[Harp-L] Closing the door is not an option Vern!

[David Pearce]

Vern,  You are looking at harmonica customization from the perspective of someone who does not believe in or wish to use interactive note bending.  (Not to mention overblows!)  As you know that harp train left the station a long, long time ago.  It's the happy accident that raised the hairs on the back of my neck years ago and inspired me and many, many others to play the harmonica.  Blues players must leave the door open so two reeds can work together and create the tones in between the blow and the draw.  So from a blues player's perspective your point  is mute.  Brendan's cutting edge designs create new leaks so it makes sense to optimize the instrument in every way possible. comb, slide assembly, reed tolerances, gapping, shaping, etc. in order to compensate for the new added flaws.  It would be interesting to see if overblow players could tell the difference in a blind test.
David Pearce