Nice to see he has access to some hardware. I'd like to see him get out there and busk me up some repayment money. I'm willing to take payments until the outstanding is satisfied.
---------- ~Buzadero Underwater Janitor, Patriot MBH poster since 11Nov2008
I'm just still bitter and seeing Harrison's name makes my eye twitch.
If it had been a "donation" or a startup funding request I would have accepted the risk and wholeheartedly contributed for the cause based on the noble merits. But, my considerable amount of money was submitted on the premise of purchasing products. Products that cost a pretty penny, with the business defaulting and failing to deliver.
Maybe some optimistic do-gooder would recommend that it was a start-up contribution and I'm merely hung up on semantics and should "get over it". But, to me I was defrauded and I don't get over that.
Sorry. The issue can die again.....
---------- ~Buzadero Underwater Janitor, Patriot MBH poster since 11Nov2008
I was encouraged to hear that Brad had survived his personal tragedy. But evidently it's not over, and I feel bad for him, and the people he disappointed.
I first heard of him when I was presented with three free Suzuki harps to play and evaluate. Brad had distributed a bunch of the Japanese harmonicas to a few folks for them to disperse in the San Diego area (and other places, for all I know).
I don't know what happened to that relationship--but Brad stopped working with Suzuki.
I, of course, now work for the American company that imports them into the US--but Brad was working with the Japanese. He was quite highly regarded as a customizer before he undertook the B-Radical. The B-Radical was big news in the harp community, and I heard a lot about it, but was able to keep from spending money on a pre-order.
Lots of disappointed folks still would like their harmonica--but no word of what happened to the machines. Gone for good? I wonder . . .
These weren't supposed to be custom, the sales pitch was that they were stock, but as good as a custom. I spend a lot of time working on harps, and that's what it takes. Sometimes it works out to minimum wage!
But it's hard to mass produce an affordable harmonica of excellent quality. My feeling is that he tried to sell them for less than it cost to manufacture them--and he left a bunch of people holding the bag.
A doggone shame, and I don't blame anyone who harbors bitterness. I just wish Brad could show his face again . . .
Disclaimer, I have never met the man. And I didn't lose any money. I bet I would feel less generous if I had!
The notion that the B-Radicals were "stock" or "Out of the Box" harps that are "as good as a custom harp" is a fallacy. He had some of the best customizers in the world setting up the reed plates. It really was an attempt to mass produce custom harps. The irony is that had he been able to succeed, he would have been offering, in a manner of speaking, ready-to-go custom harps. They would cost as much as custom harps - $180 each as I recall - but you wouldn't have to wait for them. Those of us who have been hanging out on the forums for a while (years) have seen plenty of complaints about harp techs who took forever to deliver. Or, in the worst of scenarios - took money and simply never delivered. This happens for a variety of reasons. Incompetence. Undercapitalization. Most of these people did not set out to intentionally defraud people of their money (my opinion) - but it happened anyway. Being a harp tech requires a certain skill set. Once you decide to enter the arena and start charging people money for your services, you need another skill set. You have to be a businessman. You have to know how to make a profit. You also need enough money to get things rolling until the business is self-sustaining. The fact is that 80% of all new businesses fail within the first year and 90% within the first two years. I don’t know Brad. Never met him. Did not lose any money in the deal. I did follow the rise and fall of Harrison Harmonicas from the very beginning and I have talked with some of the players after the fact. It seems to me that Brad dared to dream big but in the end was a casualty of the same things that take down the small time operators. But because of the scale of his venture, his failure was more spectacular and it impacted a lot more people. He has become the poster child for failed harmonica ventures. He set the standard. Those of us who do not learn from his mistakes are in very real danger of repeating them. ---------- Tom Halchak www.BlueMoonHarmonicas.com
A grand scale, yes--and lots of employees. I am not a business man, but I have been conducting business for years (no employees tho). And I can be guilty of falling behind, today is a great example! I am leaving for NAMM, no repairs will be done for most of a week.
But these guys were making their own reeds! And having them milled sideways. It was a brave venture. Too bad it blew up.
Sorry you got caught 'holding the bag' Buz. I waited forever, and finally got one. It's my 'garage queen' of harps, sitting in it's cute red pouch, rarely played and waiting to fund my retirement ;). So how much is my one B-rad worth anyway?
It was a bold venture and a cool harp design. Too bad no one took up the torch and continued to develop them- or pay back the involuntary 'investors'.
Re. the Vintage 47 amps. They are so very cool looking - and built using old Valco era circuits. I've always want to try playing through them. Not overly impressed with the tone I'm hearing here but would still love to try one myself. ---------- Bone's music videos
Last Edited by bonedog569 on Jan 18, 2017 10:54 AM
Bonedog569 – While it is accurate to say that no one took up the Harrison torch, there are others who are working on the development of their “Own Brand” harmonicas – myself included. Look at what Brendan is doing with his 3D Printer. He is creating stuff that only he could dream of but until recently lacked the technology to execute. I am in the process of developing some custom covers to go with my custom combs. The “only thing” missing is the reed plates. And that is the real hang-up. Making combs and covers is relative child’s play compared to making reed plates. And it’s not that reed plates in and of themselves are so complicated. It is the expense involved in tooling up to make them. It is a massive undertaking. A building. Equipment to stamp or cut reed plates. Equipment to make reeds. And then skilled technicians to install the reeds - actually build the reed plates - and finally to assemble the harps. Once built, somebody has to sell them and somebody has to buy them. Unless you do it on a very large scale you will not be able to keep your cost per unit to a reasonable number. A higher price point means that you reduce the number of people willing to buy it. It is a closed loop. You simply must have the ability and the willingness to invest a ton of money to make it happen. So far, nobody has stepped up to do that. Brendan has been working with Hering and East Top to help them improve the quality of their reed plates. But other than that, we all accept what we can get from Hohner, Suzuki and Seydel and add some TLC to improve them. At this point, that is the most economical way to produce quality reed plates. One at a time. By hand. ---------- Tom Halchak www.BlueMoonHarmonicas.com
Bonedog, my understanding of the legalities of the bankruptcy and what I remember... a company he worked with did buy some of his machines and such, but there is a time requirement before they are allowed to do anything harmonica related- otherwise companies going bankrupt would just sell to a shell company, stiff their clients and go right back into the same business. Or at least that's how I understand it, so maybe, in a few years someone will in fact use some of the B-Rad developments to put something out. Or maybe they will just decide it isn't worth the investment and risk.
My understanding from insiders was that Brad's creditors took possession of his machinery *and* his patents on new reed production methods – which were at the heart of what he was doing – against what he owed.
Whether they'd sell – and what they'd want to be made whole and even turn a profit – is something that might be entertained to advantage by someone or some business entity with enough resources to acquire those properties. =========== Winslow
Interesting. I own a B-Rad-a gift from a good friend- and was tuning it last night. It is a very fine harmonica! I didn't want to ask what ever happened to Harrison cuz I though it might start an angry fire storm type thread. ---------- Have good day. M.A.P. .
@Tom, WY & narcoran - thanks. I remember hearing that the co. was supposedly sold - but then I never heard a thing afterwards. Interesting re. the time requirement and bankruptcy narcoran mentioned - I wonder if that's in play. As Tom pointed out, - a small player is going to have a really hard time making a business like this fly. I'd hope one of the big players would eventually pick it up. ---------- Bone's music videos
