[Harp-L] Tremolo & Octave tuning

["Aongus Mac Cana" <amaccana@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Winslow and others have explained what tremolo and octave tuning involves -
basically two reeds blow and two reeds draw in the same hole (well not quite
the same hole, but don't lets get into that!) One of the implications of
tremolo construction is that you can't bend. Some old accordeons and
melodeons used tremolo tuning too, but I have to say they produced a sound
that does not "do it" for me.
Rick Epping has produced a few special octave tuned harmonicas -
unfortunately not for general consumption. These harmonicas involve
chromatic reed plates on a modified Hohner chromatic comb with two reeds
tuned an octave apart in each hole. For practical reasons it is not feasible
to use two different reeds in the top few holes, so these are unison tuned.
This instrument has tremendous power and when I first heard it I christened
it the "Bunker Buster" - no need for an amplifier even in a trad session!
When Rick played the first blast of a tune at a Willie Clancy workshop with
one of these 'specials' , the class literally jumped in shock.
Rick mentioned that that he thought that Seydel make a similar instrument (a
diatonic harp on a chromatic body) but only in tremolo tuning. If they ever
decide to do it in octave tuning I shall be signing up for one.
Beannachtai
Aongus Mac Cana