Re: Impressions, Hohner Echo Celeste

Hi Dave and Russ

I haven't come across this new beast as yet and I wouldn't like to prejudge, 
but from past experience with tremolos I think you basically get what you 
pay for.  Funnily enough I've just been discussing those good ol' Hohner 
Weekenders (I haven't given them a thought for years) with a couple of 
American guys who saw them "cheap" at Coast to Coast - I had to tell them 
that they've never been anything BUT cheap in the UK - Norman Ives is 
selling them for £4.99 and £5.99, which is under $10 still I think.  When 
they're in tune and the tremolo is adjusted to the correct degree they are 
fine - but in my experience the cheaper tremolos don't hold their tuning for 
long before you have to get the covers off and start tweaking.  That's OK if 
you're that way inclined, but it's a major pain if you're not.  But with 
cheapies you're the one in sole charge of quality control!  And I've tried 
cheap tremolos from Ebay in the past and had the same problems that Dave 
Hambley describes.  If you've been happy with one particular tremolo in the 
past, then acquire a different one that you then have trouble playing, you 
can be pretty confident that the problem is the harp, not you.  I've been 
using the Echo tremolos for years now, preferring the double-sided ones for 
the Irish tunes - my two are in D/G and D/A.  I could have saved myself a 
lot of work had I known of the existence of the Suzukis and the Tombos, but 
for the time being I'm "stuck" with my Echos till they wear out!  I adjust 
the tuning to equal temperament and retune to get the missing 6th note in 
the bottom octave - a lot of hassle with tremolos but once you've done it 
you've done it.  I like them a lot, but once they bite the dust I'll be 
after those Tombo Bands - I've soaked up the advice from Jonathan's site and 
from Dave Hynes.

I think that, generally speaking, the more expensive tremolos are more 
expensive for a good reason - they're better instruments.

Steve

http://mysite.wanadoo-members.co.uk/trad_irish_harmonica
HEAR my CD clips: http://www.gjk2.com/steveshaw/cd.htm
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>Well I guess it must be me then!
>
>I bought two (dictated by almost prohibitive C2C postal costs to the UK - 
>almost as much shipping cost as harmonica cost), one in C and one in G and 
>by comparison to my Suzuki Humming Tremolo I find both of them very poor.  
>I have to fiddle around with the angle to get clear notes and even then I 
>have to blow/suck harder and I cannot do it consistently.  There seems to 
>be lots of air leakage - my admittedly inexperienced diagnosis.
>
>With my Suzuki I just put it in my mouth and go.  What am I doing wrong?  
>Or judging by everybody else's glowing reports, is it just that I have got 
>two Friday-afternoon harmonicas?
>
>Best Regards
>
>Dave
>
><snip> I just got my Hohner Echo Celeste tremolo in C. .....I will say 
>however, it sounds beautiful - very nice indeed.  Anyone else try this. 
>What is everyone else playing in a tremolo?
>
>Russ




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