RE: XB bending vs Overblowing vs Brendan Power's harps ?

["Laurent Vigouroux" <laurent.vigouroux@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hi Fernando

> The valves are almost unperceptible, you hear them sometimes, but they
don´t
> interfere with the playing whatsoever. It´s not like a half valved or
fully valved
> chrom/dia. They can need some maintenance, but they don´t botter at all.
That's really interesting. I didn't think there could be a big difference.

>Although I´m sure Brendan´s instruments are wonderfull, I think we
> are comparing different things, and that´s never fair. <snip> And you are
also comparing
> a custom instrument to an out-of-the-box one.
True. My point was that the XB-40 is far more expensive than a regular harp
(especially here in France at around 90 ?, when it is available). It puts it
in the category of the "expensive" harps, as Brendan's ones. But that's true
that the XB40 is cheaper and is an out-of-the box instrument.

>The expressive quality of the XB is unique, you have more ways to play a
> specific note than with Brendan´s Slide, even if it is half valved.
Again, that's true.

>if you want to buy half the instruments by plyaing the slide with
> button in, you´ll have to learn to play it 2 ways, instead of one: slide
in and slide out.
Again, that's completely true. It should not be that hard by the way.

> Just to state that I agree with you and see a very good characteristic on
> the Slide: notes are much more precise if you use the button, instead of
bends.
That's the most important advantage of Brendan's harps in my opinion.

>Besides that, it (the stock XB40, compared to the stock Slide) is much
better set up, louder, has,
> IMHO, a nicer tone and leaks less. And doesn´t have the inconvenience of
the button.
I've also heard that the stock Slide harps were awful. But, Brendan's CX-10
(and probably also its customized Slide harps) play wonderfuly and are
extremely easy to bend.

>By the way, were you planning to buy it (Brendan's Slide harp) fully or
halved valved?
Half valved. It allows to bend all the same notes as a regular Richter harp.

>my XB is much more easier to play, much more intuitive than my Slide harp,
>which I manage to play only in 2 keys: G and G# (it´s a C).
I would have thought the opposite. I feel that it would be easier to adapt
to the Slide harp than to the XB-40. Indeed, with the Slide harp, you play
exactly as a Richter harp except when you want an additional note. In the
XB-40, from what I've understood, you have to adapt your playing when a full
bend is available instead of the half bend of the Richter harp.

Thanks

   Laurent