[Harp-L] Re: Harp tech gurus

[diachrome@xxxxxxxxxxx]

Somewhere between 2000 and 2002 I wrote a long winded post to harpl with the idea of finding a way to 
offer certification for harp techs so customers know the guy that is working on their harps is qualified. Then as now anybody with a how to book and a few tools can call themselves a harp tech or customizer without having gone through the process of knowing exactly what they are doing. I feel now as I did then that you should have a thorough knowledge of repairs before even attempting to customize. The background as a repair tech should precede being able to call oneself a customizer. At the time I refused to repair any custom harps with the exception of Pat Missin's or Brendan's US and Canada customers. I felt if you can't fix it you shouldn't be selling it. 


I did not get favorable feedback at the time. Most of the backlash came from other techs who eventually didn't make it past the 5 years mark. 


I have bent my rule and have a working relationship with at least one customizer whose work I admire a lot. But that is a rare exception. 


Now Hohner has it's own form of certification program. The only hitch with that is you can't work on other brand harps once you become a recognized Hohner customizer. I think this only relates to diatonic customizers. 


Evolution has a way of weeding out the weak and the same is true with techs. The ones that treat it like a Craft have the fortitude to persevere. Those looking for easy income don't last very long. 


Of the 5 points below I feel "D)' should rarely be an issue when you are dealing with knowledgeable techs. 
Quality takes time. No short cut around it. If someone offers fast turnaround times and will take as many repairs as you can ship at once, that would be a red flag in my book. They are just looking to horde business away from other techs and creating unrealistic deadlines for themselves. In that instance both the tech and customer have diluted expectations. 


mike 
www.harmonicarepair.com 




Message: 5 
Date: Sun, 2 Jun 2013 17:21:07 -0700 (PDT) 
From: Larry Sandy <slyou65@xxxxxxxxx> 
Subject: Re: [Harp-L] Harp Tech Gurus 
To: Harp-L <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx>, Eric Miller <miller.eric.t@xxxxxxxxx> 
Message-ID: 
<1370218867.63236.YahooMailClassic@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> 
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Hi Eric, 

Great idea to publish the who's who of harp repair and customizing. 

It would be very interesting and potentially valuable to Harp-L citizens to evaluate various customizers and repair persons, both domestic and abroad. There are several outstanding service providers on our great Harp-L list and this would be a great opportunity to honor those who deserve our recognition and appreciation publicly. 

Of course there are a few that it may be prudent to avoid entrusting a favorite or expensive harmonica with, and it would be great to know who these are. Who doesn't recall the many victims of Harrison a few years ago? 

I would suggest evaluations based on the following criteria: Feel free to add to /delete from this list. 
A) Satisfaction with completed harmonica based on requested services. 
B) Changes you would consider on your next order. 
C) Quality of communication. 
D) Speed of completed harmonica. 
E) Probability of using and recommending the same person again. 

The primary purpose of this exercise is to pay recognition and recommend our favorite specialists. Off list communication may be appropriate in some cases. 

Lockjaw Larry 
Wondering who are the best, daily