[Harp-L] RE: 12 holers

["Bill Kumpe" <bkumpe@xxxxxxx>]

I have a Huang Cadet Soloist and it's not a bad little harp.  Not great but
not bad.  I also have Hohner 364 Solo.  It leaks like the eastern European
barn door its comb was probably made from.  Mike Peace has it now and is
giving it his special custom treatment, sanding down the comb, converting it
to screw construction, tweaking it up, etc.  I have high hopes.  I like solo
tuning for a few down and dirty bars of three chord country or a simple
hymn.  And when you can enough air through it, it can be fairly loud.  The
best of the solo tuneds I have found so far is the little Hering Master
Soloist.  It is smooth as glass, tuned perfectly as far as my tin ear can
tell, and very air tight.  Its' one problem is that it is so small that I
have a hard time hitting single notes after playing standard size harps.  It
fits all twelve into a comb only a little larger than a standard diatonic.
It is valved on the lower reeds but I removed them.  Plays fine without them
and no sticking valves, etc.

Bill Kumpe
Tulsa, OK