Re: Subject: Re: [Harp-L] Update on Harrison Harps

[Scott Harris <scott@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Actually, I am 100% correct.  He took money from customers.  He did not deliver the promised harps, or pay back the money.  He sent out a letter and then hid.  If any of my statement is untrue, please let me know.  The fact that he delivered some of what he accepted payment for does not justify what he did to the others.  The rest of it is really just smoke.


Scott Harris
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On Sep 17, 2012, at 7:43 PM, EGS1217@xxxxxxx wrote:

Not quite, Scott. The article leaves out a huge part of the story: that he DID fulfill the bulk of the orders - at least 1,500+ by my count (one of my two is numbered in the mid-1500 range which makes it logical that at least 1,500 others were produced and sold).
 
 
Further, it's been documented by others that he began the company originally by using his entire life savings AND borrowed a ton of other money and with grants from the City of Chicago and State of Illinois (if I remember it all correctly) for this innovative idea. He took all of the money he could manage to scrounge together to create this start-up company. It ended with him flat broke. Anyone who remotely feels he 'got rich' from this is entirely wrong.
 
 
Those of us who pre-ordered (putting $35 down apiece) were given t-shirts and a small amount off the total price. The money from the deposits was also to help pay for the 'start-up'. Harrison had to hire people and train them individually to build the harmonicas the way HE wanted them built: and he demanded perfection for the B-Radical.
 
 
Most of us getting in at the beginning knew full well that what we were doing was investing in the 'dream' as well as this innovative new harmonica with reeds never before seen. The handful of people who didn't seem to get it were the ones who expected their delivery 'yesterday' and who began hounding Harrison and his employees with phone calls and emails demanding immediate responses and satisfaction. Nothing Harrison did was good enough. As fast as they worked, it wasn't fast enough to please those few people....then when problems arose with the suppliers sending the wrong size screws, delays in delivery, etc. it became a bigger issue with falling behind. No money coming in from sold harps equals no way to pay staff, or to pay rent --a boomerang effect.
 
 
I personally know at least 2 very good people who worked their butts off for this company --one of whom has written that Brad Harrison was 'the best boss I ever had, and the best company I ever worked for'. This person is someone I KNOW for a fact is straight-up and straight arrow. That's more than good enough for me. He was there.
 
 
I got my own two B-Radicals a few months apart - a C and a Bb (because they built the C's first and the Bb's later), each with my name engraved exactly as I requested. I hadn't harangued or inundated them with emails demanding they cater to me anymore than I would do so to the top-drawer customizer who has had an order from me for two of his own harps for over a year now. When I get them, I'll get them and be thrilled and happy I did because I consider his work an art form. Putting pressure on him doesn't get them to me any faster and simply adds extra stress he doesn't need to his life--so why would I (or anyone) want to do that?
 
 
Frankly I don't care how much money one has or how much one can afford to spend on an instrument: respect is the name of the game. Treat people with respect --and one will (usually) get it back. Brad Harrison was being massively harassed by people who failed to recognize how difficult it was making the special harps he'd designed and poured his life into--and who treated him with zero respect. What did they expect to happen? He could either spend all of his time on the phone or on the computer answering their emails/catering to their egos, or spend his time physically making their harmonicas. Did they seriously expect him to hire a separate person --or forego sleep to hold their hands? Where would the extra monies that would entail come from?
 
 
IF it's true that there were 100 'disgruntled' customers at the end out of 1,500+ (my number could be extremely conservative--I don't know how many were sent out after I got mine) then I don't personally think that's so terrible. Some blog posts and articles make it seem he never filled orders. I'm here to say that's bull. He still succeeded in making reeds no one else has come close to developing--and the instrument he created is spectacular.  I have my Bb sitting here right now and am practicing getting OB's with it. Sweeeet.
 
 
Vern: the B-Rad doesn't have plastic covers--they're a black/graphite looking metal but are edged along the back with that same  material Chris Michalek made my Buddha harp combs from: Dymondwood, but in black as is the B-Rad comb. The tines are all beautifully rounded and precision made. Even after the covers are unscrewed they won't come off without utilizing the special 'clip'. It's a truly gorgeous instrument--quite the work of art. I've never seen (or played, OOTB) another diatonic to equal it.
 
Elizabeth
 
"Message: 11
Date: Mon, 17 Sep 2012 16:30:23 -0700
From: Scott Harris <scott@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Re: [Harp-L] Update on Harrison Harps
To: Vern <jevern@xxxxxxx>
Cc: "harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx" <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx>

This thread comes up quite a bit and I'm always interested in people's views. Bottom line is that he took people's money, did not deliver the promised product and then ran and hid. He may or may not feel bad (won't know until he comes out of hiding), but that doesn't change what he did, or frankly make it any better. It was wrong when he took the money, wrong when he ran away and remains wrong now.


Scott Harris"