GMaj7
151 posts
Nov 28, 2012
3:22 PM
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Read this interesting article below in the
.............. Ball Street Urinal
The Harp World and its Dirty Little Secrets
It seems blues harpers in the U.S. have started living a little too much of their own music lately in what has apparently become the black mark of the harmonica world. A massive $10,000 industry has sprung up in recent years with secret email accounts, mail drops, and fake billing. The cause? Players concealing harmonica purchases from their wives.
The BSU caught up with famous Idaho bluesman Little Big Jake Walter Boy Johnny Sonny at his suburban Westerville home. Now barely recognizable without his signature sunglasses and fedora, Walter Boy has been trying to mend things with his wife who discovered his habit recently and froze his Paypal account. She started getting suspicious a few months ago when his behavior became so erratic she thought he was battling substance abuse or maybe even worse. Walter Boy doesn't know how she figured it all out, but when confronted after a gig one night, he confessed to her that he had secretly bought fifteen harmonicas in the past year without her approval.
On this very disheartening topic, Walter Boy said "It's all handled through these guys that call themselves customizers, you know? They're just a front. They don't customize nothin', they help smuggle harps". Walter Boy explained “It works like this, you shoot the guy an email and ask him couple questions about his stuff, maybe drop a few hints about needing to come up with the cash and how he ships his stuff, etc. You're just easing into it. Testing him out, seeing if he's a player. But he's kind of feeling you out, too seeing if you're real. You tell him you might need to have the harp shipped to you on the road because you're traveling to some gigs. Yeah, right, on the road, ya know"?
Walter Boy said the customizer usually suggests payment by money order so there are no Paypal fees. “You know, when they say THAT everyone is on board " Walter Boy said he just had his stuff shipped to his office where he works as an insurance salesman. He was living a lie"
"Nobody's is really talkin' right now but I think my wife got tipped off from our lead guitar player Stevie Ray Lightning Chet Fender Blaster. That guy never really liked me".
According to Walter Boy the real losers are the fans down at Stinky’s Place. "He was only charging us $100 to play and we actually had a following”
Meanwhile, Water Boy said he plans to use his time away from the stage to play Monopoly with his grandson and maybe even push his musical limits to blues in D or maybe even more radical 3rd position.
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Greg Jones
16:23 Custom Harmonicas
greg@1623customharmonicas.com
1623customharmonicas.com
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Libertad
191 posts
Nov 28, 2012
10:19 PM
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A sad sad tale, that we can all relate to!
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bonedog569
731 posts
Nov 28, 2012
11:58 PM
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Did you write that Greg? It's great.
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GMaj7
153 posts
Nov 29, 2012
12:42 AM
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Yes sir.. I did
I know.. Maybe I have too much time.
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Greg Jones
16:23 Custom Harmonicas
greg@1623customharmonicas.com
1623customharmonicas.com
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harp-er
254 posts
Nov 29, 2012
3:52 AM
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This is first thing I've laughed out loud to - more than once - in quite a while. Terrific!
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WestVirginiaTom
68 posts
Nov 29, 2012
6:32 AM
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I would share this story with my wife, but I don't want to blow my cover.
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HarveyHarp
413 posts
Nov 29, 2012
6:38 AM
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There is a lot of truth to things like this. I was a motorcycle dealer for a good portion of my life, and I had a customer who liked to buy a new bike every couple of years, but he had to buy the same color so his wife would not know that he bought a new one. That is a true story
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HarveyHarp
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STME58
307 posts
Nov 29, 2012
8:18 AM
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Nice story Greg. I liked the subtle humor in the line "massive $10,000 industry". I think there is a similarity between telling a good story like that, and playing a good solo. You nailed that one.
I actually did pick up a set of A reed plates the other night in an unmarked box at an unattended drop location and left cash in an envelope.
I got to work the other day and relized I had no harp in my pocket. I usually play a bit in my car before heading in to the office. I scrounged through the storage compartments of the car and was finally relieved to find a little Suzuki metal 5 keychain harp. As I played the little thing, I felt like a nicotine addict puffing on a found cigarete butt because that was all that was available!
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SuzukiDaron
32 posts
Nov 30, 2012
11:30 AM
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Greg,
You've gotta do the Ball Street Urinal every week. This should be a recurring, Onion-esque satire column.
Seriously, it's brilliant. Give us more!
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-Daron Stinton
SUZUKI MUSIC USA
Got a question about a Suzuki Harp?
Call (800) 854-1594, or e-mail harmonicas@suzukicorp.com
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nacoran
6238 posts
Nov 30, 2012
5:51 PM
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My community has started a guns for harps program aimed at reducing harmonica related violence. You trade in the harmonica for a shiny new Glock. Unfortunately, the first few people through the line with the shiny new guns... well, and there were people in the back of the line waiting, standing there with harmonicas, making noise. In retrospect they shouldn't have included ammo.
edit: Your post reminds me of one I made about a haunted amp once, that I can never seem to find (the post, not the haunted amp, although I suppose that would be creepier.)
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Nate
Facebook
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Last Edited by on Nov 30, 2012 5:55 PM
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GMaj7
154 posts
Nov 30, 2012
8:15 PM
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I suppose they give you a Glock if you trade in a Special 20 or one of those other awful plastic comb models and you get a Colt 45 if you trade in a Marine Band, huh?
Trade in a Seydel and you get a nice Sig. :)
Love to see your post Nac!
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Greg Jones
16:23 Custom Harmonicas
greg@1623customharmonicas.com
1623customharmonicas.com
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ElkRiverHarmonicas
1423 posts
Nov 30, 2012
9:01 PM
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Oh my! That was so hilarious... you wouldn't believe how many harmonicas I've shipped to guy's workplaces.
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David
____________________
At the time of his birth, it was widely accepted that no one man could play that much music so well or raise that much hell. He proved them all wrong.
R.I.P. H. Cecil Payne
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David
Elk River Harmonicas
 
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rbeetsme
942 posts
Dec 01, 2012
5:44 AM
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Gmaj7, what other forum? I didn't know there was another harp forum, does Adam know about this? I'm sure there could be a sequel to this, "How many amps can you stash in a closet?"
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MP
2563 posts
Dec 01, 2012
11:19 AM
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@GMaj7
now that was funny.:) by the way, i only take checks or money orders....
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MP
affordable reed replacement and repairs.
"making the world a better place, one harmonica at a time"
click user name [MP] for info-
repair videos on YouTube.
you can reach me via Facebook. Mark Prados
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gene
1111 posts
Dec 01, 2012
12:58 PM
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I like the subtle humor behind, "I think my wife got tipped off from our lead guitar player." ;)
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Stevelegh
653 posts
Dec 01, 2012
12:57 PM
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Yeah, thanks for exposing the soft underbelly of my addiction.
My wife reads here as well...
Ha!
Brilliant!
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