[Harp-L] Subject: Re: The 'newest' Stradivarius of harmonicas!

[EGS1217@xxxxx]

IF, as I  suspect--the creator of this new chromatic might be Phil Sardo 
(of the  Sardo Brothers) --long time chromatic players who attend SPAH 
regularly and are  extremely well thought of--really good players as well as super 
nice guys (who  spend hours every year conducting mostly unheralded Lobby 
jams where everyone is  welcome), then I'd think this new chromatic could be 
thought of just a wee bit  more charitably by some here instead of subjected 
to immediate denigration. 
 
 
And IF Phil  created this chromatic I'd guess it might possibly be 
available for  perusal at SPAH, perhaps?My question is why the immediate  dismissal 
out-of-hand without seeing or playing the instrument, as some here  seem so 
eager to do, YET so many happily forked over thousands for  what were then 
unknown Suzuki chromatics just a few years  back?
 
 
As far as the  'tests' are concerned, none were conducted under strict 
laboratory conditions  --something I suggested long ago, only to have my 
suggestion scoffed  at and dismissed. Afaik these tests were held in a hotel room 
at SPAH,  hardly the best acoustical space. My long-term suggestion was  - 
instead of  wagering $1,000 - use it instead to hire an audiologist and an 
independent lab;  taking it out of the hands of all interested parties, and to 
pre-test the  'audience' who would describe any differences to ensure 
whether or not they had  equal/excellent hearing. By now we should all be aware 
that many people exhibit  varying degrees of hearing loss and can miss sounds 
under certain levels, while  others have super-sharp hearing. Were the 
'judges' tested to see into which  category they fell? If not, then any such 
informal 'test' fails. 
 
jmho
 
Elizabeth
PS: Chris  Michalek wrote a dissenting post after his participation in one 
of these tests.  Unfortunately he's passed on so can no longer comment, but 
I'm sure his   post(s) on the subject are available in the archives 
-possibly sometime after  SPAH 2009?