Next Step (TV)

[Steve Jennings <100010.1152@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Bobbie,

If it was, as you say a moulded black body, and (you imply) chromatic, it will
have been the Hohner CX12 - hardly an innovation, though, I've had mine for at
least three years - they sound kinda like the old CBH chromatics, and come apart
very easily - sadly the slide mechanism appears to be very noisy - no problem
amplified, but playing classical stuff, it can be a real drag.

If it was a blues harp, then yes, it was a Cross Harp. They are not, however,
made of steel. The covers are made of some sort of "mickey mouse" alloy, and
painted black (the paint doesn't last long), and the combs are plastic with a
gold-looking coating or plating on them. The reed-plates are thicker than on a
regular harp, which means a greater amplitude for the vibrating reed, and
therefore more volume, but it also means that a different alloy has to be used
to make the reeds, 'cos otherwise they'd break too quick.

Hope this helps.

Steve Jennings,
Editor, Harmonica World