Subject: Re: [Harp-L] XB-40 recordings

[EGS1217@xxxxxxx]

Rick:
 
I'm not so sure I agree about the XB-40 being a major disappointment for  
Hohner, since I have seen so many of them being played at, shown  around by, 
or in players' harp cases at various  conventions...those players, though 
(for the most part) just weren't people who  post on harmonica lists or make a 
huge distinction between their xb-40's and  other diatonics. They just may 
not look at them as something all that  differently, since other diatonics 
have come along which have nearly caught up  in price?
 
To Winslow - how about Marv Munroe who plays two (in a specially  rigged 
rack) routinely, while he accompanies primarily chromatic players on his  
guitar at every convention? I'm assuming C, C# but that might not be the case at 
 all? I might have once asked him what keys he plays but don't now  
remember.
 
I'm now quite curious about just how many have been sold  since their 
inception. Distinctly remember Winslow demonstrating his  at a Filisko table at 
one of my first SPAH's (it sounded great)....
 
I like Jazmaan's playing on his vids of the xb. I've heard them before but  
not sure I realized that's the instrument he was playing. Very cool.
 
Your discussion has quite intrigued me - again. Just might pick one up. It  
might prove to be 'the' diatonic for this chromatic player, after all.
 
Elizabeth
 
"Message: 12
Date: Sun, 03 Jul 2011 12:20:40 +1000
From: "Rick  Dempster" <rick.dempster@xxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Re: [Harp-L] XB-40  recordings
To: <winslowyerxa@xxxxxxxxx>
Cc:  harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx
Message-ID:  <4E105E980200006600085A8E@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Content-Type:  text/plain; charset=US-ASCII

I think the failure of players to take up  the chromatic potential of the 
XB must be a big disappointment for Hohner.
I  have used the XB for it's richness, and applied it's bending potential 
mainly in  conventional diatonic and pentatonic scales.
So I'm getting the same notes in  all octaves.
The first step away from conventional single reed harp comes  where you can 
get the major third of the V chord in the middle octave, ie the  note 
sought by people who sharpen draw 5.
Then the Bb (talking C harp here)  at the hole 7 blow bend, instead of 
overblowing 6.
Then probably the Eb notes  in the first two octaves....etc. etc.
I really think the XB is a wonderful  instrument,and that we, as players 
who depend on the manufacturers of  this
post industrial age instrument, should make a little more effort with  it.
We all seem keen enough to struggle on with overblowing, half-valving,  
re-tuning, custom harps etc. etc.
The XB deserves at least as much  attention.

RD

>>> Winslow Yerxa  <winslowyerxa@xxxxxxxxx> 03/07/11 7:57 AM >>>
No-one seems to  have taken up the XB-40 for its chromatic potential. 
Perhaps 
it's because  pitch control is difficult for reeds with a wide bending 
range. I 
know that  David Fairweather (aka jazmaan) was experimenting with tunings 
that  
restricted all bends to a semitone in order to make pitch control easier,  
but I 
don't recall that he reported any positive  results.

Winslow

Winslow Yerxa
Author, Harmonica For Dummies  ISBN 978-0-470-33729-5
Harmonica instructor, The Jazzschool for Music Study  and Performance
Resident expert, bluesharmonica.com
Columnist,  harmonicasessions.com

________________________________
From: Richard  Hammersley <rhhammersley@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx
Sent:  Fri, July 1, 2011 9:26:15 AM
Subject: [Harp-L] XB-40 recordings

Can  anyone recommend any recordings of anyone using the XB-40 to its full  
chromatic potential? Winslow Yerxa has done some good stuff, but otherwise 
I  
can't really find anything - or maybe I am not hearing and recognising the  
XB's 
use.

Thanks
Richard
Richard  Hammersley
Grantshouse
Scottish  Borders