Which chromatic to buy
Winslow,
Can you please suggest the best possible chromatic for me to buy?
I have been playing a Honer Super 270 for two years, but I am not entirely happy with it--the tone, the response of the reeds, the ease of the slide mechanism. So I am willing to pay more for a superior instrument.
I use my chromatic mostly for melodies and classical music.
Many thanks!
Peter
Winslo,
Thank you for your very helpful reply! Can you express what it is you like about the 16-hole Sirius (SC-64) that you like--what distinguishes it from others?
Peter
The Sirius is powerful and dependable. it's built like a tank, can play from very soft to very loud, has a pleasing round tone, and is just a workhorse that can do whatever I throw at it.
The mouthpiece-to-covers profile is great for tongue blocking. it's bigger in the mouth than the wedge profile of the Meisterklasse or ACE48, but it's one I've adapted to quite well. I like that profile much beter than the Hohner 280, the original 16-hole chromatic, or the older versions of the Super 64 and 64x, which all shared the same mouthpiece shape. The Hohner 270 and other models that have that same sudden steep bump where the skinny mouthpiece meets the covers are uncomfortable for wide tongue blocked intervalss (like octaves). The CX-12 is actually very similar in profile to the Sirius. Again, the profile o the new versions of the Super 64 and 64xlook to be improvements, but I haven't had enough playing time with them to really comment.
You may ask why a 16-hole harp and not a 12 or a 14. Isn't three octaves enough?
For a blues player, that low octave is a big part of the sound. But if you play jazz or classical, you often need notes below middle C, and you get those with a 14-holer. I love the dark, oily sound of the bottom octave of a 16-holer, and I always miss it when I play 12 and 14 hole chromatics.
On the other hand, four octaves is a lot of real estate and it can be overwhelming. Maybe starting with a 12-holer isn't such a bad idea for that reason. There's no law that says you can own only one harmonica, and chances are that you'll eventually catch the HAS virus (Harmonica Acquisition Syndrome).
Thank you so much for another complete and meaningful explanation, Winslow.
The idea of an HAS virus explains a lot of things. So I am going to buy the Suzuki S-64 C Sirius. Do you have a recommendation for a reliable place from which to purchase it? The prices on Amazon range from $479 to $899.
Buy from an authorized US seller (I'm assuming you're in the US) and you get a one-year warranty but the price will be on the higher end of the scale. You can buy from overseas for a lower pirce, but you forfeit the warranty.
The $479 price, for instance, appears to ship from Japan, although Amazon also claims responsibility for the slow delivery times complained about in the reviews. Frankly, I've seen prices at least $100 cheaper from Japanese sources outside Amazon. For instance, from a Rakuten search:
(Rakuten is a sort of international marketplace for Japanese products, with some customer protections in place for non-deivery and defective, incorrect, or counterfeit items.
US suppliers include the highly regarded Rockin' Ron in San Diego, with fast and free shipping and full warranty, and a $700 price tag due to wholesale price structures in US distribution of Suzuki products (MSRP in the US for this model is $1099):
It comes down to the questions: how patient and risk tolerant are you?
I use Rakuten for all of my Manji harps and spares and have found them very good. They act as a central point for supplies in Japan so be sure to shop around on the site as retailers set their own prices. Read the feed back of the store you choose. There can be a language problem with some but I use google translate and get by. Works for me, all care no responsibility. Good luck
Winslo,
I bought the Suzuki Sirius S-16 and it is wonderful! The reeds are responsive, it sounds good and the shape is comfortable. I was pleased with Rockin' Ron who was helpful and the harmonica arrived in four days.
My question is only that there is a lot of wind saver noise- only in the lowest octave-- when playing alternating draw and blow notes. Is this inevitable or can it be eliminated?
Accordions also have valves and they refer to audible valve noise as "valve growl." On the newer digital accordions, you can actually dial in valve growl to make the sampled accordion sounds more realistic. That should tell you a little about how pervasive this noise is.
The low reeds are the longest, and they swing the farthest. Ditto for the valves on their slots. To some extent you do have to live with the problem, but a few things can help:
- Always play with a clean mouth, free of food residues, collected mucuos substances, etc.
- Warm up the harmonica before playing. Some players will hold the harp under an armpit or place it an electric warmer before playing, and then gently breath warm air into it before playing. PLayers sometimes describe how the valves "settle down" with playing and stop making noise.
Hope this helps a little.
There are many very good chromatics availabe, in a variety of price ranges.
First, you may find the three-octave range of the 270 to be sufficient, or you may wish for more low range, which is avialble in 14- and 16-hole chromatics, which extend the range of the three-octave C chromatic down a fourth, to G, and an octave respectively. Some 12-hole models are available in other keys pitched below C, and in a C tenor, pitched an octave lower than the regular 270.
Within the Hohner line, the three-octave CX-12 is airtight and available in several keys including a tenor C. Its sweet tone might not be quite what you're looking for for classical, though.
The ACE48 has an excellent profile, is airtight, and allows for changing the tone color between neutral, bright, and mellow via brass or wooden inserts that fit in the back of the comb. I have heard this instrument demonstrated by others and could clearly hear the tonal difference created by the different inserts. I have one and like it a lot.
The aluminum bodied 14-hole Meisterklasse is an excellent instrument if you're up to the price tag - plays easily, vivid tone, very airtight and an excellent profile for tongue blocking wide intervals.
I don't have enough playing time with the new versions of the the four-octave Super 64 and 64x to comment on those.
Suzuki makes some excellent chromatics. They have three levels.
Seydel in Germany is specializing in stainless steel reeds, and uses them for their Saxony 12-hole, Symphony 16-hole, and additional 12-hole chromatic models. I find that their reeds roll off the high freqeuncy components of a note, giving a more mellow sound. Build quality is high but not my personal preference (however, it might be yours).
Two Chinese manufacturers, EastTop and Kongsheng, have come out with chromatics that are economical and good value for money but, to me, aren't yet achieving the quality level in sound and response that I get from Hohner and Suzuki.
My own personal preference runs to the 16-hole Sirius (SC-64). I have many chromatics from most of the makers listed above and enjoy playing them all, but the SC-64 is the one I've come to gravitate to again and again over the last few years.