RE: [Harp-L] Crossover - more than the comb

[Tom Ball <havaball@xxxxxxx>]

Paul asked:
Any other tidbits y'all got about the Crossover?
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Hi Paul,
I've only had experience with one Crossover. Because they list at 
$96, they're a bit out of this working musician's price range. 
However Hohner was kind enough to give me a sample at the 2010 NAMM 
Show in Anaheim, so I promised them I'd give it a spin.

The one they gave me was a C. Ordinarily I use Special 20s and am 
really not much for wood comb harps -- too leaky -- but I found the 
Crossover to be every bit as airtight as a SP20.  Louder as well and 
very responsive. Comfortable, too. So far, so good.  Now the biggest 
question of all: how long would it last?

I am amazed to tell you my Crossover is still in use and gigging 
today, 20+ months after Hohner gave it to me.  Still in perfect tune. 
I gig and play sessions full time and am pretty hard on my harps, so 
ordinarily I go through a SP20 in C at least every four months. This 
Crossover has lasted over five times that long and still purrs like a 
baby kitten.  The only slight problem I've had with it is the high 
blow reeds (8, 9, 10) get stuck now and then, necessitating cleaning 
and a bit of reed tweaking.  But that didn't develop until I'd been 
honking on it for over a year, and besides, that's a tiny price to 
pay for a harp this loud, airtight and resiliant.

In sum, I am MORE than happy with my example of the Hohner Crossover. 
Having said that, I must repeat I have only tried one. I would love 
to try another one, say in Bb, and I look forward to hearing other 
folks' responses -- especially as to durability in the lower keyed 
harps (G, Ab, A and Bb.)

cheers and all best wishes,

Tom Ball
http://www.tomball.us