XB-40 - First Impressions

[Mojo Red <harplicks@xxxxxxxxx>]

Hi gang,

Well, I returned from a short vacation yesterday
and found my new XB-40 waiting for me in the mail!!
Oh Yeah!!!

Wow! I've been so excited to get this thing that I
almost couldn't put it to my lips. However, when I
did I was very pleasantly surprised at the harp's
responsiveness. 

Mine's in the key of G. Here are my first
impressions:

Big, thick harp... about the size of a Slide Harp,
but no button. Black plastic mouthpiece very smooth
on the lips. Tone is not ~exactly~ like a Special
20, and not ~exactly~ like a Chromatic (as Mark
Wilson aptly noted)... but it definately is Richter
tuned. Chords are sweet and rich.

The bends are ALL there, baby, right up and down
the harp. Blow and draw bends. Blow bends are more
difficult for at the low end (it's a G harp,
remember), but with good embochure I'm finding they
are indeed there. 

Was immediately was able to play some licks not
possible without overbends. However, for someone
used to doing overbends (say on the 6-blow) it may
come as a surprize that the 6-blow bend goes Down,
not Up in pitch. Okay, not a big drawback in my
book, but a learning curve thing.

Another learning-curve for me will be getting used
to the fact that every hole can be be bent a Whole
tone. Now, don't get me wrong, I think this is
GREAT, but I will need to force myself to provide
greater ~control~ on certain holes (esp. 4 and 6
draw bends) as I'm used to hitting them hard and
only getting a half-step bend. I'm finding it all
too easy to over-shoot my bends on those holes (as
well as the 8 and 9 blow bends). 

Right now I'm having a BALL with this thing,
however, learning how to use it to play unusual
licks and exploring positions that had been pretty
ethereal for me in the past. 

Looking forward to impressions of other new XB-40
owners.

Harpin' in Colorado,
- --Ken M.

=====
"When you speak of Walter Horton, the first thing you think of is his tone, that big, fat tone."
- ---Li'l Ronnie Owens

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