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Dirty-South Blues Harp forum: wail on! >
SPAH 2012 / Fugazzi-Hetrick
SPAH 2012 / Fugazzi-Hetrick
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scojo
334 posts
Aug 22, 2012
8:38 PM
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Wanted to refer everyone to my note about my first SPAH experience... it's a little long to post here, I think, but you can read it on Facebook at:
https://www.facebook.com/notes/scott-albert-johnson/spah-2012-report-from-a-first-timer/10151057230599102
I do want to write here that I was so happy to get to meet HarpNinja in person. First and foremost, he's as great a guy as I imagined. Secondly, he's a great player (although he didn't play nearly enough at SPAH for my taste). Finally, I am really excited about the work he is doing on Seydel 1847s. I am a Seydel endorser and, although he has been keeping my customs in shape for a while, I expect to be working much more closely with Mike and his partner, Matt Smart (Hetrick Combs -- also a great guy), in the future. Their 1847s play as well as any custom I have played.
Last Edited by on Aug 22, 2012 8:39 PM
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HarpNinja
2626 posts
Aug 25, 2012
10:19 AM
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An enormous thank you to "scojo" for being who he is! I am very humbled and very grateful for his support!!!
My goal in both sharing info online, going to events, working on harps, and sharing my playing has been to help move the instrument forward and to inspire others to really push themselves with the instrument we love.
I had a fabulous time at SPAH and it was a super successful trip from a business standpoint as well as a personal one! I am super psyched about the continued partnership with Matthew Smart and what that will bring in the new year, and I am thrilled with the response to our custom work. Those of you who attended our workshops have an idea of what we've been gearing up for for the last year.
The last two years have been a bit crazy for me in the real world (not necessarily a bad thing), and those at SPAH witnessed some of that first hand as I had phone interviews while there, etc, lol. To update people on the situation, I resigned from my day job yesterday and took a new position (not the one I was on the phone for at SPAH). While a fantastic move for my family and career, it puts a huge strain on any real gigging in the near future.
In addition, I am making a VERY aggressive push to do more with customizing harmonicas, which will be easier for me to juggle now, and considering myself semi-retired from live performing beyond harmonica-specific events (and I am done with grad school, and I work better hours, and I have more resources).
Not only am I teamed up with Matthew Smart, but I am now offering a fantastic Seydel stainless steel harmonica. I did research and design on this for over a year working with some of the top players endorsed by Seydel. This includes both a traditional and OVERBEND setup. I will be so bold as to say people will be blown away by the overbend model. I was able to get a lot of feedback from world-class players at SPAH as well as Seydel. The method and materials I am working with are going to allow for a very fast turnaround time compared to brass, and give the player a lot of flexibility in their playing.
I've also worked with Matthew to really perfect the handmade Hohners I work with for both overbend and non-overbend players. Working with him will also help cut the huge lead times I've had on the combs I've tried to use in the past, and has let me do some cool things with the asthetics of the harp. We have also been able to really solidify our techniques for optimal performance for players of different styles. He's a hardcore blues tongue blocker and I am a hardcore overbend rocker making it very easy to relate to the wealth of styles out there!
I'll be the first to say you can't go wrong with a handful of the customizers out there, and have even referred possible clients to some of these guys. They do fantastic work, are easy to work with, and in the end it comes down to personal preference and expectations.
This weekend I am wrapping up a number of my summer orders and choosing to focus on only top-end builds for handmade Hohners and stainless steel Seydels. I will not be offering levels beyond my best traditional and best overbend set-ups. I will be offering completed harps when I can in all models, but only when they are ready to ship next day (working on a C Golden Melody and A Marine Band currently). These two will only be top-end builds or what I like to call "prototypes".
I am offering 10% off any Seydel builds through Labor Day. They come with a choice of tuning and comb, and have a lead time of about 2 months. Thanks again for all the love and support. I am blessed to work with such a great community and such wonderful people!!!!
Mike
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Mike
VHT Special 6 Mods
Quicksilver Custom Harmonicas - When it needs to come from the soul...
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