I'm not sure this is customary for the HG list, but I feel compelled to offer some words of praise regarding the instrument I just received in the mail two days ago: an ORCA HG made by Olympic Musical Instruments (Indianola, WA).
As soon as I pulled it out of the shipping box, I noticed that the excellent soft case would indeed be suitable for airplane travel (not checked but hand-held).
I *tried* to read every one of the "Important Instructions" to the user, but I just couldn't resist playing the damn thing. It was very easy to tune, and also very easy to make it sound great very quickly. I soon forgot to each lunch, and continued playing for about 4 hours. My dog and cat didn't forget that I had forgotten to feed them too!
The sound is very precise -- certainly not loud -- as probably is expected of this instrument. My goals for this instrument were to procure a very STABLE HG that I can take with me on a European tour; the instrument must be able to respond quickly to potentially diverse temperature / humidity conditions. I believe this instrument will be well suited for such a venture.
One small oddity concerned one setscrew on a key, which was possibly too small for the hole. A phone call to Alden Hackman resulted in immediate "HG tech support." The repair was clearly explained, and I accomplished it without any trouble. I very much appreciated being able to call the maker in order to ask about something.
I learned about HGs on a poorly built Lark-in-the-Morning contraption which is presently being renovated by the manufacturer. I then procured a Balazs Nagy Symphony HG which is absolutely *astonishing*but also very complicated -- too complicated for a European tour.
In short, I would without hestitation recommend the Orca HG for beginners, and also for people who simply want a STABLE HG which is relatively easy to adjust, tune, and play.
Signed, Michael Laird
