Re: [Harp-L] octave - and baritone - chromatic (was movie date)

[Winslow Yerxa <winslowyerxa@xxxxxxxxx>]

While the present body, reedplate, and reed dimensions of the Suzuki
tremolo chromatic are not suitable for building an octave chromatic,
they are very close.

The Hohner "bass" (really more of a baritone) Polyphonia has reeds only
a few mm longer and maybe 1mm wider that the lowest reeds in a
four-octave chromatic. Those reed dimensions could be incorporated into
the lowest octave of either a baritone slide chromatic or a single-comb
octave chromatic built in the same manner as the SCT-128. It would ahve
to be a bit deeper front to back, to accomodate the the longer reeds in
the lowest octave.

Dripping the pitch of existing chromatics with solder has proved
unsatisfactory, if I read correctly what Brendan Power has had to say
on the subject; response is just too sluggish. But a lsight change in
reed dimensions changes all that; the bass Poly is plenty responsive.
But it means new reedplate and comb dimensions; the longer Poly reeds
won't fit on a standard 64 reedplate.

Winslow

--- Jonathan Ross <jross38@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

> Robert Bonfiglio (I finally spelled it right--thanks to cut and  
> paste) writes:
> 
> "I did play a neat Movie date yesterday which required a lot of  
> reading and had some nasty fast corner switch grace notes. Very much 
> 
> Rota or Maraconi type music, so much so that in one take I suggested,
>  
> stupid me, that the whole thing would sound great in octaves. So we  
> ended up rerecording 4 takes all in octaves! Last time I make that  
> suggestion."
> 
> It sounds like you need an octave chromatic.  Suzuki finally did  
> build a one-comb tremolo chromatic, but it's not really amenable to  
> being made into an octave instrument, IMO.  As with the trem-chrom,  
> John Infande has made octave-chroms in the past (not sure if he still
>  
> is making these).  Still, I must say there's something nice about an 
> 
> instrument which is designed from the ground-up to do it's job,  
> rather than one using modified parts (ie, Infande's trem-chroms are  
> excellent, but the Suzuki has an elegance which can only be achieved 
> 
> through the use of a purpose designed set of reed-plates, combs and  
> the like).
> 
> Tops on my list of things I'd like to see some harmonica company make
>  
> are a baritone chromatic and an octave chromatic and your post  
> reminded me of the later.  Who knows, if a leading classical  
> harmonica player endorses the product, maybe a company might be more 
> 
> able to find a market for an octave-chrom...:)
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
>   ()()    JR "Bulldogge" Ross
> ()  ()
> `----'
> 
> 
> 
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