Re: [Harp-L] Low Chromatics

[David Payne <dave@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Same answer as why they don't make 99 percent of other things that would be really cool, they don't think they can make money with it. I would absolutely agree.
Jerry Murad had em. Of course, he'd tuned them himself. Jack Allison made one in Bb. 
But the problem is that's a very niche market. Low harps are expensive to make, especially with labor costs. Seydel got into it back in the late 1990s because they were the only things that could keep the company from going out of business - and labor for them wasn't very expensive at the time. They've kept making them, but couldn't be making any money with them. I was a bit surprised that Hohner got into it, because it is so non-lucrative. 
 
The lower a reed goes, the more air it takes to play it because it swings so slowly. A low reed is pretty inefficent as far as air goes and so is a chromatic. When you combine something as low as F2 or A2 maybe, combine that air hog of a reed with the natural air leakage of a slide, it would take a great deal of air to play. Maybe you'll have to make a new coverplate to compensate for the swing, maybe not. Maybe you'll have problems with the reed swing inside, maybe not. Is the valve going to be able to stay ahead of the reed, or does the reed swing out so far it hits it? 
Let's say all those questions had encouraging outcomes and it were possible to build a Low A in a factory setting. 
  Even designing a new reed in a standard key at a factory is a very complicated process. I've seen it done. 
Sure, I know what you're thinking, we could play it. We probably could. But the fact is, harmonicas aren't designed for us players, because we aren't the ones buying the bulk of them.  At Harrison, most of our customers were people who had never played a harmonica before, it may have been higher than 75 percent.    

David Payne
www.elkriverharmonicas.com

From: Jp Pagán <jplpagan@xxxxxxx>
To: harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx 
Sent: Sunday, September 23, 2012 2:47 PM
Subject: [Harp-L] Low Chromatics


I know this is one of those stubbornly recurring questions, but in light of recent advancements I have to wonder why we don't see any chromatics pitched below Tenor C*? 

Both Seydel and Hohner make diatonics below this range, notably Low Low F, which would be just over half an octave below the Tenor C 270. They sound great as diatonics. Given the use of windsavers on chromatics, I'd think it'd be even more doable there. Or at least say, a Low A or Bb chromatic.

Is there a real technical limitation I'm missing, or is it just a case of there not being much  demand?

--JP

*(maybe more rightly called C3, the C below Middle C)