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Dirty-South Blues Harp forum: wail on! >
Are we at the dawn of factory "customs?"
Are we at the dawn of factory "customs?"
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BillBailey
67 posts
Feb 22, 2010
6:49 AM
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Perhaps a new trend? Factory-ordered, custom configurations, broadening menu of options? Have it your way.
It seems Seydel is on the edge with some of this stuff. Will there be more factory options and wide-ranging configurations in the future?
The ability to add updated features instead of an entire new line of instruments. Increasing number of high-end models with options?
Is it good, bad? Too costly? Will the quality be there? A market? And on and on...
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barbequebob
522 posts
Feb 22, 2010
7:41 AM
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Those things were usually all special ordered stuff for decades from all companies, but if you wanted them, you had to pay full list price for them. Since many players are more knowledgeable than in decades past, and using diatonics in areas that were once thought of exclusive territory for chromatic harps, now there is more of it happening, and prviously, you had to do much of it yourself.
The alternate tunings are not gonna be purchased by the large majority of lower skilled hobbyists/newbies, but usually someone more advanced and with better knowledge of their music theory.
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Sincerely,
Barbeque Bob Maglinte
Boston, MA
http://www.barbequebob.com
CD available at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/bbmaglinte
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BillBailey
70 posts
Feb 22, 2010
7:47 AM
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Perhaps, but I once asked Hohner if they would install Special 20 covers on an order of MBs and they snickered in their hand at me.
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barbequebob
525 posts
Feb 22, 2010
10:24 AM
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You're asking them do quite a bit of work to modify the covers to adhere to the shape of the MB, and frankly for them, in terms of production line costs, it's far too costly for them to do that, and to amke it cost effective, it has to be a minimum order, realistically, of at least 1,000 harmonicas, and removing people from the production line for just a few, is unfortunately, far too costly for any manufacturer, and here's where going to a customizer comes into play.
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Sincerely,
Barbeque Bob Maglinte
Boston, MA
http://www.barbequebob.com
CD available at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/bbmaglinte
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HarpNinja
203 posts
Feb 22, 2010
10:58 AM
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You will always be able to get the best results from someone who knows how you play setting it up for you, but I am sure there will be some sweet out of the box harps soon...and for less than custom prices.
However, there will always be guys wanting customizers to tweak for them....whether it be little things like the enclosure or bigger things like gapping.
IMO, I'd rather pay a customizer $200 for a harp than a company like Hohner simply because I like to cheer for the little guy and many of the big companies will always be about cutting corners for cost.
I find it ridiculous that guys like Spiers and Harrison (and many others) have solved some of the science (and I am talking real research) to calculate what makes a harp really great for a variety of things. Not just trial and error, but science-science, and most companies have ignored those areas (or stopped pursuing to cut costs).
Take Suzuki for example...they could totally make a harp with reeds that don't squeal for overbend players, but because of cost and profits margains, they don't.
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Mike Fugazzi
http://www.myspace.com/niterailband
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GermanHarpist
1144 posts
Feb 22, 2010
3:01 PM
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'science-science' makes it sound so much more impressive... ;)
Btw. why do Suzuki reeds squeel?
To the OP, I'm sure this will eventually come. The whole trend is going towards high quality cusomizable harps. First the MS-hohner-line, Suzuki that tries to build most of their harps interchangeable. The trend to better quality, etc... We're just at the beginning of a new era, IMO.
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germanharpist on YT. =;-) - Resonance is KEY!
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HarmonicaMick
106 posts
Feb 22, 2010
3:50 PM
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GH,
"We're just at the beginning of a new era, IMO."
I think you're right. Though, having said that, most fellas I meet in my South London scene don't seem too bothered about a lot of the stuff we discuss on here concerning OB friendly harps and all that jazz, including one pro.
Most run-of-the-mill, fairly decent harp players are quite happy with a Sp20, LO or what have you.
I think that a lot of the marketing hype concerning custom harps is generated by the players, not the makers. Look at Adam and Walter: they still swear by their stock MBs, and they seem to make a pretty decent sound.
Not only that. A lot of pro or semi-pro players can't and never could afford a full set of custom or semi-custom(factory top-end) harps.
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YouTube SlimHarpMick
Last Edited by on Feb 22, 2010 3:55 PM
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GermanHarpist
1149 posts
Feb 22, 2010
7:55 PM
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That's what I meant to say. The harp community is developing fast. New, young, brilliant harp players are emerging all over the world. New styles start to become more and more prelevant. And as I said, I think that's only the beginning.
These changes definitely will also affect the development of the instrument. No question.
I don't know about factory ordered customs. But in general the quality and choice will increase. Just to mention the last developments. Steel reeds from Seydel. A medium priced high end harp (manji). And a close to custom factory harp (b-rad). It's obvious that there's more to come...
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germanharpist on YT. =;-) - Resonance is KEY!
Last Edited by on Feb 22, 2010 7:56 PM
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Jay Gaunt
7 posts
Feb 22, 2010
8:46 PM
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The B-Radical man, that's a custom quality harp out-of-the-box.
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Ryan
179 posts
Feb 22, 2010
9:04 PM
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"The B-Radical man, that's a custom quality harp out-of-the-box."
Have you gotten one yet?
I'm most curious to see how the lower keys turn out (like the G). I really dislike playing stock lower keys. The bends on the low end can be such a pain. I especially hate when I have to go from playing a higher key, like D, to playing a G harp. There's such a huge difference between the two. A good custom harp can make it so there is not such a huge difference, and the bends on a low custom harp become so much easier and sound so much better. If I could only have one or two custom harps, I'd probably a G, Low F, or even an A(because I use it so often). I'm hoping the G B-radical will live up to custom harps, bending wise that is.
I'm sorry, I know this is getting off topic, I'm just excited for the other keys of the B-radical to start coming out.
Last Edited by on Feb 22, 2010 9:05 PM
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Kingley
897 posts
Feb 23, 2010
12:56 AM
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The out of the box harps are getting better all the time, but I don't think "factory customs" are where it's going. Purely because it's not cost effective for companies to do this whilst selling harps at a reasonable price point.
I think that more people than ever before are learning to work on their own harps and I suspect that we will start to see "custom" harps offered at many levels by more people than ever before.
Joe Spiers and the Filisko guild will always be the ultimate harmonicas I imagine. Then you'll have more people like "Dude harps" and Steve "West" Weston making lower level customs for players at lower price points from all different brands of harmonica.
However I suspect brand wise that the Marine Band will always be the king of the custom harp.
Last Edited by on Feb 23, 2010 12:57 AM
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