Which chromatic harmonica should I get?
Thu, 03/26/2015 - 14:04
I play with Suzuki Manji for diatonic, and because of that I am more drawn to get my hands on a Chromatix SCX, instead of what david recommends (the hohner 270 deluxe). furthermore, do most blues players play the 12 hole version or the 16 one? cause someone told me I should get the 16 hole version. it's an expensive purchase so I'd like to be aware of my options :)
Would appreciate your recommendations,
Thanks,
Kobi
When you hear Little Walter play chromatic, it's always on a 16-hole instrument in C. For him that meant the only available model at the time, the Hohner 280.
(I'm not counting "Oh Baby" played on a Koch 10-hole slide harp that's tuned like a diatonic; it's totally different animal.)
However, if you're coming from a tiny 10-hole diatonic to that huge 16-hole chromatic it's like going from a pond to the ocean. By starting on a 12-hole chromatic, you'll feel a little less overwhelmed.
However, that low, dark sound Walter got from the extra bottom octave on the 280 (or 64, as it's often called) isn't available on a standard 12-hole C chromatic. You can get a 12-holer in Low C (correctly called a tenor by Hohner and incorrectly called a baritone by both Seydel and Hering; Suzuki doesn't make one). This gives you the more manageable 12-hole form factor and the dark, low range that really growls.
If price is the deciding factor, you can to to Amazon and find the SCX-48 (12 holer) for about $150 and the SCX-64 (16-holer) for about $200.
David's a Hohner guy and a traditionalist, so the 270 (which I love) is his choice. However, you can do well to look at the CX-12 Hohner as well. It's a 12-holer that comes in Low C, Low D, Low F, G, A, Bb and regular C. Some players, such as George Smith, Rod Piazza, William Clarke, and Mark Hummel play 12-holers in keys other than C so that they can stay with the full-chord sound of third position.
Hope this helps.