[Harp-L] RE: XB-40

["jazmaan@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx" <dmf273@xxxxxxxxx>]

I actually agree with most of Chris' criticisms of the XB-40, but only with regard to the
off-the-shelf, out-of-the-box models.  Like most people on the list,  I was disappointed with the
off-the-shelf XB-40.   Like Chris said, its "tough to play and one needs extremely good intonation
to make it sound right."   Maybe my intonation isn't "extremely good" or maybe I'm just lazy, but
the unmodified XB-40 was too much work for me!

As detailed in many past messages, that's why I play the retuned XB-Melody, which is probably less
than half as demanding in the intonation department.   And the XB-Melody also liberates me from
"2nd position mentality" Chris describes.   Using only my Bb harp I've already uploaded blues in
"A" ("Born in Chicago"), blues in "C" ("Mary Ann"), jazz in "Dm" ("A Night in Tunisia"), and some
of you have recently heard my rendition of "Girl Talk" in "Eb".

As for tone - I think the tone is going to vary from player and from key to key.  A "C" XB-40 may
sound more shrill than a "C" Golden Melody, but is it more shrill than a "C" chromatic?   If you
put all these harps in a rack will some of the tonal differences disappear?   Have the people who
dislike the XB-40's tone tried them in keys other than "C"?

 

--- Chris Michalek <Chris@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

> 
> I'm not discounting what anybody says and certainly don't think Uncle
> Win and fairweather have thin sounds. However the sound that I can
> produce on the the XB-40 is much thinner than what I can get out of a
> standard diatonic.
> 
> I'm may not be a serious XB-40 player but I am a serious harmonica
> player and well versed enough to have legitimately put the XB-40
> through it's paces.  The only useful sounds I could get where
> crossharp patterns with some wicked bends.  I rarely play crossharp
> these days and unfortunately 99.9% of players do. Including the
> fellows that designed it.  It works great for blues but won't give
> you that traditional ballsy bluesy harp sound.  It works ok for jazz
> if its coupled with a 2nd position mentality.  I play bye bye black
> bird in 11th position on a my standard harps.  I tried the same thing
> on the xb-40 there the thinness of the xb-40 bends really comes
> through.
> 
> The XB-40 is tough to play and one needs extremely good intonation to
> make it sound right.  I know of very few players that have the
> intonation skills to do the XB-40 justice.
> 
> 
> 
> >
> >
> >
> >---- Original Message ----
> >From: eneumann@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> >To: Chris@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, dmf273@xxxxxxxxx, harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx
> >Subject: RE: [Harp-L] XB-40
> >Date: Tue, 5 Jul 2005 13:58:47 -0500
> >
> >>
> >>-----Original Message----- Chris Michalek writes:
> >>I had one and played with it for about two months.  
> >>I could play it but I think the tone is too thin for it to be useful
> >for
> >>anything other than a trick effect.
> >>
> >>Eric writes:
> >>Winslow's playing doesn't sound thin to me. Jaazman's either. On my
> >own,
> >>I seem to use the brighter tonality of this "trick" effect, which
> >was
> >>brought to us by serious research, to my own advantage. It's
> >controlling
> >>the tone which proves to be a challenge to me, and perhaps the many
> >who
> >>have at least tried the harp. And Jaazman was asking if there were
> >any
> >>serious users of this harmonica.
> >>
> >>I should count myself as one, now that I read what others say, since
> >I
> >>actually enjoy playing the one I have in C. It's unmodified. Maybe I
> >am
> >>not as serious as Jaazman, or Winslow - which I would never compare
> >>myself to, so excuse my using his name in the same sentence as mine,
> >>heh.
> >>
> >>For me, the reason I am not grabbing this harp first and foremost is
> >>because of the control aspects. I just haven't practiced enough with
> >it
> >>- but I don't count the instrument out. It's not the harp.
> >>
> >>
> 
> Chris Michalek
> 
> www.michalekstrone.com
> CD Available
> http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/michalekstrone
> 
>