Re: Hello there!

["Vern Smith" <jevern@xxxxxxx>]

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Hi Jamie,

Every new custom harp is of interest.
Technical questions that interest me include the following:

How many holes/reeds?
Make and model of the reedplates?
Any modifications and improvements to the reedplates?
Do you use a stock slide assembly or do you have your own design.
If you use a stock slide, do you modify/improve it to reduce leakage?
You have already said that you plan to use a metal comb, correct?
How eill it disassemble...what screws do you remove.
Do any screws go all the way through the comb to the opposite plate or =
to nuts on the other side?
When will it go on sale?
What will be the price?

Vern

Visit my harmonica website: www.hands-free-chromatic.7p.com
  ----- Original Message -----=20
  From: Jamie Dolan=20
  To: harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx=20
  Sent: Wednesday, June 23, 2004 1:51 PM
  Subject: Hello there!


  Hello there!

  I am new to this list and thought it only wise to introduce myself to =
the group before the rumours spread :)) But, I am sure this will be so =
long as to scare everybody off! For anybody with too little time to read =
it all through (I know the feeling) just skip to the last paragraph :))

  I am a chromatic harmonica player living in Scotland, a student of =
Douglas Tate and have taken a keen interest into not only the playing, =
but also the building of the instrument. I have been playing the =
harmonica for some time now yet only really been in touch with a few =
other players (there rather thin on the ground in Scotland!). I am =
hoping this may change that:)) There is only so much I can say about my =
playing, and I do not like to (or feel I have cause to) boast, so =
instead I will tell whoever wishes to read, about my dabblings in the =
construction of the harmonica, and through my writings, I hope you will =
better get to know my personality and perhaps even wish to strike up a =
conversation. So, here goes...

  It is not much of a surprise one of the first questions I ask a =
harmonica player, is 'what type of instrument do you play', considering =
the way I work and how I have been influenced by those players I do =
know. I started off on a simple 270, before rapidly progressing to a =
Meisterklasse in the hope this would satisfy my wants for a good =
harmonica. Unfortunately, it didn't quite happen that way. Very quickly =
I realised I couldn't buy the kind of instrument I was after (well =
certainly not on my budget!), and having the chance to play Douglas' =
Renny a number of times didn't help matters (even the prototypes, which =
he called 'horrid', were vastly superior to anything I possessed). So, I =
started tinkering with my old 270. At that stage that only really meant =
opening it every day to see how it ticked (resulting in the screw holes =
wearing out and the spring snapping, leading to my first harmonica =
hodge-podge, held together by masking tape and a large safety pin), but =
quickly I started actually altering the instrument with what few tools I =
had, buying spare parts and constucting my own Hard Boppers and =
re-valving any slot in sight. But, bored still, I started designing and =
looking into constructing my own instrument (which was planned to be =
much akin to Douglas' stainless steel 270).

  But, me being me, I would keep changing the plans here, tweaking them =
there, until I had a completely different instrument. I have been helped =
by so many people, engineers I ever knew I knew, e-mail correspondents, =
Douglas, harmonica shops around the world and I kindly silversmith from =
nearby. The silversmith I found after calling all of them in the country =
trying to find prices for a block of silver, only to discover one of =
them was already making harmonica bodies for the late Bill Stewart. He, =
much like myself, had started looking into making one for himself after =
looking at prices of other harmonicas and finding them just a tad too =
much (not that they're not worth it. If I had the money, I would pay =
ever last penny!). We are now working together for him to make me a set =
of covers and a mouthpiece. The comb I am getting milled by a friend of =
his out of titanium or stainless steel (as he has his own silver ones). =
We aren't making harmonicas together, he is making what I want and =
seperately making something himself. Anybody who has read this far and =
would actually like a description of the design, just ask and it will be =
posted. The deadline of completion is October, when it will be presented =
at the NHL festival.=20

  Anyway... I would like to offer what knowledge I have gathered to this =
group. I do not pretend to know everything, but I do know a good fair =
bit, so just ask and if I can help, I gladly will, and if I can't, I =
won't pretend to know the answer:)) Ask me what stuff you may normally =
ask any harmonica technician, and don't be surprised to see me asking =
alot too.

  All the best

  Jamie Dolan




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