Subject: Re: [Harp-L] Update on Harrison Harps

[EGS1217@xxxxxxx]

Not quite, Scott. The article leaves out a huge part of the story: that he  
DID fulfill the bulk of the orders - at least 1,500+ by my count (one of my 
two  is numbered in the mid-1500 range which makes it logical that at least 
1,500  others were produced and sold).
 
 
Further, it's been documented by others that he began the company  
originally by using his entire life savings AND borrowed a ton of other money  and 
with grants from the City of Chicago and State of Illinois (if I remember it  
all correctly) for this innovative idea. He took all of the money he could  
manage to scrounge together to create this start-up company. It ended with 
him  flat broke. Anyone who remotely feels he 'got rich' from this is 
entirely  wrong.
 
 
Those of us who pre-ordered (putting $35 down apiece) were given t-shirts  
and a small amount off the total price. The money from the deposits was  
also to help pay for the 'start-up'. Harrison had to hire people and train them 
 individually to build the harmonicas the way HE wanted them built: and he  
demanded perfection for the B-Radical. 
 
 
Most of us getting in at the beginning knew full well that what we were  
doing was investing in the 'dream' as well as this innovative new harmonica 
with  reeds never before seen. The handful of people who didn't seem to get it 
were  the ones who expected their delivery 'yesterday' and who began 
hounding Harrison  and his employees with phone calls and emails demanding 
immediate responses and  satisfaction. Nothing Harrison did was good enough. As 
fast as they worked, it  wasn't fast enough to please those few people....then 
when problems arose with  the suppliers sending the wrong size screws, 
delays in delivery, etc. it became  a bigger issue with falling behind. No money 
coming in from sold harps  equals no way to pay staff, or to pay rent --a 
boomerang effect.
 
 
I personally know at least 2 very good people who worked their butts off  
for this company --one of whom has written that Brad Harrison was 'the best 
boss  I ever had, and the best company I ever worked for'. This person is so
meone  I KNOW for a fact is straight-up and straight arrow. That's more than  
good enough for me. He was there.
 
 
I got my own two B-Radicals a few months apart - a C and a Bb (because  
they built the C's first and the Bb's later), each with my name engraved 
exactly  as I requested. I hadn't harangued or inundated them with emails 
demanding they  cater to me anymore than I would do so to the top-drawer customizer 
who has  had an order from me for two of his own harps for over a year now. 
When I get  them, I'll get them and be thrilled and happy I did because I 
consider his work  an art form. Putting pressure on him doesn't get them to me 
any faster and  simply adds extra stress he doesn't need to his life--so 
why would I (or anyone)  want to do that? 
 
 
Frankly I don't care how much money one has or how much one can afford to  
spend on an instrument: respect is the name of the game. Treat people with  
respect --and one will (usually) get it back. Brad Harrison was being 
massively  harassed by people who failed to recognize how difficult it was making 
the  special harps he'd designed and poured his life into--and who treated 
him with  zero respect. What did they expect to happen? He could either spend 
all of his  time on the phone or on the computer answering their 
emails/catering to their  egos, or spend his time physically making their harmonicas. 
Did they seriously  expect him to hire a separate person --or forego sleep 
to hold their hands?  Where would the extra monies that would entail come 
from?
 
 
IF it's true that there were 100 'disgruntled' customers at the end out of  
1,500+ (my number could be extremely conservative--I don't know how many 
were  sent out after I got mine) then I don't personally think that's so  
terrible. Some blog posts and articles make it seem he never filled  orders. I'm 
here to say that's bull. He still succeeded in making reeds no one  else 
has come close to developing--and the instrument he created is  spectacular.  
I have my Bb sitting here right now and  am practicing getting OB's with it. 
Sweeeet.
 
 
Vern: the B-Rad doesn't have plastic covers--they're a  black/graphite 
looking metal but are edged along the back with that same  material Chris 
Michalek made my Buddha harp combs from: Dymondwood, but in black  as is the B-Rad 
comb. The tines are all beautifully rounded and  precision made. Even after 
the covers are unscrewed they won't come off  without utilizing the special 
'clip'. It's a truly gorgeous  instrument--quite the work of art. I've 
never seen (or played, OOTB) another  diatonic to equal it.
 
Elizabeth
 
"Message: 11
Date: Mon, 17 Sep 2012 16:30:23 -0700
From: Scott Harris  <scott@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Re: [Harp-L] Update on Harrison  Harps
To: Vern <jevern@xxxxxxx>
Cc: "harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx"  <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx>

This thread comes up quite a bit and I'm always  interested in people's 
views. Bottom line is that he took people's money, did  not deliver the 
promised product and then ran and hid. He may or may not feel  bad (won't know 
until he comes out of hiding), but that doesn't change what he  did, or frankly 
make it any better. It was wrong when he took the money, wrong  when he ran 
away and remains wrong now.


Scott  Harris"