Hohner 270 Deluxe vs. Suzuki SCX-48
Winslow,
I'm considering purchasing my first chromatic and I've checked out some of your previous reviews on the 270 Deluxe and the SCX-48. It's been a while since you wrote those and I don't recall seeing a head to head comparison of these two, so I'd like to ask: What are your thoughts at this time on the pros and cons of these two chromatics, and do you feel one or the other might be a better choice for a blues oriented beginner?
Thanks in advance,
Loren
Thanks Winslow, much appreciated.
FWIW, to anyone who might be interested in the subject, I went with the SCX-48 which happened to be on sale at Rockin' Ron's Music. Price was a factor, but more important to me was mouthpiece comfort and playability for what will be my first chromatic, so that's why I went with the Suzuki. Rockin' Ron, as many know, is great to deal with and ships amazingly fast.
I got a C Key with the "New Mouthpiece", which is noted by a sticker below the key on the box. In addition the comb is stamped "v2" to the right of the "M.Suzuki" lettering.
So far I am quite happy with the harp. The mouthpiece/cover design is so good, so comfortable, I can't for the life of me figure out why other makers aren't doing the same thing. No problem or discomfort trying to seal on wide octaves. Holes 1-8 play well on draw and blow notes right out of the box. I find hole 9 challenging and hole 10 downright difficult, but I am fairly certain that's due to my lack of proper techniqu and things have already improved just in the little time I've had to work with the harp.
Sound wise, the Suzuki is, well......as Winslow suggested, Neutral. For blues I think it's a bit mild mannered sounding, but fine.
In the end, I got what I expected: A good quality, relatively easy to play, comfortable 1st chromatic at a reasonable price. The sound is perhaps less inspiring (at least for blues) than the Hohner 270 Deluxe, however sacrificing some tone in order to have a more comfortable, easier to learn on instrument was, for me, the better compromise at this point in time. I have little doubt a 270 Deluxe is somewhere in my future though. And more Chromatics in general....
Also, I should add one more thing: The more I play the Suzuki, there more there seems to be quite a bit of windsaver noise, particularly on the low end where I am working on Chromatic Study #1. This even when the harp is warmed up. Not sure if this is common to chromatics in general, Suzuki Chromatics, or just me, lol.
Loren -
I haven't actually reviewed the SCX-48 (though I did review the SCX-56). However, I now do own one - but one with some custom mods (more on that in a minute).
The 270 of course, has the classic Hohner sound. Dennis Gruenling considers it the best out-of-the box 12-hole chromatic for blues. But it has a few things that are not ideal.
For one, it could benefit from improvements in airtightness, probably in the mouthpiece area.
For another, the mouthpiece-to-covers profile is not the best for wide tongue blocks, as the mouthpiece and covers don't integrate into smooth slope - you get a sudden bump where the covers meet the mouthpiece, which requires some effort to maintain a good mouth-to-harp seal.
The SCX-48 has a much better profile for tongue blocking, with its rounded mouthpiece that forms a smooth curve with the comb. It's also very airtight.
However, Suzuki's take on reed tone is different from Hohner's. Suzuki tends to go for a more smooth sound. In their higher-end models, such as the G-48 and the Sirius, that sound blossoms in really fine ways. But in the SCX line, the sound, while consistent, doesn't have that edge that Hohner reeds tend to deliver. Players sometimes describe it as neutral.
The SCX-48 I own is in Low D. One customization is that it has the brass weights installed in the comb that are also found on the pricier G-48 and Sirius models. And I've done some reed slot embossing, which has helped to add brightness and grit to the tone. I've also raised the gaps to accommodate loud playing. I'm still working on getting this instrument where I want it.
I also have a 270 in Low D, also heavily modded with a stainless steel comb and lots of reed profiling and embossing.
When I A/B these instruments, the 270 has a brighter and louder sound. **Added edit: This comparison applies to the stock 270 as well as to the SCX.** The SCX has a smoother, subtler sound. However, I've been playing and tweaking this 270 for 7 or 8 years, while I'm just getting started on the SCX. Who knows how its sound will open up as I continue to tweak it?