Re: Digest Number 68

I had a pretty good ($65 Hering) chromatic for a while.  Three things 
nixed it for me: (1) the single-reed-per-note tone quality, not 
excellent for ensemble, (2) the unending futility of valve work, and (3) 
a friend dropped it on a carpeted floor, giving the slide a nearly 
invisible bended imperfection, necessitating a whole new slide (I took 
it all apart) if the instrument were to be used.  I can drop all of my 
tremolos on a hardwood floor with no noticeable damage; one drop on a 
carpeted floor should not be serious damage to a small handheld 
instrument!!!!!

It does sound like the lip-slip chromatic (there's a name for you, James 
:)) is a vast improvement over the slide chromatic.  I wonder very much 
how your instrument's playability compares to that of the slideless 
chromatics out there.  I would pay real money for a lip-slip or 
slideless chromatic with two tremolo-tuned reeds per note :)


-- 
Jonathan E. Brickman                America!  Bless 
God!!!                http://joshuacorps.org