Bluefinger
85 posts
Feb 17, 2010
12:53 AM
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I am thinking about getting me a 12 hole chromatic but I am not sure which one. It should have round holes and a short stroke slider if possible ... and because I'm old school it should look like a harmonica so the CX12 is not an option :)
I thought maybe the 270 Deluxe or the Suzuki SCX 48 would be nice. It should be something in that price range. Any suggestions?
thanks!
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If it ain't broke you just haven't fixed it enough ...
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CJames
180 posts
Feb 17, 2010
1:21 AM
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I've got the Suzuki SCX 56, very nice, smooth, comfortable, good tone. does the job for me.
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mankycodpiece
110 posts
Feb 17, 2010
9:03 AM
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bluefinger,i've tried quite a few of the chromatics out there.
my advice,based on my experience,is hohner is the best.some folks will disagree of course,but hohner is the most reliable,best sounding harp IMO.
i have a seydel saxony (£250)which gets used rarely.i have hohner 260,270 and280,plus a few others.
the hartp i use the most is the hohner 280,it has 16 round holes and i've had it many years,withour any trouble at all.
its hohners cheapest 16 hole harp,but would be my recomended harp.the 270 delux is a quality harp too.
Last Edited by on Feb 17, 2010 9:04 AM
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tolga7t
39 posts
Feb 17, 2010
9:56 AM
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Last Edited by tolga7t on Jun 03, 2024 11:13 PM
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barbequebob
486 posts
Feb 17, 2010
11:11 AM
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Easiest playing out of the box 12 holers are the Hering.
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Sincerely,
Barbeque Bob Maglinte
Boston, MA
http://www.barbequebob.com
CD available at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/bbmaglinte
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nacoran
1152 posts
Feb 17, 2010
11:12 AM
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The Hohner CX-12 looks the coolest. I've only ever played a Hohner Chrometta, which, although I enjoy it, I've been told isn't much of a chromatic.
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Aussiesucker
554 posts
Feb 17, 2010
12:30 PM
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I have a Suzuki SCX48 which is a nice harp. Also have a Hohner 270 Super Chromonica which is old but still looks and plays like new. I prefer the SCX48.
However, the one to look at & which gets rave reviews is the Hohner CX12. Certainly it is the most modern design & is apparently easy to strip apart for maintenance. Maintenance goes hand in glove with chromatics ie they are high maintenance compared to diatonics.
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barbequebob
489 posts
Feb 17, 2010
1:47 PM
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The round hole mouthpieces from the 270 Deluxe will fit all the standard 270's and you can order them from Hohner.
The biggest maintenenace probelm with chromatics are the windsavers, as they're the first things that usually go bad. Chromatics don't respond well to being played hard and so breath control becomes an extremely important issue when playing chromatics.
As far as the short stroke slide, if it is straight tuned, like the 270's or any Hering chromatic, those will always have a short stroke, but if it is cross tuned, like the way the newer Hohner 280's have been since the mid to late 60's, those will have a loonger stroke slide.
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Sincerely,
Barbeque Bob Maglinte
Boston, MA
http://www.barbequebob.com
CD available at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/bbmaglinte
Last Edited by on Feb 17, 2010 1:48 PM
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Bluefinger
89 posts
Feb 18, 2010
1:33 AM
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Well I do already have a Hohner 280 and I think it's fine but I need a backup and i thought a straight tuned 12 hole would be a nice addition.
Any suggestions for a specific Hering Model? I am a bit reluctant since I was so dissapointed with the quality of their Vintage Harp diatonic.
Barbecuebob, I checked out the soundclips on your website and I LOVE them! Great playing, Troy is a monster player as well.
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If it ain't broke you just haven't fixed it enough ...
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barbequebob
504 posts
Feb 18, 2010
4:57 AM
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A good one to start with and one Rod Piazza uses is the Hering 5148. Some of the others like the Velvet Voice and the Special 48 (which used to be known as the Charlie Musselwhite Signature Model, and the one I use in the keys of Bb, F and G), use a thicker reed plate, but I would not recommend for a newbie.
BTW, Troy is also a terrific harp player too.
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Sincerely,
Barbeque Bob Maglinte
Boston, MA
http://www.barbequebob.com
CD available at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/bbmaglinte
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Bluefinger
92 posts
Feb 18, 2010
5:37 AM
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What kind of trouble do you think I would run into with the thicker redd plates?
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If it ain't broke you just haven't fixed it enough ...
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barbequebob
507 posts
Feb 18, 2010
8:02 AM
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Remember when I mentioned that chromatics don`t respond well to being played hard? With a thicker reed plate, just like a diatonic, it will make it play louder, brighter, and more aggressively, BUT it will also make it more easily prone to getting blown out and most diatonic players tend to play chromatics way too hard and breath control is too important an issue to overlook when playing chromatics, ESPECIALLY if it has a thicker reed plate.
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Sincerely,
Barbeque Bob Maglinte
Boston, MA
http://www.barbequebob.com
CD available at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/bbmaglinte
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Bluefinger
95 posts
Feb 18, 2010
8:12 AM
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ok, thanks! I prefer a mellower tone anyway.
That 280 is holding up pretty well. After about 2 years it's still in tune. Since this is a setup that seems to work for me I have no intention to switch to different reed plates.
I have an old Hohner 10 hole Chromatic as well which isn't that bad either but the spring tension is too hard IMHO and the square holes have sharp edges. That thing is about 15 years old and still works fine but I must admit haven't played it in a long time.
So ... any 12 hole that plays like my 280 and has straight tune/short stroke would be fine. Guess I'll check out the Herings. They are pretty cheap here compared to other brands.
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If it ain't broke you just haven't fixed it enough ...
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barbequebob
510 posts
Feb 18, 2010
11:04 AM
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All Hering chromatics are straight tuned including their 64 types as well. I really love their mouthpieces as I find them much more comfortable than most Hohners, especially when compared to their cross tuned ones.
BTW, until recently, Hering always had a tighter slot tolerance than Hohner had on their chromatics, which made them play easier, louder, and brighter, and to cut down on the brightness, outside of maybe placing a layer of masking tape on the underside of the cover plates to knock it down a bit, the easiest way to deal with it is to play softer.
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Sincerely,
Barbeque Bob Maglinte
Boston, MA
http://www.barbequebob.com
CD available at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/bbmaglinte
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