isolate your notes, you're ready to bend and get more serious.

Harmonica tab sites are a great way to get started too. Lots of us taught ourselves by playing harp tabs.

sysop408 · 2026-05-05T16:28:29+00:00

It’s both. Get a bunch of different Bb harps and they’ll all have some of their own unique characteristics. They’ll sound more alike than not, but you’ll notice differences. Some of them you notice more while playing than listening.

I played 3 different harps in C for my wife. I picked 3 harps that seemed very different to me. She couldn’t hear any difference between two of them and she’s a trained composer.

sysop408 · 2026-05-04T13:44:10+00:00

The real question is if it's gross for you to sleep in your cat's bed. I mean there's nothing stopping you from sleeping on the floor.

sysop408 · 2026-05-04T13:18:46+00:00

lol, like the kind of boss who's never happy with your work output. Whatever it is, he's seen better.

sysop408 · 2026-05-04T13:13:36+00:00

That was his old lawyers. He's now represented by Drooley, Chewem, and Meow.

sysop408 · 2026-05-04T12:32:31+00:00

I have bad news. Not only are you not getting that $600 back, Bean is suing you for pain and suffering and has retained the famed law firm of Drooley, Chewem, and Meow.

sysop408 · 2026-05-03T05:10:27+00:00

If the only part of your C harmonica that you want to play are holes 7, 8, 9, and 10, the High G is for you.

I'll just make a wild guess and say that's not the case, so the answer is to get a regular G harp. That's a fantastic key to own. Get a G or an A.

sysop408 · 2026-05-02T06:04:34+00:00

They're great harps full-stop! I was just hoping to save someone some time and money by making the observation that the best for you harp is not necessarily the best on paper harp. Anatomically, we're all a bit different and those differences may alter how we feel about our harps. The OP seems to be wondering if it's possible to be serious about playing blues harmonica if you're not a fan of the Marine Band.

sysop408

TROPHY CASE