[Harp-L] Spiers Harmonicas/ was Quality and Price




I'd like to provide a little explanation of stuff I do. I'm not soliciting anyone's business, just hoping to clarify choices, as some of it might be considered relative to the discussion.




I offer three levels of improved harmonicas; Stage I being the level that I think fulfills the desires of what some here are asking of the manufacturers. I find it curious that the harmonica quality level a lot of players are saying they want- and would be willing to pay more for (within reason)- has not been requested of me more often. I've sold only one (and he was quite happy).



I think a few reasons could be 1) this type of customer doesn't want to wait a few weeks, 2) Stage II is only a few dollars more and a good value (a good seller), and 3) there could be an underestimation of what Stage I means.



The Stage I process is the solid foundation of a properly set-up harmonica. There are several steps involved, far beyond simple gapping and tuning. Most of it is proprietary work, not found on an average "custom harp". But most people looking at the reeds would think its bone-stock. In the automotive industry this could be likened to "blueprinting" an engine. With the enlightenment that comes with experience, I've developed several parameters, specifications for those parameters, efficient calibration procedures, and tools to do my work effectively and consistently. These are reasons why Stage I and II harps are a great value, especially the Special 20 model. Special 20's are good harps that don't need much beyond what's most important- the reed work. It takes about 30 seconds to open the covers, and a few minutes to round the corners (a recently included upgrade to comfort). I would also like to mention here that although I only advertise the Hohner handmades on my website, a Stage I setup applied to the Suzuki Fabulus is very worthwhile if you've purchased one and may be interested in further performance.



A Stage II is a Stage I with embossed reed slots. It's brighter sounding, with a little quicker response. Both Stage I and II are constructed using current-production harmonicas. With either one, if I find a reed that won't conform to my specifications, I replace it with one that will. And both have a warranty.



Current production Hohner reeds are quite different than those made before approximately 2004. The end results of the same quality reed work, applied to older vs. newer reeds, reflect those differences in the way they feel while playing them. That is why I do not advertise an overblow setup at Stage I or II level (aside from the 6 overblow, which I will insure on all levels). Having said that, they might be acceptable for a lot of players, who have the chops, in the context of a short-duration OB note contained within a blues lick. Even stock ones can do that. They aren't acceptable IMO for extended-position playing where the OB's need to have more stability. When current reed brass is set up for hard-core overbendability, they lack the characteristic feel I want to achieve in all the rest of the notes. What good are overblows if the rest of the notes won't work right when you're on stage and need to lean on it really hard? When set up for traditional playing these harps are good fun to play, and I agree with Steve Baker- in my experience they are more durable. Also the current brass accepts my specified shapes and gaps quickly, allowing me to do my work quickly and efficiently.



This brings me to the Stage III level. These are constructed with harder-to-procure new-old-stock harps, with a setup very similar to Stage II. Older brass has a significantly stronger memory, requiring a lot of additional effort spent adjusting and plinking repeatedly. It's still a straightforward procedure with clear specifications, and not much time fiddling around. It's a solid, thoughtful process in combination with more appropriate reed material, which makes them overbend well without sacrificing "normal" playability. There's a longer warranty on these to help justify the price.



The labor and parts used establish my pricing, just like if you took your car in to get it worked on. No bonuses are taken for any particular setup. I've taken an average time for each level, multiplied by what I need to earn per hour in order to keep doing it, and I plan to keep doing it for awhile.



Thanks for the bandwidth, and your time.

Joe Spiers

http://www.spiersharmonicas.com







This archive was generated by a fusion of Pipermail 0.09 (Mailman edition) and MHonArc 2.6.8.