Re: [Harp-L] good Chromatic choice

[Tom Baehr <tombaehr@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Yer a generous dad, Ed! IMO, Hohner is a good choice. The reeds are  
sturdy, and the warranty is excellent.

My recommendation would be the CX 12, in C. The price didn't go up on  
the black ones (the gold did, by a lot), so the price difference  
isn't as great between the CX 12 and the Super Chromonica (270).  
They're under $140 each at discount on the internet.

The CX 12 is easy to maintain, and I've yet to have a slide stick.  
The windsavers can be cantankerous, but that can be solved in a  
couple of ways. The most important countermeasure is to warm the  
harmonica before playing (very important!)

The alternative to a C harmonica would be one in Eb, if your son  
plays alto sax; because he reads music, he'll have a built-in  
repertoire. Or Bb if he plays tenor. For your composer son, I'd stick  
to the C, even though he plays trumpet. Guitar and piano trump the  
trumpet.

Flute was my principle instrument in music school, so a C fits me to  
a T. I own four CX 12s, a Super 64, a couple of Chromettas and a CBH  
2016. But the CX 12 is my main harmonica (three Cs and a C Tenor).

Good luck, and let us all know what you decide on.

Tom
On Jul 21, 2007, at 11:00 PM, EVedock wrote:

> I want to buy a chromatic for my 2 sons for Christmas whether they  
> want one or not. They both doodle a little with diatonics from time  
> to time and guitar. They are both musically inclined. One plays sax  
> and reads music and can improvise and one is a graduate of Carnegie  
> Mellon University college of music and knows in depth music theory  
> and had to write a musical piece for small symphony to graduate.   
> He also plays guitar, piano and trumpet.  (but is not a guitarist,  
> pianist or master of trumpet) His thing is "music composition", but  
> he likes harmonica.
>
>  I want them to have good chromatics....not the thousand dollar  
> custom jobs but very good "out of the box" chromatics.  What brand  
> should I buy them and what key?      Ed Vedock, Johnstown, PA
>
>  PS:My 'mind set' is Hohners, but what is out there that I should  
> get for my boys. One is 25 and one is 29.
>
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