[Harp-L] Re: Review: X-Reed Harmonica

[Elizabeth Hess <TrackHarpL@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On May 18, 2013, at 11:04 AM, captron100@xxxxxxx wrote:

> Elizabeth Hess wrote about the X-Reed Harps.  
>   Elizabeth said: I recently bought an X-Reed harmonica (www.X-Reed.com), in the key of A. I'm absolutely delighted with it......snip........ Out of the box, 2-draw on my X-Reed harp was more airy than the other notes, and I have cautiously adjusted the gapping on the active reeds in that chamber to make it more consistent.  
>   Bob Harty replied that he has 3 X-Reed harps, each with different comb material - plastic, brass, and aluminum.
>   Elizabeth, I just went to x-reed.com to review the offerings & costs.  I've never played an SUB30 and would like the benefit of your experience.
> 
> Great - I see that these X-reed harps include their OverValve reed plate, but am surprised that u still had to gap your new harp.

Hi, Ron,

I was a little bit surprised, too, but even taking that into consideration, I think this harp is still the best tool for the job ("the job" being to get all the chromatic notes on a diatonic harp using standard bending techniques and producing the timbre of 2-reed bends).  The adjustment was not difficult, though someone who has never gapped a reed before might want to practice on a less expensive harp, first, just to build confidence.


> 
> 
>   From the website, I assume that your new alum. comb harp has round holes
> . What do think of the round holes vs. the traditional square 
> 
> holes, regarding feel and playability?

I like the feel of the round holes on this harp, as I like the round holes on the Suzuki SCX series of chromatic harps.  They are a tiny bit smaller than the square holes on most of the other harps I own (possibly excepting the Seydel Session Steel), but that's partly geometry:  Circles have less area than squares.  I am so far a bit less confident about my "footing" on the harp, which may or may not be attributable to the fact that it's a very little bit longer than my other harps and the holes are a fraction of an inch farther from the ends than on my other harps.  But it's probably just me.  I think of this as "new shoe syndrome":  I expect I'll get used to it soon and then never think twice about it.  But yes, I do notice a slight difference.  Since you ask.

This is the first harp I've ever owned with an aluminum comb, and the sheer heft of it is tremendously satisfying.  But I'm sure this is not unique to the X-Reed harp, so I didn't mention it in my review.

>From an aesthetic standpoint I think my X-Reed harp is unsurpassed.


>  I tend to play somewhat melodically, and at gigs tend to play Country tuned harps as much as I play standard tuned harps.  Do you think 
> 
> that it would behoove me to order a CT harp vs. traditional
>  tuning, or in your opinion would the new & increased bendability preclude the need 
> 
> (or benefit) 
> for a CT harp? 

Toss up.  If you play either one more than the other, I would recommend you order one in that tuning, and then decide from there.  A country-tuned harp gives a much sweeter, purer major 7th in second position (5 draw on a CT harp, 5OB on a Richter-tuned harp), and I fully expect the difference would be the same with an X-Reed harp:  A bent note has a different timbre than an unbent note, whether it's a conventional bend or an overblow.


> 
>   Lastly, is there a difference in playability vs. the various comb materials.  Obviously there is going to be a difference in feel (or - gasp! tone),
> 
> 
> weight, etc, but is there an advantage other than that?  I'm trying to keep the cost down.  


There have been many lively discussions on Harp-L about different comb materials and the results that they do or do not deliver.  There is "principled disagreement among people of good will," and I have nothing substantive to add.

I chose the aluminum comb because Brendan very generously let me play his own customized SUB-30 harp at SPAH last year.  His harp had this aluminum comb with the round holes and I liked it.  I made a subjective choice and am happy with it.

Obviously, Bob may want to chime in, here, since he got X-Reed harps with each of the three different comb materials.

Elizabeth H.  (aka "Tin Lizzie")