Re: [Harp-L] B-Radical -- why is it great?

[Joseph Leone <3n037@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Mar 8, 2016, at 1:34 PM, Vern wrote:

> 
>> On Mar 8, 2016, at 9:13 AM, Joseph Leone <3n037@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>> 
>> 
>> I fear that along with his and customers losses, Brad has also lost the harmonica world as a place where he could belong and feel comfortable. Truly a shame.
>> As I don't think he has a malicious bone in his body. 
>> smo-joe
> 
> IMO……
> 
> With the best of intentions, he undertook to produce a superior made-in-America harmonica.

Which I (personally) didn't find necessary. A huge number of players were able to achieve great careers using what were, by todays standards, basically junk. I don't think, as yet, that anyone has ever played a harmonica to it's full potential. As most records are broken over the passage of time, greater and greater things are achieved, and yet, I feel there is still more possible. Most harmonica's capabilities are still beyond the capabilities of the players. 

>  His sun-aimed arrow alighted in the dust.

Which makes sense. A well built 52 lb pull 71" English longbow or a 63" recurve can only be depended upon to throw it's arrow to about 685 feet. Far short of the sun. lol. 

>  He knew exactly the result that he was aiming for.  Sadly, he lacked the engineering and business acumen to bring it about.

I think his engineering was ok. I think he was probably let down by suppliers. I heard a rumor that some suppliers delivered parts that were not up to spec. and then wouldn't make good on them. By either replacing them, adjusting them, or giving a refund or credit. His initial contracts were probably too trusting and not iron clad. 

> He underestimated the technical difficulties and costs of mass-producing reeds assembled into functioning reed plates. When it turned out that assembling the harps required uneconomical amounts of man-hours, he hired  more people to tweak them, raising his costs and entering a death spiral.

Right. 
>   
> Unfortunately, his advertising included exaggerated, unsupported claims and metallurgical nonsense.  What may have been over-enthusiasm seemed to me to be deliberately misleading.

Only misleading if he himself didn't believe them. If he DID believe them, then it becomes a matter of: A man takes a lie detector test. He is convinced of his statements, and though his statements may conflict at different points in time, he believed them AT that time that he made them, and therefore he passes the test. I have seen it happen. 
> 
> As the enterprise encountered these technical and economic problems, he dodged the questions of irate customers (especially at the SPAH B-Rad progress report seminar) and hid behind a screen of proprietary secrecy….acts that did not endear him to the people  who placed orders and paid money.

Right. I think he was embarrassed. 
> 
> Phil’s reference to Hanson’s Razor is spot-on. :  "Don’t attribute to malice what can be explained by stupidity.”  I would soften this by replacing “stupidity” with “naivete”.

Right, I would soften that too. I still feel that no malice was intended. Just a dream that went up in poof. 
> 
> IF he made a humble, detailed apology; explaining what went wrong, what he was thinking at the time, and what he has learned, I think that the harmonica community might once again accept him.

I agree. 

> she should answer questions openly.  He could correct these speculations.  It would make an interesting narrative.

I agree. Me? I can take a loss. But some folks can't. And it leaves sour grapes and the wine turns to vinegar. 

smo-joe
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> Vern
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