CHROMATICS OVER $300

[Age]

It's hard to ever talk me outta "woodies." 

[brorat]

Hey Lou
Mine is wood. Love it.

[Lou]

Good news, I was hoping that was the version you have. I couldn’t wait   . I ordered the woody.  And Age helped with his encouragement. Those sales don’t always last very long. Thanks, Doug.

[Age]

We'll be expecting a report, bro! 

[Ed McCullough]

You guys and gals who like wood covers must have big hands.

[Age]

Nah, but my "woodies" are waaay more comfortable in my mits. Zero sharp edges, warm to the touch, and the woodies (when roughed up a bit on the inside) knock down the sharp edges on the notes as well. 


@ge

[Laina]

I've an Oritta Black Wings 56 with both wood and metal covers on its way so will happily share my feedback. 

[Age]

Kewl! 
A review would be great. Got some pictures to go with it?

[Laina]

Kewl! 
A review would be great. Got some pictures to go with it?

It's still crossing the ocean, not yet in the UK. Here are some pics of the woody covers.
L.

[brorat]

Kewl! 
A review would be great. Got some pictures to go with it?

It's still crossing the ocean, not yet in the UK. Here are some pics of the woody covers.
L.

It looks beautiful in the photos!  I can't wait to read your review ... and hear a sample!  This is straining my HAS (harp acquisition syndrome)

[Gnarly He Man]

https://www.harmonica.uk/articles/oritta-harmonica-24-hole-chromatic
Rangy!

[Age]

Oh Wow, Laina. That's off da hook!🥰

Looks like some extra fine workmanship there.
(been waiting for that for a buncha years now )

[brorat]

https://www.harmonica.uk/articles/oritta-harmonica-24-hole-chromatic
Rangy!

24 holes, huh?
No thanks!

[Age]

Yeah, ditto on that one Doug! I get into enough troubles with 12 holes.
Can you imagine changing 88 windsavers?

[Gnarly He Man]

Yeah, ditto on that one Doug! I get into enough troubles with 12 holes.
Can you imagine changing 88 windsavers?

I bet the bottom octave chatters like it’s 40 below!

[Age]

Agreed! and I gotta guess weak sounding as well. That's an awful lotta bass to get out a reed that  narrow

[Rich35]

 Hi All
 Well using my new suzuki Sirius for a while  ,I like the heavier weight, short stroke for button and the for me a different  tone sort of mellow.
 And it will be A very used Chromatic  in my stable !
  And the new  East top Romance 14 holer ,and it's a little weighty ,but play,s well ,but has not made a liker of the extra 2 holes , the top 3 octives nice though.
   Thanks for all the info folks .

[Age]

I really like the two extra holes in my (five) 14 holers, but I'm having a hard time switching over since playing twelve holers almost exclusively since 1969. I guess I'm kinda "too used to a 12 holer."

When I play a 14, I'm forced to think too much about that bottom end, and forgetting that bottom note is a G instead of a C, and I can't really relax, and play with any measure of "abandon."  ("Abandon" is where the fun really starts. )  That tells me I should just probably play a sixteen holer like everyone else, but that old "12 hole familiarity just recently started kicking and I really like it. (for me anyway).  It's hard to shake that familiarity once it bonds with you.

[Laina]

I was getting excited after receiving a notification that my new Oritta 14 hole with wood and stainless steel covers was being delivered today. Imagine my disappointment to receive a suspiciously lightweight box which turned up to be empty!  I'm on the case ...

[Age]

Oh Oh! 😬
Keep us informed, okay!

[The Lone Harper]

 Hi All
 Well using my new suzuki Sirius for a while  ,I like the heavier weight, short stroke for button and the for me a different  tone sort of mellow.
 And it will be A very used Chromatic  in my stable !
  And the new  East top Romance 14 holer ,and it's a little weighty ,but play,s well ,but has not made a liker of the extra 2 holes , the top 3 octives nice though.
   Thanks for all the info folks .

Are you saying that the first 2 holes don't play so well? I tried Eastop's straight-tuned 14 and 16 hole models at the Wuxi festival and while they are well-made instruments the response of the notes below middle C on both models left a lot to be desired. In saying that, I'm sure that a good harmonica tech could probably improve the response of those notes.

[Rich35]

Hi lone harper
  When playing a song and note drops down to The lower A  on the Chromatic I run out of breath ,the same on a 64 harp,  the problem is more Me not the Harp .
 Simply the lower octive note are hard for me to sound quickly.

[Age]

Tightening up the reed end gaps might help conserve air/breath. Just gotta be careful. I like mine as tight as I can make them with out "choking up." I'm guessing, if I were to lend my axe to a "heavy/loud player" he/she prolly won't even be able to play the thing without having it bind up on them.

[Gnarly He Man]

Tightening up the reed end gaps might help conserve air/breath. Just gotta be careful. I like mine as tight as I can make them with out "choking up." I'm guessing, if I were to lend my axe to a "heavy/loud player" he/she prolly won't even be able to play the thing without having it bind up on them.

Funny thing, the current project on my bench are a pair of 270s, the player says he is choking too much.
So I'm really honking on them and raising the gaps.
Bill Barrett pointed out to me that I tend to gap low, I just don't usually put a lot of air thru the harp.
Of course, I have bad technique, but blowing too hard isn't usually my problem.
Oh, and I have over 300 chromatics.
Just kidding.

[Age]

I "play softly and carry a big microphone" (when needed)

Went to vote the other day and the the Q "snaked" through this big 40 x 40 staging  room. Everyone in there were being unusually very quiet, so, just to make trouble,  I just yanked out the old Chrombo and did a little "Polkadots" but even then, I didn't play very loud. Turns out the room was so quiet the sound still filled the room.

[The Lone Harper]

Hi lone harper
  When playing a song and note drops down to The lower A  on the Chromatic I run out of breath ,the same on a 64 harp,  the problem is more Me not the Harp .
 Simply the lower octive note are hard for me to sound quickly.

While we all have our limitations regarding what our lungs are capable of achieving, my own experience is that the lower reeds of 14 and 16 hole chromatics when well set-up on an airtight instrument will respond at least as well as the notes in the first octave of a 12-hole instrument. I am time-poor and haven't been able to work on all of my instruments as much as I would like to, but I have many 14 and 16 hole models some of which respond very poorly at the low end while others respond very well with very minimum effort. As a rule cross-tuned models play much easier at the low end than straight tuned models.

[Laina]

Oh Oh! 😬
Keep us informed, okay!

Good news, a replacement Oritta is on its way with a different delivery company.

[Age]

Now I'm gunna wanna hear you play it on a Zoomer.