Re: [Harp-L] The Shadowy World of Harmonica Deceit

[Mike <mikefugazzi@xxxxxxxxx>]

The best part about being a customizer, relative to this story, is the fact 
that I can have everything shipped right to the house.  I just always claim 
it is for a customer, lol!

On Tuesday, November 27, 2012 5:06:23 PM UTC-6, Greg Jones wrote:
>
> Read this interesting article below in the 
>
> *.............. Ball Street Urinal* 
>
>
>
>
>
> *The Harp World and its Dirty Little Secrets* 
>
> *It seems blues harpers in the U.S. have started living a little too much 
> of their own music lately in what has apparently become the black mark of 
> the harmonica world.  A massive $10,000 industry has sprung up in recent 
> years with secret email accounts, mail drops, and fake billing. The cause? 
> Players concealing harmonica purchases from their wives. * 
>
> * * 
>
> *The BSU caught up with famous Idaho bluesman Little Big Jake Walter Boy 
> Johnny Sonny at his suburban Westerville home.  Now barely recognizable 
> without his signature sunglasses and fedora, Walter Boy has been trying to 
> mend things with his wife who discovered his habit recently and froze his 
> Paypal account.  She started getting suspicious a few months ago when his 
> behavior became so erratic she thought he was battling substance abuse or 
> maybe even worse.  Walter Boy doesn't know how she figured it all out, but 
> when confronted after a gig one night, he confessed to her that he had 
> secretly bought fifteen harmonicas in the past year without her approval. 
> * 
>
> * * 
>
> *On this very disheartening topic, Walter Boy said "It's all handled 
> through these guys that call themselves customizers, you know? They're 
> just 
> a front.  They don't customize nothin', they help smuggle harps".  Walter 
> Boy explained âIt works like this, you shoot the guy an email and ask him 
> couple questions about his stuff,  maybe drop a few hints about needing to 
> come up with the cash and how he ships his stuff, etc.  You're just easing 
> into it.  Testing him out, seeing if he's a player.  But he's kind of 
> feeling you out, too  seeing if you're real.  You tell him you might need 
> to have the harp shipped to you on the road because you're traveling to 
> some gigs.  Yeah, right, on the road, ya know"?  * 
>
> * * 
>
> *Walter Boy said the customizer  usually suggests payment by money order 
> so 
> there are no Paypal fees.  âYou know, when they say THAT everyone is on 
> board " Walter Boy said he  just had his stuff shipped to his office where 
> he works as an insurance salesman.  He was living a lie"* 
>
> * * 
>
> *"Nobody's is really talkin' right now but I think my wife got tipped off 
> from our lead guitar player Stevie Ray Lightning Chet Fender Blaster. 
>  That 
> guy never really liked me".* 
>
> * * 
>
> *According to Walter Boy the real losers are the fans down at Stinkyâs 
> Place.  "He was only charging us $100 to play and we actually had a 
> followingâ * 
>
> * * 
>
> *Meanwhile, Water Boy said he plans to use his time away from the stage to 
> play Monopoly with his grandson and maybe even push his musical limits to 
> blues in D or maybe even more radical 3rd position.   * 
>
> * * 
>
>
>
> -- 
> *Greg Jones* 
> *16:23 Custom Harmonicas* 
> *(210) 445-6600* 
> *http://1623customharmonicas.com/* <http://1623customharmonicas.com/> 
>