Chromatic harp
I want to start playing a chromatic. Based on David's advice on the website, I ordered a Hohner Chromonica 270 Deluxe C. However, my order was canceled: apparently they ran out of stock and will not be getting new ones, because they are now stocking the new model Hohner Xpression 48 C. Does anyone have experience with it? Is it an improvement compared to the Hohner Chromonica 270 Deluxe, or should I try to find one of the older models with different shops? Thanks in advance!
We have a chromatic forum here, which is a more apporpriate channel than Gewar, which is for mics, amps, and stuff other than actual harmonicas.
Another suggestion for a low-cost chromatic is the Easttop Forerunner, which doesn't have windsaver valves. Valves make the chromatic harmonica much louder, but makes it a bit stiffer to play than a standard valved chromatic.
I reviewed the Forerunner in a video I made about valves, available on my YouTube channel (click the blue text to open it.)
Bart:
If you fall in love with chromatic, the sky's the limit insofar as high quality instruments (coupled with appropriately high prices), but as you start the journey, it might be a good idea not to invest too much. Down the road, a "cheap" chromatic can become a good travel/glove compartment/rucksack instrument, while your $900 chromatic stays safely at home.
Winslow's done a lot of playing and reviewing of the Easttop chromaitics, and wrote a great artical recently for SPAH's Harmonica Happenings quarterly magazine.
Another one to think of: The Kongsheng KB-12 "Boogie Man" chromatic. The mechanics are pretty much like the Hohner CX-12, but the mouthpiece, tapered more like the CX-12 Jazz, is more comfortable. "Big Harp George" Bisharat put up some social media posts touting this harp, and when I saw that Amazon's Prime Days had it for sale for only $50 I figured I couldn't go wrong, so I bought one. (Usual "street price" is in the $70 range.) I've been playing it for about a week now, and really like it. No way of knowing how durable it will be, and the high end doesn't play as well as any of my higher-price-range chromatics, but overall it's a good one. And a terrific value for the money.
Let us all know what you decide on, and how you like it.
And how you like playing chromatic blues. In a lot of ways, it's a really different instrument than diatonic. Listening to folks like the late Paul deLay and the late William Clark, not to mention Little Walter, you'll be amazed at what it can do. And also check out folks like Mark Hummel, Big Harp George and Dennis Gruenling, who do some chromatic blues on C chromatic in positions other than 3rd position key of D.
Haven't played the Xpression, tho' I know it's endorsed by NYC jazz ace Yvonnick Prené, one of my favorite players. Price looks good, too. Given Hohner's usual quality, it is most likely a good value.
BUT: If you're not sure whether or not you're going to stick with the chromatic, here's a cost-saving tip: Kongsheng makes a very nice chromatic, the KB-12 "Boogie-Man" (based on the Hohner CX-12, which is one of my go-to chromatics), sold by Rockin' Ron in the $70-75 price range. (Also available from some other sources for a few dollars less, but if you live in the USA, Ron's the one to buy from, what with free shipping and great customer service.) A while ago I picked up one, at a steep discount, in the green "toothpaste" color. It plays really nicely, with a mouthpiece that is more like the CX-12 Jazz then the standard CX-12.
If you have your heart set on the 270 Deluxe, Ron's still got 'em in stock. I also regularly play a Suzuki SCX-48 that I'm fond of, and a lot of players favor. One thing I like about my CX-12, though, and which the Kongshen also has, is the easily-removed slide. While you'll enjoy playing chromatic, you'll also find yourself joining a whole bunch of folks who are always trying to figure out chromatic maintenance, e.g., avoiding sticky slides, keeping windsavers from jamming up, etc. Both the CX-12 and the Kongsheng KB-12 are ahead of the game in this area.
Winslow Yerxa has great advice re chromatics on his thread ("Ask Harmonica Expert Winslow Yerxa") here, so you might ask him about the Xpression. He gets a lot of harps from the manufacturers and reviews them.
One quick piece of advice: While I own chromatics in a number of keys, start with a C (the only key the 270 Deluxe and the Xpression come in). It's the most common chromatic used by blues musicians, and learning to play a C chromatic in various keys other than the most-common third-position D is good practice for a lot of types of music.
Let us all know what you end up with and how it's going!