Re: Subject: [Harp-L] Harrison custom Harmonicas reply

["James Sterett" <jsterett@xxxxxxxxx>]

I've purchased a handful of harps from individuals who have made general performance adjustments and full custom jobs.  Of course, if you buy the $50 general performance model over the $100 customized for Jim model, you simply are not buying as many adjustments (time on task)... but when you do pony up that $50 more... now, I've still got all my teeth... but I'd guess it's like getting custom bridge work.  in my experience, the harp customizer has contacted me, asked me about my playing style, what I would like in a harp, etc, etc... then turned around and delivered (for no extra charge.)  And, I also know that if something wasn't to my liking upon receipt of this harp, it would be fixed/adjusted post haste at no cost to the customer (no shipping, etc.)  Bottom line, I've never met a harp customizer I didn't like.  Be it the $50 model or the $100, they've all strived for nothing less than complete customer satisfaction.  A lot of time and effort goes into each harp and I'll tell you, if on some of my more oft used keys, a reed on an OTS harp may go flat after a few months of gigs/rehearsals/practicing, I've played some well put together custom harps that have been serving me admirably for better than a year now (then, you can turn around and send them back in for maintenance/tweaking for about the same price as a new OTS harp.) And those custom jobs, both the $50 and $100 models, to varying degrees, are so responsive and fluid... it's really hard to go back to OTS (or even use one of the several OTS harps still in my kit bag.)  I'm not affiliated with any customizers... I just dig a good tool... the right tool for the job.  And, in my experience, that's what I've received when I made the extra initial investment (that's the hard part... everything else is butter.)   

Jim.
www.mcmule.com 

>>> <EGS1217@xxxxxxx> 04/14/08 12:40 PM >>>
Actually, this is an interesting question...because ever since joining this  
list, I've never thought custom or customized harps meant 'specifically geared 
 to the customer' with or without his/her input....but that they were  
'custom'-ized by the particular genius who worked on them to change them from  stock 
(a la the Filisko group, or Brendan Powers, Joe Spiers, other well known  
customizers I've left out) to make them play better according to that particular  
customizer's ideas and set-up.
 
 I believed (someone who does this for a living correct me if I've  
misunderstood the concept)...that IF the player/customer then wanted further  specific 
'mods'...then the customizer would take input from the customer and add  (for 
a charge) other specialized changes to suit?
 
Elizabeth
 
JRoss questions Brad Harrison:
 
"These are probably excellent harps, but how exactly are they   
"Custom"?  Doesn't "custom" or "customized" imply (actually, more   
than imply) that they are set-up specifically for the individual and   
preferably with that individuals input?  Things like specific   
temperament/intonation, gap settings and the like.  There's  nothing  
wrong with extremely modified, high-quality stock models  (indeed,  
there's a lot right with that), but that's quite different  from  
something which is "custom" made or  "customized"."




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