[Harp-L] chrom-style bends on a diatonic?

[Frank Nims <howbah@xxxxxxxxx>]

I read somewhere that, on a chromatic, (a) any note can be bent down a half-step, and that (b) this was because all the notes were valved.
   
  If this is true, then what if you got a solo tuned diatonic and put valves on all the notes - would that give you a harp that could play all the notes of the chromatic scale?  That would be a lot easier for richter players to adjust to - to flat a note just bend it, instead of going back one hole and hitting the sharping button.
   
  (And hey, If it's not true that the valves affect bending on a chromatic as I read they did, please let me know!)