Re: [Harp-L] custom harps



Douglas Tate wrote:
> This is strange... for once I have to disagree with Tim... not in 
> what he says but in what he implies.

I'm sorry, I didn not mean to imply (although clearly I did) that 
customized harmonicas were suitable only for those who wished to 
perform at a level beyond the way the instrument designed to be 
played.  In fact, I built a business by providing a better out-of-
the-box experience for players who were just tired of disappointing 
or inconsistent stock diatonic harmonicas.  

> Customisation is the process of making a harmonica work better.  
> In the majority of cases this means ironing out manufacturing 
> defects caused by, eventually, making down to a price.   In a 
> large number of cases it means adjusting a harmonica so that it 
> works well and efficiently for a particular player.  In a few 
> cases it means applying with delicate care the result of thousands 
> of hours of experimentation and careful observation to improve the 
> capabilities of the instrument beyond where people thought it 
> could go.

I would argue that the process of "customisation" (whether spelt 
with an 's' or a 'z') involves tailoring the instrument to the 
players needs.  In some cases the player is capable of describing 
those needs in detail, in many other cases the player's needs must 
be inferred from listening to what they expect from their 
instrument.  Not taking the player's needs into consideration is 
certainly modification and perhaps improvement of the instrument, 
but not customization.  Customization for some players needs can 
include improvements to the instrument which make certain advanced 
techniques possible.  

> However, the well set up harp... can one REALLY argue against this 
> being something to aim to have??

Certainly not me!  

-tim

Tim Moyer
Working Man's Harps
http://www.workingmansharps.com/






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