harpwrench
692 posts
Oct 02, 2013
7:30 PM
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I already know about or have probably even interacted with the better known customizers around the planet, but some geographic areas aren't ever mentioned, like South America and Asia. I'm not real comfortable just crossing my fingers and mailing stuff to some places. Did you know it's actually against regulations to send a harmonica to Italy?
If you know of someone less well-known (or are yourself) doing high-quality reed work (not just making them look prettier), let's hear about them!
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The best you know is usually only as good as the best you've had.
Spiers Custom Harmonicas
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nacoran
7189 posts
Oct 03, 2013
4:34 PM
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Bump.
I'm not sure who does what. There are some guys in Europe, Jim and Boris, and Zhin (Buddha trained) used to customize harps in Malaysia, but last I heard he was focusing more on playing. I know there is a guy who makes nice looking harps in the U.K.- Sugar Cain, but I don't know what he does with reeds. Arzajac is in Canada. There are, I think, some guys who worked for Bends in Brazil before they went under. I think I remember someone mentioning some of them (or maybe being one of them) on the forum. (There are probably Hering people too.)
Chinese IP's, like Russian IP's, get caught in the great spam filter, but I only ever remember a couple Chinese posters anyway (besides spam). There was a guy, I don't remember if he was Japanese visiting China or Chinese visiting Japan, who had posted an interesting video where he'd put two bullet mics together end to end to create a mini-speaker/mic. Not reed related. China is blocked. I don't know why we don't seem to get Japanese posters. Maybe they've got their own forums? I'd guess you'd get more customizers advertising internationally from countries with weaker currencies, but that's speculation.
Again, in the category of just making them look prettier, there was that German guy who had the harmonica with LED's in it that changed colors when you turned a knob (I think he said he'd had a friend who was a dentist custom make the knob mechanism.)
That's all I got. And bump so more people see it. I know I've seen people recommending their local favorites a couple times.
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Nate
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GMaj7
288 posts
Oct 03, 2013
7:17 PM
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I'm just curious to know what regulations are violated in sending a harmonica to Italy...
Why they send us Fiats, don't they??
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Greg Jones
16:23 Custom Harmonicas
greg@1623customharmonicas.com
1623customharmonicas.com
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harpwrench
695 posts
Oct 03, 2013
7:20 PM
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http://pe.usps.com/text/Imm/il_008.htm#ep4713921
line 6
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The best you know is usually only as good as the best you've had.
Spiers Custom Harmonicas
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GMaj7
289 posts
Oct 03, 2013
8:15 PM
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Hey Joe
Thx .. that's good to know info..
I guess it is a restriction put on by Italy..
That list they have there is so long I wonder what you
can send over there..
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Greg Jones
16:23 Custom Harmonicas
greg@1623customharmonicas.com
1623customharmonicas.com
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jim
1470 posts
Oct 04, 2013
1:42 AM
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I have a couple of good customers from Italy. Great players.
About the subject
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Free Harp REPAIR Center
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nacoran
7199 posts
Oct 04, 2013
6:12 PM
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That list of prohibited items is fascinating.
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Nate
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JInx
559 posts
Oct 04, 2013
6:36 PM
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I got only good experiences with outside USA. The guy from Canada, has website chock full of free, practical, honest harp info.
And Jim from I don't know where, runs a very entertaining, informative live web tutorial. I sat in on one and Jim had s microscope on the reeds! It was hot! It somehow linked to my facevok.....one of my friends joined in
and was blown away. Jim is kul 4 sure
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Sun, sun, sun
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groyster1
2420 posts
Oct 04, 2013
7:03 PM
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Andrew from Ontario is the real deal....but others are too.....MP,harveyharp,chromatic,deakharp...........
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MP
2955 posts
Oct 05, 2013
2:45 PM
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I took a real bath w/ a check in Euros from the Bank of Ireland and I never feel comfortable sending harps to other countries. So, I just don't do it anymore.
SO, international fixers. Where are you guys? I get requests from common places like Australia, Tasmania, and the UK all the time. That's just wrong. you don't need me when your own country has repair guys.
Again, Like wrench asked, Make your presence known please.
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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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SuperBee
1457 posts
Oct 05, 2013
3:25 PM
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I'm no customiser...just repair my own and friends' broken harps. Like del Shannon sang...I'm a handyman. Because I couldn't find anyone in Australia to do it at a price which made it worthwhile..
My harps had a Hawaiian holiday for their health. That inspired me to have a go at helping myself.
I've repaired about a dozen harps now I suppose. I thought maybe I could offer a service when I feel I'm competent.
I'm happy with the results so far. I can put reeds in marine band and sp20 types. I'm not tooled up for other types ATM, but I have a few MS harps so I might go there too.
Dunno if I really have time to do repairs for others. Just depends what demand is. But at the moment I'd be prepared to have a crack at it. In a no fuss kind of way. I'd do it for cost of postage and a reed right now, just for the experience.
What I notice so far is that regarding 4 and 5 draw reeds, it seems often that when 1 goes out, the other is not far behind. So I may have 4 draw replaced and the same harp is back in trouble in a month or so, but this time for 5 draw.. I expect it depends on the player and their repertoire to an extent.
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Harpaholic
391 posts
Oct 08, 2013
8:58 AM
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I'm surprised Serg from Ermonica.com hasn't spoken up.
He's a member of this site and he's doing some really advanced reedwork as well as carbon fiber combs. I own one of his full customs. If I remember correctly he operates out of Latvia?
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MP
2959 posts
Oct 08, 2013
1:08 PM
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You ought to give it a go Bee. It's not a black art as i'm sure you have discovered. it mostly takes steady hand and eye coordination and problem solving skills.
"What I notice so far is that regarding 4 and 5 draw reeds, it seems often that when 1 goes out, the other is not far behind. So I may have 4 draw replaced and the same harp is back in trouble in a month or so, but this time for 5 draw. I expect it depends on the player and their repertoire to an extent."
i'll go with that Bee...as a very general rule. i'm in the habit of testing adjacent reeds with vigorous plinking to see if they hold up. Sometimes i can head off a future failure, sometimes not.
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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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SuperBee
1471 posts
Oct 08, 2013
4:43 PM
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Good tip MP. Makes sense.
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Oisin
1046 posts
Oct 08, 2013
6:40 PM
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In the UK, Steve "West" Weston makes his own customised Marine bands. I'm not sure if he does repairs but I know quite a few pros here in the UK use his harps. I think he used to have a page on myspace advertising them.
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Oisin
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