[Harp-L] Cheap (sorry! Cost Effective) Harmonicas and (alleged) Asian Ripoffs

["Aongus MacCana" <amaccana@xxxxxxxxxx>]

When I was a kid (not today or yesterday) Japanese meant cheap and nasty. I
remember taking a tinplate Japanese toy car apart and finding a picture of
baked beans inside. It had been made from  a recycled bean can.

When I was a few years older It was considered a great source of amusement
to see Japanese guys with their cameras crawling all over the motor bikes at
the Isle of Man TT. It was assumed that they were trying to thieve superior
European intellectual property. 

However when Honda, Yamaha and Suzuki started to take over the races a few
years later it soon wiped the smile off a few European faces. I can foresee
respect for Chinese products going the same way.

The problem I see with harmonicas is that they are "consumables" like
welding rods. They start 'going bad' from the first beery breath. F.R.
Farrell was not kidding when he said "if you can't fix your own harmonica,
you can't afford to play one" It is a sobering thought to find that you can
buy a half decent electronic keyboard for the price of a good harmonica. The
keyboard by the way is probably made in China too.

Beannachtai

Aongus Mac Cana