[Harp-L] X-Reed MB30

[Tom Halchak <info@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Paul Bowering wrote,

Ever since Brendan and Zombor announced their Hohner version of a
diatonic x-reed harp I've been licking my chops, patiently waiting.
I had tried Suzuki's offering in the SUB30 and applaud their forward
thinking but like many was disappointed with the end product. Even with
after market accessories it just didn't do it for me.
As such, the team at X-Reed offered hope to keep improving on the concept.
Now, twenty months later there is nary a word. Perhaps Brendan and Zombor
have things in the works that they want to keeps under wraps for the time
being. If so I wouldn't want to cause trouble with this public questioning.
I'm simply curious and excited to see them have success with this
endeavour. Can we expect to see them available anytime soon?

I'd love to see a 'Special 30' or a re-launch of the MB30. If it plays well
and isn't too cost prohibitive I could see signing up for a 'harp a month'
program.

Did any of you listers get one of the initial run of fifty harps? How are
they holding up and are they as much fun as them seem to be?

My response.

Paul:  I can offer some insight but I want to be careful not to put words
into Brendan's or Zombor's mouths because I do not have any direct
involvement in the development or production of the MB-30. I worked with
Brendan to develop the custom BMH30 comb for the SUB-30 right after it came
out and have since developed an External Valve Plate which adds 10 more
valves to the SUB-30.  So the 30 reed diatonic design is of more interest
to me than most.

I ran into Brendan at NAMM in January 2014 and did have the opportunity to
play his MB30.  It is a great harp.  In all honesty, even with all the
improvements, it is a better harp than the SUB-30.  Unfortunately the MB30
is very expensive and labor intensive to produce - hence the $380 price tag
or the $450 price if you got one of the Richard Sleigh custom MB30's.  I
know that Brendan frequently posts on harp-l and Richard less so.  I make
Marine Band combs for Richard and recently produced a Reed Removal Tool
that Richard designed and is now offering.  I have conversed with Richard
at length about the MB30.  Perhaps the strongest testimonial I can give you
is that Richard carries three MB30's in his gig case.  As an accomplished
player, and one of the pioneers in harmonica customization, that says
something.

I don't have any first hand knowledge about the future of the MB30.
Perhaps Brendan will enlighten us.  Rumor has it that A) the project is not
dead; and B) top secret research is currently being conducted on the
International Space Station as it orbits 249 miles above Mother Earth.

In all seriousness, here's my take on the broad subject of innovative
harmonica designs.  Hybrid harmonicas or Frankenstein one-off harmonicas
are nothing new.  Guys have been creating some pretty wild stuff for a
long, long time.  The problem has been that these one-of-a kind instruments
are very difficult to produce in any quantity.  If one of the major
manufacturers took an interest they would have the facilities to mass
produce whatever they want and that capacity would make the prices
reasonable.  But until that happens the only source of these creations is
the aftermarket customizers and/or harp techs (whatever you want to call
them).  This is an area that I am intimately involved in.  In truth, very
little of what I do is original.  I take ideas that have been floating
around the harmonica community for a long time and simply execute them at a
professional, commercial grade level.  Whereas in the past an innovator
might use hand tools and make stuff in his garage, I use 3D Modeling
Software and a $150,000 CNC Mill to create whatever it is I am building.
Big difference.  The quality is better and they are more cost-effective to
produce.  I'm sure you have seen some of the neat stuff that Brendan is
cranking out with his new toy - his 3D Printer.  It is very exciting - if
you are into that sort of thing.  So I think moving forward, given the
technology that is now at our disposal, we are sure to see more of the
ideas that have bouncing around in people's brains actually being
produced.  The challenge in my mind will be how to produce them in
sufficient enough quantities to leverage the economy of scale and make them
available at attractive prices.


-- 
*Tom Halchak*
*Blue Moon Harmonicas LLC*
*P.O. Box 14401 Clearwater, FL 33766*
*www.BlueMoonHarmonicas.com <http://www.BlueMoonHarmonicas.com>*
*(727) 366-2608*