I've done that with rubber bands before. The bolt is a clever way to do it, but it's just another way to skin a cat. Bass harmonicas are already coupled in roughly the same way. As for the technique of using two harps, as Belfast has already pointed out, it's not new.
He got a patent issued for this? Really? I hope it was really specific, maybe just for the way of attaching them, because there are harps that have attached this way from way way back, even aside from the bass harps. I think David Payne had one in a video.
Someone should have given this poor sap a reality check before he spent all his money on patent lawyers and video producers. It's like he's never heard of overblowing or chromatic harmonicas or simple bending or even solo tuning.
Overblowing, valved harps, half-valved harps, Chromatic, Sub30, Turboharps, harp switching and boatload of available tunings are already available for missing notes.
This is a good example of what happens when there is an absence of basic market research. A single Google search would have given him some critical information.
BTW... I did a Google Patent Search and found plenty of harmonica patents --- except his. It's not there.
Either this is brand spanking new or ????
Last Edited by on Sep 16, 2012 6:33 PM
This good man is a fine player and he makes his little device work, but I wish he hadn't claimed that he invented this method. Norton Buffalo was playing solos with multiple harmonicas back in 1977, as we can see here in this video with Bonnie Rait: And of course, we cannot forget Charlie McCoy!! ----------
So the guy does something a little creative and instead of living all day on a computer in some forum he goes out and gives it a shot. Good for him. ---------- Greg Jones 16:23 Custom Harmonicas greg@1623customharmonicas.com 1623customharmonicas.com
So the guy does something a little creative and instead of living all day on a computer in some forum he goes out and gives it a shot. Good for him. ---------- Greg Jones 16:23 Custom Harmonicas greg@1623customharmonicas.com 1623customharmonicas.com
well said!
he could of done better with his contact info i can't find it anywhere got hijacked to a virus laden site
I'm certainly not complaining about him doing something different. I wouldn't even be complaining if he was just selling the harps. The problem is, by filing for a patent (depending on the scope of the patent) he may unfairly restraining other people from doing the same thing. If his patent just covers his particular way of attaching two harps together, fine, but if he's trying to cover something that people have been doing for years to make some patent trolling dollars, I have a problem with that. In his video he doesn't seem to be aware of the overlap between his idea and what is out there. If that's him just trying to fast talk his product up that's fine, but if his patent is just jumping on the band wagon, I have a problem with it.
i think he is trying to patent his method what ever that is not the way of attaching the harmonicas
heck that can be done with velcro or two sided tape
what norton did was use different harps to change with the chords here he looks like he is using another harp to fit in the missing notes.
it would be nice if he had a website or some way to contact him i sometimes buy on impulse smart people make that easy
i remember i once tried to sign up for dave barrets monthly work shop for $20.00 dollars a month had to give up in frustration if some one wants to send you money make it easy for them. why on earth make them jump thru hoops
Last Edited by on Sep 17, 2012 9:53 AM
The method is an old method. It's used all over Asia. In it's simplest form, all you do is take two consecutive keys and it gives you all the notes. You can also use keys a fifth apart to give you some interesting choices.
Now, using his technique with specially tuned harmonicas could give you some other options for chords (maybe a major and minor harp stacked or something), but he seems to have just stumbled on someone else's idea and patented it, which isn't supposed to be what patents are for. It's the sort of thing that actually stifles innovation.