I’m listening to a Youtube of Brendan Power playing the new Suzuki SUB30, an instrument tuned to standard Richter layout with a new design (30 reeds on a diatonic harp) that allows significant bending on 18 out of 20 diatonic pitches, as opposed to the 8 available in a standard 20-reed Richter harp.

I have long wanted a diatonic harp with this kind of expression on every reed, and I am going to buy an SUB30 as soon as I can.

Click here
for Suzuki’s story on this instrument. Sounds convincing to me, especially as I listen to Brendan working the bends on that harp. The only thing that’s of any concern at this point is the price, which is apparently unannounced at this point. I wouldn’t be surprised if it was in the $75 range or higher.

Update August 4: a post on Harp-L asked whether it was true that the SUB30 is priced at $219. If that’s true, I may not buy one after all. That’s about the price of 4 Manjis or Hohner Marine Band Deluxes, and they’re good instruments. Granted that they don’t bend on every reed…