STME58
226 posts
Jul 29, 2012
4:09 AM
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I am in Hong Kong and I wanted to see if I could pick up a harp I could not get easily in the stated. The Tim Lee stores had a slightly better selection than guitar Center back home. Harmonicas were relegated to the shelf with the kazoos and even some fisher price looking instruments. Just like home.
I found a Tomo Ultima at Parsons Music. At 450 HK dollars ($58 US) it is priced inbetween the Manji and the Crossover but I find its performance a bit below the Manji. It has a very small opening in the back of the cover plate and the literature says the cover platee are nicke plated brass. The tone is quite mellow.
I did not really need another harp in D but it was all they had. Id does give me a chance to compare three pretty good harps. I have posted sound files of the below.
Crossover
Manji
Ultimo
Of the 3, the Crossover is by far the easiest to overblow with overblows on holes 2-6 redily available. The Manji will get 4 and 6 with a bit of effort and the Tomo just squeels. All of these are as delivered with no tweaking.
Both the Manji and the Crossover are designs based heavily on the original Marine Band and the sound similar. The Tomo is a different animal all together. It will be interesting to see how I make use of these. My tendency nois to gravitate to the Crossover because it responds effortlessly.
On thing that seems to make the Ultima a very professional harp that I have not seen on any other, it has no numbers! You have to be able to count to 10 to paly this harp so amatuers need not apply.
All were recorded with a :abtech AM-232 mike straight into a PC with the mike about a foot away from the harp.
Last Edited by on Jul 29, 2012 5:53 AM
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