Reasons NOT To Get a Chromatic
Instruments- discuss specific features, luthiers, instrument problems & questions
Well, I expect this question has been settled in the mind of the OP, at least with regard to the purchase that was being contemplated. But it's still an intriguing question to consider.
For me, the answer would be--I don't wanna. At least, not at this time. I mostly play melody-drone fingerdance (with a few sort of chords occasionally), and I don't feel a need to get a chromatic. I do retune to get different modes (and I keep my various dulcimers in one of a couple of different tunings most of the time). One reason I appreciate having a 6 1/2 fret is that it gives me two modes in each tuning--for instance, in DAC Aeolian I can also play in Dorian...
I've been wanting to add a 1 1/2 fret (along with an 8 1/2) to one of mine, to explore what it gives me. I already know I'd appreciate that subtonic note on the middle string. (I can play it on the 6th fret of the bass string when tuned DAD, but that doesn't really satisfy me.) I guess for me it's discovering and deciding what music I want to play and how I want to play it, and how I get my instrument(s) to contribute to that.