Re: [Harp-L] John Coster, Hohner XB40's and SUB-30's

[Winslow Yerxa <winslowyerxa@xxxxxxxxx>]

Hi, Tom.


I have a SUB30 that started out stock and was retrofitted with one of Brendan's early X-reed valve setups, which improved the harp but still didn't get it to where I felt it needed to be. I have also played Richard Sleigh's customized MB-30. Thanks for reminding me about your SUB30; I'd forgotten about that in the welter of other things that happened at the Harmonica Collective. Richard's (which took an insane amount of tweaking) was the best of the lot, but yours came surprisingly close.

I don't mean to put down the SUB30 for those who don't know or don't like the XB-40 - it may be a fine alternative for them, and if built well, would enrich the capabilities of a half-valved harp by giving full dual-reed sound to the valved bends, which I feel would be an improvement both in ease of playing and in richness of sound.
That said, for players who know how to get the most out of the XB-40 and are looking for those same capabilities, none of the SUB30's will deliver everything you're looking for. Here's my take:

1) The SUB30 has the advantage - for some folks, while I don't happen to care about this - of being the same size and shape as a standard 10-hole diatonic. The XB-40 is the same size as a 10-hole chromatic, and some players don't like that.

2) The XB-40 has far more bending abilities and more choice notes - different ways of getting the same note by using a different reed to get at a bend. For instance, on an XB-40 the note that you can get by bending Draw 7 down one semitone works much better by bending Blow 7 down two semitones,  and in some musical lines the 2-semitone bend in Blow 4 works better than the 1-semitone bend in Draw 3. These are only two of several examples of how the XB-40 gives you different ways to move through the harp. (Those two-semitone bends can also be exploited to play two-semitone trills, which can be useful for Swedish fiddle tunes.)

3) The XB-40 is LOUDER than any other diatonic for acoustic playing, as in Celtic sessions, where I and James Conway both use it. I can play an XB-40 and make myself heard among 50 fiddlers.

4) The XB-40 is extremely durable. I played one hard (see above) for three years before needing to replace a reed. I don't know whether you could do the same with a SUB30 or not.

John Coster is someone who uses and values the XB-40. If he's explored it as deeply as I have, he simply won't find the same capabilities in a SUB30. Maybe if he can't find XB-40s he can fin incomplete solace with the SUB30.

So, I'm sorry if my comments specifically to John as an XB-40 player might be off-putting to uninvolved bystanders.

Winslow
 
Winslow Yerxa
Producer, the Harmonica Collective
Author, Harmonica For Dummies, ISBN 978-0-470-33729-5
            Harmonica Basics For Dummies, ASIN B005KIYPFS
            Blues Harmonica For Dummies, ISBN 978-1-1182-5269-7
Resident Expert, bluesharmonica.com
Instructor, Jazzschool Community Music School
President emeritus, SPAH, the Society for the Preservation and Advancement of the Harmonica


________________________________
From: Tom Halchak <info@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx; Winslow Yerxa <winslowyerxa@xxxxxxxxx> 
Sent: Thursday, September 17, 2015 11:50 AM
Subject: [Harp-L] John Coster, Hohner XB40's and SUB-30's


--snip--

Second, I want to step up and defend the Suzuki SUB-30.  It has been
mentioned as a possible replacement for some of Johnâs lost XB-40âs but it
has been matter-of-factly dismissed as more or less a waste of time.  That
is not necessarily true and given Johnâs somewhat limited options it would
be something of an injustice to at least not have all the facts.

--snip--

Winslow Yerxa â Weâre Pals and all that, but Iâm calling you out!  You
said, âThere isn't really anything like the XB-40, sad to say. For those
who know how to play it, the XB-40 has a big, robust sound that dwarfs any
other diatonic. The Suzuki SUB30 doesn't have the guts to compete, sad to
say.â  I respect your opinion (after all, you wrote The Book) and you are
probably right, but, you played my SUB-30 at The Harmonica Collective in
May.  The look on your face told me you were pleasantly surprised -
impressed even.  Am I wrong?  If XB-40âs are not to be had, what other
alternative does our friend John have?  Isnât the SUB-30 at least worth
considering?

-- 
*Tom Halchak*
*Blue Moon Harmonicas LLC*
*P.O. Box 14401 Clearwater, FL 33766*
*www.BlueMoonHarmonicas.com <http://www.BlueMoonHarmonicas.com>*
*(727) 366-2608*