SCX fan club

[Houdini]

Got an SCX48 and an SCX52 a while ago and they were relatively cheap. Comfortable to play and sounds surprisingly nice...especially when played by someone more skilled than I am. Hard to beat the "bang for the buck" factor.

[Edward Brock]

Got an SCX48 and an SCX52 a while ago

Well I sure would like to have one of those SCX52's myself.
But I had to settle for a SCX56 instead.    Of course I know what you mean.
I like that 56 with the extra 2 holes. Not too big & not too small but Just right.
I also have a SCX64 but I'm embarrassed to say I don't have a SCX48.
That last 2 times I was about to buy one, something else got in my way.
But it's still on my bucket list. Only problem is my Bucket is Much bigger than
my wallet. Go figure. Oh well....
I hope you are enjoying those fine chromatics..

[Grizzly]

At the risk of posting something I already did months or years ago, I consider my SCX 56 to be my "CX 14." Not that it plays and feels the exact same, but I enjoy the lower range; and it's only a small fraction of an inch longer. "Just right."

My CX 12s are still my all-time favorites. I also have a few 16/64s, including an SCX 64, but they don't get nearly the play time.

Tom

[Bernie9]

For what it's worth, I have two CX-12 and three SCX48's since I am a keyed player.  They all are my go to chroms. I use the CX-12's for louder tunes that I don't finesse much.  My SCX's are uses for my sweeter passages.  They both are great, just a bit different.

[wolfman]

 Long live the difference Bernie.

   Roman

[stephenb]

Well, here I am sitting with a brand new SCX-48 contemplating my first recital when I'm 77 or so. That's only 4 years away so I'd better get busy.
I attempted to get a different brand, but for some unknown reason it never happened, and I had to come up with a different solution.
The shop here in Vancouver only carried Hohner and Suzuki so the choice was one I had to make based upon reading countless articles and watching video after video.
What clinched it for me was a series of video by Phil Hopkins, a former student of Tommy Reilly. If it's good enough for him, then it must be the holy grail to this newbie.
I'm excited to get started on this musical journey.
Cheers.

[Bernie9]

With that kind of enthusiasm, I am sure you will do fine.  As you probably know, it is not just reaching your goal, but the fun of the journey along the way.

[stephenb]

I finally bit the bullet and reworked the comb on my SCX-48. In addition I also loaded a set of power plugs in the upper octave. What a difference sandpapering and lapping the face of the comb has made to the airtightness of the harp. The power plugs have made a significant difference in that I no longer have to blow my brains out playing the upper octave.

[SlideMeister]

I've done that with EVERY Chromatic for over fifty years and have yet to find even one that didn't benefit from the procedure! (That's actually sad when ya think about it )

[brorat]

I've done that with EVERY Chromatic for over fifty years and have yet to find even one that didn't benefit from the procedure! (That's actually sad when ya think about it )

If even relative newbies can do this, how hard would it be to have it as one of the final steps in manufacturing?  It’s universally touted as very effective, so why not get better “air tightness” out of the box?

[SlideMeister]

yeah, THAT'S the sad part!   I mean, how much does it take? You don't even hafta take the thing apart to do it when it's just another small step in the manufacturing part.

[Gnarly He Man]

I asked the Japanese at NAMM, they conferred and came back with an answer—“Not cost effective.”
More work for me, I do it under warranty!
They used to do it . . .

[SlideMeister]

Yeah, I even bought meself a 12x12 marble tile for the process. Many times, you can do it without even removing the spring.

[stephenb]

I opted to use much finer papers for the job, starting with 600, then 1200 and finishing with 2400. I had two, small dimples at either end of the ABS comb, but felt there was sufficient material surrounding them that I didn't need to go down to bedrock.
I recorded a few scales preoperation, and post. The difference was easily heard, even by a newbie like me.

Adding the power plugs, or plug ins in the upper octave (now only in holes 10, 11 &12) has allowed me to play without blowing my denture across the room. My bride is very happy about that.

[Bloster]

Ditto on these, I have a c and a g. The new mouthpiece is also a real plus, much easier to clean.