Cheap chromatics

[Winslow Yerxa <76450.3230@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

TO: internet:harp-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Janet Lieberman asks about inexpensive starter chromatics.

The Huang Cadet Soloist for $7.95 (Kevin's Spring catalog, add $4.95 for
shipping) or $6.75 (Farrell, plus $2.00 shipping) is NOT a chromatic,
despite anything you might read. It is a solo tuned diatonic. Here is
Richter (regular diatonic) tuning:

      1      2      3      4      5      6      7      8      9     10
   =======================================================================
DR |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
   |  D   |  G   |  B   |  D   |  F   |  A   |  B   |  D   |  F   |  A   |
   |------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------|
   |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
BL |  C   |  E   |  G   |  C   |  E   |  G   |  C   |  E   |  G   |  C   |
   =======================================================================

Only the middle octave (Holes 4 thru 7) has a complete major scale. Solo
tuning merely repeats the tuning of the middle diatonic octave for however
many octaves the harmonica has, four holes per octave - 8 for a 2-octave
instrument, 12 for 3 octaves, 16 for 4 octaves (as far as anyone has taken
it).

The Huang Cadet Soloist is just a 3-octave solo tuned diatonic:

      1     2     3     4     5     6     7     8     9    10    11    12
   =========================================================================
DR |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |
   |  D  |  F  |  A  |  B  |  D  |  F  |  A  |  B  |  D  |  F  |  A  |  B  |
   |-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----|
   |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |
BL |  C  |  E  |  G  |  C  |  C  |  E  |  G  |  C  |  C  |  E  |  G  |  C  |
    |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |
   =========================================================================

To make a chromatic, you need two of these, one in C and one in Db. The
slide mechanism is what keeps the C and the Db harps from sounding at the
same time, by blocking off the Db harp with the slide out, and the C harp
with the slide in.

The sole purpose of the Cadet is to provide "training wheels" for the basic
tuning layout before you graduate to the full chromatic.

The cheapest solo-tuned chromatic you can get in the U.S. is the 2-octave
Chrometta 8 ($30 from Farrell, $29 from Kevin, plus the above-mentioned
flat rate shipping charges). This has a mellow tone and a comfortable
mouthpiece, but also a limited range, and I find that they don't last very
well. But the size and weight make them nice pocket chromatics.

Turning to 3-octave instruments of a more durable cast (you can get a
3-octave Chrometta, but I wouldn't recommend it at about $43 when the Huang
1248 is a better value).

You can get a Huang Professional 1248 from Kevin for $49 or Farrell for
about $42 (40% off $69.75). These harps are bright and extremely responsive
- a little too much for me personally, but you might like them.

The Suzuki Leghorn is the same harp as the Huang 1248, for $47.95 from
Kevin (Farrell doesn't carry them).

Herings will run you $52 from Farrell (Kevin doesn;t carry them), and
they're a less-expensive substitute for a Hohner 270, which will run you
$60 from Farrell, $59 from Kevin.

Of course, you can can also get Richter-tuned "chromatics" - tuned like a
diatonic, but with a slide to raise the pitch a semitone. The (Hohner) Koch
980 runs $45 from Kevin, $41.37 from Farrell, while its valved counterpart,
the Slide Harp, runs $54 from Kevin, $50.37 from Farrell (decided to pull
up my calculator).

If you're really not sure, start with the Chrometta 8. William Clarke plays
a Chrometta 12, and he's a fire-breathing blues dragon (I don't know why
the thing hasn't melted in his hands).


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