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From: Winslow Yerxa <76450.32~ompuServe.COM>
Date: 31 Aug 96 17:53:24 EDT
Subject: Renaissance Harmonica

TO: internet:harp~arply.com

I'm one of the ones who's impressed and intrigued by Douglas
Tate's Renaissance chromatic, and actually got a chance to play
it.

The slide is a joy - solid and smooth, made of steel about 1mm
thick. It has the feel of something that will always work well.
And it's fast.

Doug can get an absolutely screaming sound out of it, and can
bang out some big, punchily articulated notes. I was afraid to
try that, it being an expensive prototype and not mine. But I did
note that it felt powerful, and had the curious feel of being
both ponderous and flexible in action at the same time. And the
reedplates hadn't even been properly set up at the time.

I'm one of those players who hears warmth in the sound of a wood
comb, which I generally prefer. That' isn't going to happen with
this all-metal instrument. And the coverplates had been plated
with sound-deadening chrome instead of the desired silver or the
agreed-upon compromise of nickel (the platers made a mistake and
it was too late to correct before coming to SPAH), so the sound
could not really be judged.

Due to the leakiness endemic to wood-bodied instruments, wood
players often tend to blast. I didn't feel the need here, as all
the air is very efficiently channeled to the reeds. The internal
sound chambers are minimized in size by ramps. Recent discussion
here leaves it open as to whether the sound gains by the extra
compression (certainly the speed of response must) or loses from
the smaller sound chamber. Hard to tell.

Would I buy one? At about $3000, that's about 41 #270 chromatics
at current discounted pricing (I understand that there will be a
lower-priced model as well). But this is a lifetime instrument
and delivers more power and better slide action. Replaceable
reeds, no cracked combs. Hmmm. If I could get that big, dark,
warm bellyful sound I can get from a Super 64x or the delicate
sweetness I hear in a 270 . . . When you see me starting to sweat
and mutter feverish objections as to why I cannot possibly buy
this instrument, you'll know that I'm hooked and Doug is reeling in
the line.


Winslow Yerxa
Harmonica Information Press
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