Well, you got me with that one. Twice. I guess I'll have to skip my Starbucks this morning. Thank goodness you limit your quest for world domination to the peaceful field of harmonicas.
Your inventiveness and ability to transfer conceptualizations into usable harmonica technology continues to amaze me.
I am also in awe of your ability to PLAY using different harmonica tunings and enhancements. You show great facility in using your finger to block channels in order to overblow, as well as playing with the deluxe version bar. Your demo playing is wonderful. ----------
Very cool. I've been thinking about a way to make overblows easier. I had an idea for something more along the lines of the Banson. I have an idea that would simplify the design, but this looks much more versatile.
seems like a gamechanger, especially for someone just starting down the OB/OD road.
Kinda glad I never took the plunge now as this seems to significantly lower the barrier of entry to OB/OD playing.. I'll be curious to hear some of the seasoned pro's feedback but congrats BP, genius!!
---------- 4' 4+ 3' 2~~~ -Mike Ziemba Harmonica is Life!
Thanks for the positive comments y'all :) I'll check on that 'lowest harp' query and get back to you Mahcks. Like you slaphappy, I'm keen to hear what the overblow experts do with these things with their high-level OB chops and custom harps. Should be interesting!
So Brendan. This seems a roundabout way of telling us that the Kiwis missed out on the soccer World Cup, leaving you with time on your hands to come up with this.
At least you can do standard overblows, more or less. I've never been able to get them at all, apart from the one time you suggested I tape over a blow reed. Even worse, Howard Levy tried showing me once at SPAH, to no avail. I still recall the deepening furrow on his brow at my repeated lame overblow attempts. If only I'd had your device back then
Once again a truly clever and practical idea. Hope you sell heaps of them. Any chance you'll be at SPAH this year? I'm going.
---------- Tony Eyers Australia www.HarmonicaAcademy.com everyone plays...
Last Edited by Harmonicatunes on Jun 26, 2018 7:53 PM
Very cool! Could such a device (with the bar) be made to get the opposite effect - single reed bends on blow 1-6 and draw 7-10? I know the Slip Slider allows for such, but I could see this device being quite useful as well. I hope you will be at SPAH this year so we can try them!
However, I've personally found that OB is not that difficult to teach to a rank beginner (as long as the harmonica is adjusted properly) if the technique is described properly. After all, it's just another way to bend notes.
It seems that rank beginners pick up this technique a lot faster than those that have been playing harmonica for a long time.
My conclusion is that one can teach a rank beginner a most efficient way to bend while so many int/adv players have to unlearn bad habits and relearn to get to the same point. ---------- The Iceman
Last Edited by The Iceman on Jun 26, 2018 5:36 AM
Hi Brendan I just wish you'd come up with this gem 3 years ago! I'd have saved a lot of money on custom harps and custom tools to set my harps up with. I take my hat off to you big time along with others who have recognised your magic touch and superb inovation. I've got to have 2 or 3 of them. This big question now is when are we going to see a twin harp slipsliding/overblow booster? I mean it's just got to happen ;-) Cheers JG
Todd: you're right about the isolated-reed bends, that's something I forgot to mention. I was just fooling with it today on the normally unbendable notes. It's especially handy on 5 draw and 7 blow, you can get nice vibrato and expression on them by stopping the opposite-breath reed. An extra bonus.
John MG: I have put the Overblow Booster inserts in a SlipSlider, they work together fine. Not tried the twin-harmonica super combo yet, sounds like overkill but it has to be done at least once I guess!
