Seydel Nonslider

[EdvinW]

Seydel seem to have just released something pretty alternative:
https://www.seydel1847.de/nonsliderdeluxesteel

It's an un-valved slideless chromatic with two reeds per chamber, allowing for interactive reed bending. Even overblows, they claim. Even if the latter might require a little tweaking, getting an instrument with the expressiveness of a diatonic but with "all the notes" should be a lot easier the slide to worry about. Possibly almost out of the box.

Any ideas or thoughts on this new model?

It seems to only be sold with solo tuning, as for now, but I can't help but to think it's features would be much more useful in almost any other tuning.

What kind of tuning do you think would benefit from this design?

Richter with sharps?
Tune the two rows to the same diatonic tuning in different keys, like a twin diatonic?
Something regular like dimi or augi?
AsiaBend tuning?
One row melody and one row chords?

[EdvinW]

Seydel are appearing on the stream of this years Chromatic Weekend, 1:15 pm UK time today. In yesterday's introductory speech they mentioned that Seydel would introduce something new, so we might get to know more about it. There are zoom and youtube links on their page:
http://harmonica.uk/HUKBlog/chromatic-weekend/

[triona]

I have already ordered mine.
It is supposed to be delivered on monday.

https://www.seydel1847.de/epages/Seydel ... D=56187055
https://www.seydel1847.de/epages/Seydel ... rrency=EUR

OBS: It is a limited edition. Usually those are only available for a short time.


If you want to know everything new from Seydel at once, you must order their newsletter (by email). It is available in German and English. You find the form on their website and on any shop order from Seydel directly.

Here is more about for those who can read German:
https://www.harpforum.de/phpbb/viewtopi ... =3&t=14702


dear greetings
triona

[triona]

Any ideas or thoughts on this new model?

It seems to only be sold with solo tuning, as for now, but I can't help but to think it's features would be much more useful in almost any other tuning.

What kind of tuning do you think would benefit from this design?

Richter with sharps?
Tune the two rows to the same diatonic tuning in different keys, like a twin diatonic?
Something regular like dimi or augi?
AsiaBend tuning?
One row melody and one row chords?

That were my first thoughts as well. (Look at my posts at harpforum.de. I shall translate them and add a first experience review next week.)
I guess this discussion will meet far more interest and response here. And most presumably I can specify these thoughts better once I have played it.

One first idea of another user of harpforum.de had come up to me at once as well:
Bass harmonica!
I just have over a pair of reed plates of a Fanfare (i.e. technically the same as Chromatic Deluxe). I think I will prepare my solder tools soon. And most propably the tools for metal sheet transformation as well. The cover plates of the Seydel chroms are quite low.


dear greetings
triona

[Lizzy]

The nonslider is sure a good alternative if you master it with speed ( if you need it) or like the tilting action. Its similar to Winslow Yerxas discrete comb with the difference that you have 2 reeds in each chamber to discrete combs 1 reed per chamber. Discrete comb is made for 10 hole diatonic. Personally i have never liked any added movement to my playing even if i tried many new solutions. I prefer that everything happens in the mouth. This is the reason why i still use powerchromatic with valves and diminished to add chromaticism. But if you want to get rid of the slider and valves and get added airtightness i think the nonslider is a good alternative.

[triona]

First charge already sold out. They take preorders for the next. This is expected to be delivered end of july.

I got mine just this morning. As soon as I have played it a little I shall give a firsrt review.


dear greetings
triona

[CrawfordEs]

Excellent
I sent them an email asking if I could purchase just the mouthpiece as I have no need for a c Harp in solo tuning.
No reply as yet.

[EdvinW]

Excellent
I sent them an email asking if I could purchase just the mouthpiece as I have no need for a c Harp in solo tuning.
No reply as yet.

While corresponding with Seydel about something else I asked precisely the same question. They just told me to keep an eye on the homepage to see when it would be back in stock. Back when they introduced it on the UK Chromatic weekend I got the impression they hoped to make it available with custom tuning, provided it would sell well enough to motivate making more. It seems to be popular, so I guess it's just a matter of time till it shows up. That last bit is just hopeful conjecture on my part though..

[IaNerd]

Two questions....

#1. I wonder if this model is therefore capable of a more convincing/overlapping slur between two blow notes of vertical alignment, or of two draw notes of vertical alignment. Any owners trying this?

#2. Would/could this new mouthpiece essentially convert a compatible straight-tuned chrom to this new concept?

[triona]

Two questions....

#1. I wonder if this model is therefore capable of a more convincing/overlapping slur between two blow notes of vertical alignment, or of two draw notes of vertical alignment. Any owners trying this?

#2. Would/could this new mouthpiece essentially convert a compatible straight-tuned chrom to this new concept?

#1. If I understood your question alright: Did you mean vibrating and continuing trills or shakes between e.g. C and C# or D and D# etc with a fluent legato?

This is working easily and very fine, even at high speed or with changeable speed. But I would not consider this more convincing than done by a slider. To my ears and feeling it is working just alike.


#2. Yes - provided a Seydel Chromatic Deluxe Steel is used, or most propably a Seydel Saxony Steel as well. The new mouthpiece is fully compatible to the Deluxe, when the slide unit is dismounted. Comb, reed plates and cover plates of the Nonslider are identical to the Deluxe.

The standard tuning is a traditional straight chromatic, i.e. C/C# solo. And there are no valves on the Nonslider. To get the full capacity of reed interactive bending using the body of a standard chromatic requires to remove the valves.

Seydel already has been asked by some German users, whether they are intending to sell the new mouthpiece as an additional or optional extra accessory separately. As far as I have heared, they might do this. They will think about it as soon as the initial sales have gone on. At the moment they seem to have more orders than they can produce. And this might also be depending on the future sales of the Nonslider model.

I also have read, that they already have produced and delivered an "orchestra" version of the Nonslider as a configurated hamonica. ("Orchestra" means a harmonica in the key of C, with traditional solo tuning, but beginning with G3 instead of C4, and ending with E/F/F#6 on top.)


Here is more about the Nonslider for those who are able to read German:
https://www.harpforum.de/phpbb/viewtopi ... =3&t=14702


I think, that this new harmonica respective the new mouthpiece might be suitable for my ongoing experiments to create a harmonica capable to play a true bourdon (drone), sounding constantly like e.g. with a bagpipe or a hurdy-gurdy or a tanpura.


dear greetings
triona