Re: Slide Harp?

[<gmayhew@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

>
> Fellow Harpers,
>
> I'm really tempted to drop 50 for a Richter Slide Harp. Got any yea's
> or nay's on 'em. What's the difference in it and a regular chromatic?
> Are they durable?
>
> Thanks, Ted
>
My advice is:  DON'T WASTE YOUR MONEY.  I bought a Koch Chromatic,
which is the same thing in an earlier manifestation, 4 years ago
thinking it would be useful.  It's collected dust ever since.

The Richter Slide (or Koch) are tuned like traditional Marine Band
harps, but have two sets of reeds.  With the slide out, they are
tuned to C.  Pushing the slide in raises everything one half step,
to C#.  I don't know of any songs that take advantage of these harps,
although I imagine there must be a few.

A chromatic harp has all twelve notes of the scale, over several
octaves.  It is MUCH more useful than the Richter Slide, and every
harp player should have one, IMHO.  If you have $50 to spend, get
a Hohner 260, which is a 10 hole, 2 1/2 octave instrument.  It plays
well and has a nice tone, and it's small enough to carry around.  If
you can afford a little more, you might want a Hohner 270, which is
three full octaves.  Either of those is a good chromatic to start
with, and in fact many pros play the 270.  Avoid Hohner Chromettas.
They are plastic toys.

George