Re: [Harp-L] Re: New 30 Reed Harp from Suzuki: SUB30 UltraBend

[burket@xxxxxxx]

I agree with you Winslow about keeping the XB- running as long as possible.  Its a unique sound and technology.  

I played a session last week with an accordion, drummer, fiddle, tin whistles, various other instruments, and myself on Guitar with a low D- XB 40 in the rack most of the night.  Session style, all sitting around a table with a single mic hanging over to pick up a bit of the general sound and send it through the house system and out to the street.

At one point the accordion player (who also plays a bit of harp) pulled out a Lee Oskar to play along and we couldn't hear him at all above the din of the music and crowd walla.  When he played his accordions though, the XB 40 was a nice compliment  for backing chords, octaves, and going with the melody for some variety and was quite able to compete in volume.

The SUB 30 though, does look and sound pretty awesome.  Filip's performance really nails it too.   I look forward to hearing a Powerbender tuned SUB 30, but I can imagine the chore it would be to make and tune one up yourself, especially if the reeds are welded. 
----------
Steve Shaw Wrote:

> I treasure my XB-40s and hope to keep them running even though Hohner is 
planning to discontinue them.

> Winslow
 "Me too. Trouble is, I can't seem to find a supplier of XB-40 reedplates in the 
UK. Any help would be much appreciated. "

I think I saw a post a while back that Hohner will continue to support the XB with parts and reed plates.  Though it would seem that at some point they would run out if no new ones are being manufactured.

I can't help you Steve with the UK, but can check with Hohner here in the states to see what's (if anything) is on hand.  

Burke T. 
------------


Message: 1
Date: Fri, 3 Aug 2012 02:32:06 -0700 (PDT)
From: Winslow Yerxa <winslowyerxa@xxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Re: [Harp-L] Re:  New 30 Reed Harp from Suzuki: SUB30
	UltraBend
To: harp-l harp-l <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx>
Message-ID:
	<1343986326.87599.YahooMailNeo@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1

The XB-40 does have a huge volume advantage (at least compared to Brendan's 
prototype for the SUB30, which I played 15 years ago).

The volume of the XB - and the fact that it comes in Low D - makes it brilliant 
for celtic playing and fiddle tunes. Rick Epping (the designer), Steve Shaw, 
myself, Burke T., James Conway - all Celtic players who really value the XB.

But the XB was always marketed to the folks least likely to accept it, because 
it's so different from the standard 10-hole, in size, shape, response, and 
sound. It's a unique beast with its own virtues, but being just like a standard 
diatonic isn't one of those virtues.

I treasure my XB-40s and hope to keep them running even though Hohner is 
planning to discontinue them.

But I welcome Brendan's new SUB30; it's a different take on the design that 
promises to deliver added dual reed bends while coming as close to the standard 
10-hole diatonic form as humanly possible.