Re: [Harp-L] Update on Harrison Harps

Matthew Smart <matthewsmart@xxxxxxxxx> · Mon, 17 Sep 2012 19:12:05 -0400

I think everyone should get their long waited harp or get the money 
back. That was an unfortunate situation.
In customizing an early one for someone, there was a huge issue with the 
reed screws slipping and getting stripped too easily. I called them 
about it. And they fixed that, but it was a HUGE production problem and 
very costly. Im sure that was one thing, among many that caused 
production problems.
I posted on here a while ago that it would cost us (Hetrick) close to 
100K to to tool up to make a very limited production harmonica from 
scratch (very simple design). I personally know that custom screws alone 
are crazy expensive. I recently paid a lot to have several hundred 
custom coverplate screws made.
But I know that HH underpriced the harp incredibly and he hired a bunch 
of well known customizers to set them up which further increased costs. 
There was some announcements about this a while ago. They couldnt get 
them built fast enough and he tried to make them too perfect in my opinion.
But I'm sure he will be back and everyone will be taken care of 
eventually! It was just too much of an innovative idea to drop it. If 
you ever saw one, you would know that it was the most crazy design for a 
harmonica. Everything was new. Including the special vertical milled 
reeds and the harmonica comb (which would take us 4 or 5 hours to make 
to make one).
M
www.hetrickharmonica.com
On 9/17/2012 6:53 PM, Timothy Kane wrote:

I'm pretty much in agreement with Bob. The whole Harrison debacle can pretty much be chalked up to a lack of business experience on Brad Harrison's part. If he'd brought in a fellow investor or two with previous manufacturing and marketing experience in the beginning, he could very well have still been in business today. But Bob's right. Let Harrison be. I know that's easy for someone like me to say considering I didn't get shafted, but I'm sure Harrison is still wallowing in defeat. Who knows? Maybe the design will resurface....maybe it won't.

Hawkeye Kane
(217)-741-7183
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