Re: [Harp-L] chromatic help

[Winslow Yerxa <winslowyerxa@xxxxxxxxx>]

Is the Chromonika straight or cross tuned?


Straight tuned looks like this: when you look at the holes through
the mouthpiece, all the top halves of the holes are exposed when the
slide button is out, and when you press the slide in, it switches so
that all the bottom halves of the holes are exposed instead. 



On a cross tuned instrument, the exposed half of the hole will
alternate top-bottom-top-bottom, etc., as you look from one hole to the
next, with the opposite pattern of alternation (top-bottom, etc.) when
you press the slide button in.



All stock Super 64s are cross tuned, as this model was introduced
something like 20 years after Hohner switched to cross tuning for 64s
sometime in the 1950s.



The Chromonika IIIs I have seen have all been straight tuned - not that there couldn't have been some cross tuned ones later on.



If your Chromonika is straight tuned, it won't make any musical sense
to play with cross-tuned reeds (unless you like puzzles) even if the
reedplates fit (though you'd have to drill out screw holes; as far as I
know, all the old wooden instruments had nailed-on reedplates.



It might be less work (and certainly less radical surgery) to replace
missing or damaged reeds on the Chromonika, which would better preserve
its original condition. You have a vintage instrument and you may want
to preserve as close to its original condition as possible.



Winslow

--- On Tue, 7/15/08, mike reid <shrimpdaddymike@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
From: mike reid <shrimpdaddymike@xxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [Harp-L] chromatic help
To: harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx
Date: Tuesday, July 15, 2008, 5:24 AM

I have an old chromonica 3 with an intact wooden comb,  unfortunatly the reeds
are not in that great a shape a couple missing etc.  my question is can i use
this comb with a old super 64 that has a crack in the comb?  will it fit? 



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