[Harp-L] re: Forgotten options for chromaticity

[Jonathan Ross <jross38@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Paul Bowering writes:

"Since so many are clamouring for ways to make the 10
hole into a twelve tone instrument I'd like an to get
an update on two options that I've heard little about."

Actually, very few people are clamoring for such.  A fair number on  
this and other harmonica groups (though probably still a fairly small  
minority, really) are trying this, but in the overall scheme of the  
harmonica in the Western world alone this is a small if active niche  
compared to the people playing in more traditional styles and venues.

Not that there's anything wrong with esoteric interests and small  
groups.  I'm quite content being one of only two people in the  
exciting field of hamster synthesis.  Just it's good to keep in my  
that this list is not a true reflection of the general consensus, but  
rather a small subset of it which may blow some facets up and deflate  
others.

Now to the body of what Paul write:

"The first is Winslow's discrete comb. "

A wonderful design.  Amazing others hadn't really tried it out before  
Winslow in such a rigorous fashion, but genius often lies in the  
ability to see the obvious when no-one else was looking.

 "It offers all the flexibility of the Suzuki
Overdrive, a harp I love but ultimately found unwieldy
to become fluid enough on. I'd like to think the
Discrete Comb will be more easy to adapt to than the
Overdrive."

The two are similar, in both "flexibility" and difficulty of  
adaption, IMO.  The archives had several reaction posts from back  
when he first started making these, so I'd check those out.  I find  
that I dislike the larger comb size, but that is highly personal.   
Also, I believe that Winslow is no longer making these, but I'm sure  
he will say so himself when he responds.

"Pictures look like the comb has a lip so that plates
aren't exposed. Great if true. Can someone confirm?"

The one I had was based on the MS and like them had exposed reed- 
plates (it's around here somewhere).

"The second harp is Brendan Power's all bender. The
lack of discussion on this one has me befuddled."

It is not discussed because for all intents and purposes it does not  
exist.  The joyously descriptive term for such things in the software  
universe is "vaporware"--ie, things that were proposed and possibly  
even designed but never actually got through to the end stage of  
being an actual product (usually not even close).  Brendan designed  
this and even (according to his statements) started looking into  
producing it with Suzuki when they discovered that the design (and  
most any responder reed design would) violated Rick Epping's  
patents.  So they abandoned it.  Thus, it died a premature death, and  
since it cannot be produced until Rick's patent runs out (a decade or  
more away, IIRC) and even then very likely will not be produced (I  
doubt the XB-40 is making a huge dent in the market, and certainly  
not one large enough to encourage others to enter the fray) there's  
no point in discussing it beyond daydreaming.

Maybe that will change if Rick licenses his patents out to people  
other than Hohner, but I don't see that happening.  Barring that, ask  
again in 2014 when the patent expires (note--date chosen at random).

Hope this helps, even if it is somewhat a wet blanket on the fireplace.



 ()()    JR "Bulldogge" Ross
()  ()   & Snuffy, too:)
`----'