Re: [Harp-L] Re: Harp tech gurus

[Joseph Leone <3n037@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Jun 4, 2013, at 6:24 AM, Larry Sandy wrote:

> Smokie, history is being made.... I kinda, a wee little bit disagree with something you say..

Which one was that Larry of Tetanus? lol

> Not that you're wrong (EEEKKK) but that I see an opposing view.  Now suppose you don't know anyone in the harp world except your Uncle Whittaker  who just handed you one of his old, tired harmonicas he has been hoarding behind his moonshine flask since 1942.

Ahhh, the year I was born. It was a very good year. Conceived on Pearl Harbor day 1941. lol

>  Where do you turn for getting it serviced?

Good question. I would ask the good people of harp-l. OR look in the Harmonica Happenings yearly edition where all the paid up members are listed. As well as pages of harmonica techs. Failing that, one could peruse the spah website. Another good choice would be (for chromatics) Slidemeister. Thats the list that purports to BE: 'Masters of the slide'. The 'button beasties'. 

BUT, here's the dichotomy. Having seen critiques of various harmonicas on various web sites operated by merchants, I came to realization that many of the people voicing their opinions were relatively new players. Some with 4.7 years (not bad), some with 17 months (not my idea of an expert), 5 months (too much a 'newbie'), 6 weeks (whaaaa?), 13 days (????? gimme a break). Soooo, exactly WHO or WHOM does one rely on for advice. People ask a simple question on harp-l and other lists and get as many answers as Carter has little liver pills.  

>  Harp-L would nowadays become my first look-see in the hopes someone could steer me to the worst, mediocre, good or best(?) repair person or customizer.

Yeah, I agree. I would turn here first for diatonics, Slidemeister for chromatics. 

>  I would hate to think the relic given me by U.Whit that I hold so dearly would be entrusted to someone who would mess it up or, yee gads, destroy it.  It happens.  But the chances of having a successful repair made by a highly recommended person would be much better, I perceive.

Yeah, I agree. Word of mouth is good BUT I would tend to want to accept info from someone who knew of which they spoke. 
> 
> I do most of my own repair, tuning, "customizing" and deep cleaning but I would never recommend ME for professional work.  ( I love my harps, usually)

I do all of my own work too. I currently have about 25 diatonics and 16 chromatics. All are in working order. I don't keep junk. It goes off the Talahatchee bridge. 
> 
> I could recommend a few service technicians based upon my own experience to the inquiring newby, but if someone else had bad experiences with my recommendation, well then, the newby would be advised to use prudence in whom to entrust his relic to.

MY problem with making recommendations is that IF a person was to receive a poor quality job, 'I' would feel so bad that I would want to make it good. That's just the way I am. Ergo, I generally don't do work for others, as I (myself) don't feel that I am good enough to fix other people's harps. But I HAVE. I USED to. And all my repairs were good. At least that's what I hear. 

>  On the other hand, if accolades were piled atop certain persons by respected Harp-L'ers it would be reasonable to expect a great, old relic serviced correctly, to re-break trying one's first overblows.
> 
> I have made some friends in the harp world in the past few years and have, offline, recommended whom I felt would do the best job in particular inquiries.  At a minimum I gave the inquirers leads with whom they could contact.

Same here. 
>  
> Now Smokie, I'll un-bow my head, stand up and salute you, my friend, as one of the guru's of successful makeshift repairs.  If you couldn't fashion a new 6hole reed from a pop can tab for that old overblown relic, well, there's no hope U. Whit's gift would ever play "On Top of Old Smokie" again.

Alum is crap. I never ever use alum for anything. Today the garage door opener failed. Just another example of shoddy workmanship. The 2 screw holes were so badly worn that I fashioned a steel plate with 4 screws. I doubt that it will fail again. 

>  I would send any of my favorites to you for service if you do that nowadays. Do you?

Alas and alack, my hands are too shaky. And I have to use a Dazor 7.5 & 15 power magnifier and a light box I made for my boat drafting. My success rate (on harps only) is only around 87.5%. Too risky for commercial purposes. Some people I know are in the 96 percentile. Besides I am wheeeey too slow. 
> 
> IF there was a "certification" for service experts at least one of me would feel a little comfort in choosing whom to contact when my favorite Grandpa Galapolis's Pre-war Marine Band needed service and I had no access to all the great Harp-L techs.

I agree. So I don't thin we're so far off.

Jo-Zeppi 
> 
> I do hope our new friend gets some guidance from this strung out post.  Just don't send it to me.  :>)
> 
> Sleepy Lockjaw Larry
> Sticking my foot in my mouth daily.
>