Re: Tombo UNIQUE (NON-Lee Oskar) harmonicas

[Pat Missin <pat@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Scorcher wrote:
>
>There are some REALLY interesting harmonicas I haven't seen before:
>
>Check out the Contrabass - looks like a giant 'tonic, rather than the
>hinged style I'm used to seeing & it has a deeper range than most -
>Down to C below Contra E.

Actually, it doesn't go as far down as the typical Hohner bass. It
only goes down to the C one octave below the lowest note of a 64.
Beautiful harps all the same - they're my favorite bass harp, although
strictly speaking they are more of a baritone than a bass. Paul Oscher
puts this harp to some interesting use in a blues context.

>Also, the "slideless" chromatic! "Tombo Chromatic Single" #S-50 and
>"Violin Scale" #1157 These things look like they have some unique
>possibilities - and none of the problems (Slide, Valves) that
>"regular" Chroms have - Although, they may have their own set of
>"issues". Is this the FIRST "hands-free" chromatic ? (with apologies
>to Vern).
>
>Has anybody PLAYED any of these??

Yeah. There are some really nice things you can do with these harps.
This page gives a just a few hints of the possibilities:

http://www.patmissin.com/ffaq/q24.html

 -- Pat.