RE: [Harp-L] Diatonic v Chromatic in the decibel stakes
Ha, Rick's bunker busters are good and loud, as I witnessed first hand at the NHL festival in Bristol last October. So are XB40s, which are considerably louder than any other standard diatonic or chrom I've ever come across. For Christmas this year my dear wife bought me (under duress) Tombo Band tremolos in D and G, and I've found them to be surprisingly good at cutting through in our not-very-quiet sessions.
Our chaps allow me to use, judiciously, a little battery amp (a Roland Mobile Cube, used with a Microvox harp mic), but that's only after years of my carefully observing protocol... ;-) I don't need it with XB40s or those Tombo tremolos and I wouldn't dream of taking that gear to a "foreign" session.
>
> Like you, I play (correction - try to play) diatonic and chromatic.
>
> Yes from experience in playing in Irish trad sessions, where competition
> comes from fiddle, banjos and button accordions, subjectively the diatonic
> is generally louder for the same effort. I understand that this is because
> diatonics have less places for leakage and are consequently more airtight.
>
> In Irish trad music circles use of an amplifier would be frowned upon - if
> not downright blacklisted.
>
> If you really want to be heard you need to custom make a Rick Epping style
> "Bunker Buster" This comprises an Octave tuned diatonic built from a
> Chromatic comb and reedplates. This is not a project for the faint hearted
> or the ham fisted. Maybe Seydel or Hohner will get around to offering such
> harps to the general public some day.
>
> Beannachtai
>
> Aongus Mac Cana
>
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