AcousticBuckeye
1 post
Jun 18, 2015
4:38 PM
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I'm curious on opinions of these two harmonicas. I have the Rocket now and like it but I'm interested in the Crossover.
Can you tell me if the wood comb does in fact not swell. How does the Bamboo comb compare to the plastic comb of the Rocket or Special 20?
Also I haven't heard anyone mention the new RocketAmp harmonica that's coming out. It's good that it's identical specs other then the side vents I think.
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HarmonicaMick
334 posts
Jun 18, 2015
5:08 PM
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I only own one Crossover - in C - and it doesn't swell. At least mine never has. It is a beautiful and beautifully made instrument, but I've never been too crazy about the tone. Promo vids on YouTube describe it as bright, I would say brittle. I prefer the sound of a Special 20, at least when comparing C with C. But your ears may differ.
I stand to be corrected on this, but I think that the reason for that is in the tuning. Crossover refers to the tuning itself, which is supposed to be a compromise between Just Intonation - like a standard harp, with some of the notes adjusted to account for chordal playing - and Equal Temperament, as with a Golden Melody, which is supposed to be more suited to solo melodies.
Of course, you could opt for the redesigned MB Deluxe, which I'm told is now fully sealed. About f****** time. Or you could go for the Crossover, and order reedplates for a Deluxe when a reed blows, as the parts are interchangable.
I don't own a Rocket, but I think that the tuning is JI, like a standard MB, i.e. not like a Crossover.
Last Edited by HarmonicaMick on Jun 18, 2015 5:30 PM
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Barley Nectar
833 posts
Jun 18, 2015
5:59 PM
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I do have a XO. C maj. Do not have a Rocket. Do have LO's, Hering Blues, SP20's MB, MBD..... I think that the XO is the best harp in the case! It is not effected by mouth moisture. The XO has a gritty, in your face tone and the thing is LOUD. I am a single note lip purser type player and I play more amplified rock then anything else. I will be buying more XO's. You do realize that this conversation is somewhat meaningless save the comb swelling issue. It is all a matter of personal taste, kinda like spaghetti. Everyone likes it different! More meatballs please...BN
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Steve Harvell
200 posts
Jun 18, 2015
6:35 PM
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I prefer the Hohner Rocket, not a fan of the Cross Over at all.....
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ted burke
293 posts
Jun 18, 2015
6:52 PM
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I own three cross overs, a C, Bb and a Eb, and I love each of them. Crossovers are the best out of the box harmonicas I have ever played--furiously loud, very gutsy, tonally rich in bends and other note manipulation, they respond brilliantly and clearly to both fast passages and can easily be softened to a sweeter degree when the tunes are more lyric and melodic. They do not swell after heavy playing, I've owned the C Crossover for two and a half years. It still kicks out the jams.
The Rocket is kind of a dud, I think. It is loud, I will give it that, but the notes are no where near as expressive as a Special 20 or a Seydel.
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Ted Burke
tburke4@san.rr.com
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JInx
1042 posts
Jun 18, 2015
7:45 PM
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The crossover is a nice harp. There are some things concerning the tuning that you must be aware of, or your intonation is really going to suffer. Overall the harp is tuned very sharp, with the 3rds tuned to A440. You've got to take this into account and use you embouch to bring concert pitch.
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WinslowYerxa
884 posts
Jun 18, 2015
7:47 PM
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I like the Crossover, and ai don't get the hype over the Rocket. I played them side by side at the Hohner booth at last year's SPAH convention, and I found the Crossover smooth playing and well set up. The Rocket, however, seemed set up with really wide gaps that made it possible to play very loudly but which for me sabotaged its responsiveness and dynamic range.
But then, that's me. Nice thing is, you have choices. The best way to make them is to try a harp for yourself. Only you can know how well it suits your individual style and technique.
===========
Winslow
Check out my blog and other goodies at winslowyerxa.com
Harmonica For Dummies, Second Edition with tons of new stuff
Deepen your playing at the Harmonica Collective
Last Edited by WinslowYerxa on Jun 18, 2015 7:47 PM
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SuperBee
2695 posts
Jun 18, 2015
8:52 PM
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I've had some crossovers for a while, don't recall how long, i thought 2011 but maybe early 2012. i bought a batch of 4 + a tbird. in the keys i have they were my gig harp of choice. At some point i started to dislike the sound. they are all really great-players but i think the stock tuning is too bright for me. I've seen quite a few Crossovers in for repair and while they are generally very good i've encountered a couple i thought weren't so good. i've got one right now that is pretty leaky judging from the watermarks left where moisture is penetrating between comb and reedplate. i A/B'd it against my favourite stock harp in that key and it had a lot of room for improvement. its old and done a lot of work though. needed a new 1 draw reed, which is not so common.
I've only seen 2 Rockets and i thought they were great playing harps, but that was after i worked on them. i thought they were tuned pretty sharp too. i did find they seemed a bit more airtight than the Sp20 and consequently more responsive. remember, the reedplates are the same as used on Sp20. i'd be happy to play them i think.
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Owen Evans
47 posts
Jun 18, 2015
10:37 PM
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Well, I suppose I'll harp in here, ha ha. (badoom cha!) I love the Crossovers and have for a couple of years.
I own 14 (fourteen) Crossovers (all keys) and 2 Thunderbirds (Low-A and Low-F) One of my A harps uses a Zajac dark comb, sanded draw reed plate and it is really responsive with great sound.
I have used the proper Posidrive screwdriver to take them apart for cleaning ( Soak in dish soap & water & soft tooth brush; no swelling of the bamboo) and occasional gapping. The brass screws are soft and strip really easily so I have replaced them with M2 x 10 MM Stainless steel screws & M2 nuts. (Got this from a Hohner harp tuner) Obviously, I only play Crossovers. They work for me!
The MB harps irritate my tongue; the Rocket holes are too big for me and then there's a lot of others, I don't play because they didn't work for me.
@Jinx - not sure where you got your information about the tuning of the Thirds on Crossovers at 440Hz but my source says a little different from yours. He says it's at Blow 439 Hz & Draw at 440 Hz.
See this:
http://harp.andrewzajac.ca/Tune
and
http://harp.andrewzajac.ca/node/33
Just saying, here's another opinion from two master harp tuners.
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OE Stone
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SuperBee
2696 posts
Jun 18, 2015
11:58 PM
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all the crossovers i've ever checked were tuned sharper than that. they almost always have been much brighter in the top octave. ive seen some with blow 8 25 cents sharper than 439.
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Pistolcat
780 posts
Jun 19, 2015
12:05 AM
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I have some xo:s. They are great harps. However I like the tuning and the darker comb of the mb deluxe better. The rocket I do not care for.
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Pistolkatt - Pistolkatts youtube
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Rgsccr
350 posts
Jun 19, 2015
12:13 AM
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I like the Crossover, too. My gigging harps are a combination of Crossovers and Marine Bands (either deluxes or ones I've taken apart and sealed the combs, etc.). Both are great, and I've had no problems with combs swelling on any of them. To my ear, the Crossovers are a bit brighter so I favor them in the lower keys - A, Bb, C, G - and use Marine Bands for the higher keys - Eb, E, Eb. I was using a Marine Band for D, but when the last one blew out I got a Crossover which sounds great.
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groyster1
2796 posts
Jun 19, 2015
12:51 AM
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agree with pistolcat....prefer the mb deluxe over the XO...but prefer them both over the rocket....actually prefer sp20s over the rocket...rocket is only louder...that all being said,my very best playing harps are modified mb1896...I once hated them because of poor quality in 80s and 90s...but the custom ones and the prewar versions......cant get any better
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