anyone using a chrometta or two?

[Wendellfiddler]

I rebuilt one of each size several years ago for my chromo museum - I recall that the old ones with the red combs - the combs disintegrated.  But I was able to get new improved plastic combs from Hohner.  I think I have one of each size  8-10-12-14.  The little 8 is so cute!   However, they all sit gathering dust in my museum, with in most cases original brittle vinyl cases, several with new improved combs.  I had to scrounge around Ebay for several months to obtain all of the parts I needed for the working set.  I might even have a G.   I don't play any of them (except now and then to be sure they still work.   The sky might fall if any of the chromatics in my museum didn't work properly!!).

Does anyone use any of these on a regular basis?  Just curious

doug tanner (Wendellfiddler)

[grstatdoc]

Quite regularly in my case....

[Age]

Yeah, I have three; (maybe more  ) a 14, two 12's and a 10. The cool part about Chromettas is that they all sound exactly the same. I yoosta think the 10 holers were worthless till I finally broke out of the "playing keyed Chromatics" prison. Now I thinque it's a pretty cool little axe.

[Age]

The thing you learn is that, if you ever mess with those big stupid, square holes or put a regular mouthpiece on one, you loose most of the beautiful tone they're so famous for.

[Gnarly He Man]

I yoosta think the 10 holers were worthless till I finally broke out of the "playing keyed Chromatics" prison. Now I thinque it's a pretty cool little axe.

Starts on G?

[Age]

Yep!

[ericl]

i use an 8 and a 14. I find the large holes hard to get used to, but I like the tone when I can make it work.

I think this is a pretty impressive example of what Chrometta 8 can do (Deng Jie Long):
.

I love the idea of getting a tone like that from such a small and simple instrument.

[Wendellfiddler]

Simple?   I don't agree with that.   reeds, valves, mouthpieces.....   a banjo - open back - now that's potentially simple.

doug tanner

[Grizzly]

"A banjo you spend half of the time tuning and the other half playing out of tune."

Tom

[Age]

Never actually thought of that, but I think you got somethin' there, bro.

[Grizzly]

"A banjo you spend half of the time tuning and the other half playing out of tune."

Tom

Explanation: Unlike other stringed instruments, banjos have a top (a drumhead) that flexes under the bridge when a string is tuned higher (more tension) or lower (less). With four strings to tune (the fifth being a drone), getting all the pitches accurate is a bit of a crapshoot.

Tom

[smojoe]

Erici.....absolutely positively mind boggling georgeous. I never heard a chrometta sound like that.
smojo

[ericl]

Simple?   I don't agree with that.   reeds, valves, mouthpieces.....   a banjo - open back - now that's potentially simple.

doug tanner

Good point! True ...

[Grizzly]

"A banjo you spend half of the time tuning and the other half playing out of tune."

Tom

Explanation: Unlike other stringed instruments, banjos have a top (a drumhead) that flexes under the bridge when a string is tuned higher (more tension) or lower (less). With four strings to tune (the fifth being a drone), getting all the pitches accurate is a bit of a crapshoot.

Tom

Correction: The fifth string does have frets under it, and has its own tuner.

T

[Gnarly He Man]

"A banjo you spend half of the time tuning and the other half playing out of tune."

Tom

Explanation: Unlike other stringed instruments, banjos have a top (a drumhead) that flexes under the bridge when a string is tuned higher (more tension) or lower (less). With four strings to tune (the fifth being a drone), getting all the pitches accurate is a bit of a crapshoot.

Tom

Correction: The fifth string does have frets under it, and has its own tuner.

T

So the 5 string banjo is weird . . .
Like the ukulele, the low string (closest to your nose) is reentrant, see here https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reentrant_tuning
Banjo is usually tuned to an open G chord, so it should be easy to tune—but it doesn’t seem to be.
That low string is the high G—and starts at what would be the fifth fret, except it doesn’t—the tuner for that string is at the fifth fret! So it’s the first fret . . . And the top and bottom string sound the same note when fretted above the fifth fret (e.g., 7th fret is a unison A on strings 5 and 1).
Weird?
Oh yeah . . .

[Age]

That makes sense! Splains why the tuning can go up and down with room temperature. 🤔

[Wendellfiddler]

Whoever invented the 5th string on the banjo is a hero.  It is a very simple instrument, but with that fifth string and all it's pretty much in a class of its own.  I refer to it as a band in a box because it's not difficult to play a melody and chords at the same time.

doug t

[Age]

Yeah, I could never even get interested in those four stringed tenor banjos. (or whatever you call them)

[Wendellfiddler]

Yeah, I could never even get interested in those four stringed tenor banjos. (or whatever you call them)

  Great for rhythm if you don't have an electric guitar or an amp.  Of course, that was their Raison-D'etat anyway

doug t

[Age]

IMO, The only thing they're really good for is in a polka band. Actually, they're very good in that application.

[Gnarly He Man]

I think of Dixie for the four string banjo.
I had a student for a few months, so I learned to play a little. Fun instrument!
I also studied five string banjo for a while, but didn't have the right hand for three finger style (think Earl Scruggs). That's also a cool sound.
Know what I like? Jerry Douglas on the dobro--I taught that a little too, but don't have that finger picking mastery that Flux demonstrates.
All these students for odd stringed instruments, I told them, "Bring the book".
Sorry for the thread drift, hope you don't get mad!

[Age]

I taught myself (bass-ackwards) picking using only my thumb and index finger. My ADHD won't let me pick with three fingers. When I try, my left hand shuts off. 

[Whitelight]

I play my Chrometta 12 quite often.

I really like the Chrometta sound.