[Harp-L] Re: Harp-L] Just intonation

[Pat Missin <pat@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Robb  wrote:
>
>I like the Hering 1923's and I liked very old Marine
>bands. Two questions: Can someone tell me all the
>stock harps available in JI? 

Up until quite recently, all the Hering diatonics (except the
Master Country/Master Solo) were tuned in the traditional Just
Intonation set-up (7-limit JI). 

However, Hering are supposed to have changed their tuning so that only
the Black Blues and the Master Blues remain in JI, with the Hering
Blues "tempered tuning" (which is a somewhat vague term, but it would
seem that they mean Equal Temperament) and the Golden Blues
is "brilliant tuned" (which they say is tuned to 4=445, but they don't
specify whether is it a tempered or JI tuning). I say "supposed to
have changed" as I haven't worked on any recent Hering Blues or Golden
Blues harmonicas to verify this. I'm not sure how the Hering Free
Blues is supposed to be tuned as I haven't had my hands on any of
those recently either. I have recently been sent a sample of the
Hering Super Gig 20 which is definitely 7 limit JI.

This means that you there are least five choices of off-the-shelf
Richter diatonics in traditional 7-limit JI - the Hering Black Blues,
the Hering Master Blues, the Hering Vintage Harp, the Hering Super Gig
20 and the Hering Rhythm Blues (their tenor tuned 12-hole harp). 

It may also worth mentioning that the last few 12- and 14-hole Marine
Bands I have worked on were closer to 7-limit JI than anything else.
SBS harps, on the other hand, seem to use something more like the
temperament used on the current 10-hole MBs.

>And can anyone tell me if
>there is a chromatic stock harp tuned to JI? 

Solo tuning provides some obstacles when it comes to Just Intonation,
so almost all of them are equal tempered. For those with inquiring
minds, I explain what these obstacles are on this page:

http://www.patmissin.com/tunings/tun4.html

The Koch Chromatic used to be in JI, but I haven't had my hands on one
recently, so I don't know if they are still tuned this way. The Hering
Vintage 40 does not use JI, which surprised me a little.

 -- Pat.