CUSTOM 10 HOLE DIATONIC HARMONICAS

I specialise in unusual tunings and half-valved diatonics

CUSTOM TUNINGS
The many tunings I offer include common ones like COUNTRY TUNING, MELODY MAKER, NATURAL MINOR  etc, or others that are not commercially available on the 10 hole diatonic like PADDY RICHTER TUNING (my own tuning, good for Celtic and Old Timy fiddle tunes), DIMINISHED TUNING (full chromatic playing on the blues harp without overblows! Great for jazz improvisation) and SOLO TUNING (same as the chromatic harmonica scale, but with the funky diatonic tone). 

Having a custom-tuned harp can make playing in various styles of music a lot easier and more fun. You have exciting new chord options, and the altered scale gets you out of the standard blues harp clichés. In fact, a new harp tuning can make you sound like a totally different player. The possibilities are limitless, and I can make up virtually any tuning you have in mind. Email me with your specs.

HARPS AND PRICES
(If you want to see the price equivalent in your home currency, click here)

stock UN-VALVED HARPS in Custom Tunings
I usually use the Hohner Special 20, but can also retune other Hohner models if you prefer. 

HOHNER SPECIAL 20 
With its recently improved reedplates, the Special 20 is a really nice stock Hohner diatonic, comfortable in the mouth and with sweet tone and good response. Plastic comb, ALL KEYS. Price includes retuning and gapping. If you want extra work done to improve response, see the Full Custom specs above.

	Standard Richter (Tweaked as Above)	£30
	Paddy Richter, Country Tuned, Melody Maker	£40
	All Other Tunings  (see here for examples)	£75

stock HALF-VALVED HARPS in Custom Tunings
Half-valving means that valves are added which affect the lower pitched reeds in each hole. This is half the notes on the harp, hence the term. On a normal un-valved harp, in a hole where the blow note is lower than the draw, you can bend the draw note by interaction of the reeds - but not the blow. Also the blow note sounds a bit quieter, more breathy and less defined than the draw, especially in the bottom octave. The same principle applies where the draw note is lower pitched than the blow (as in holes 7-10 of a Richter tuned harp).

Half-valving balances up the tone and volume of blow and draw notes, and allows pitch bending and vibrato on all notes. All my own harps are half-valved, as I like the extra expressiveness of this setup. However, you do have to adjust your playing technique a bit from a standard un-valved diatonic, and the tone is purer and less breathy (which some players don't like). In addition, overblows are not possible on a half-valved harp, although some chromatic facility is available using normal and valved bends instead.

SUZUKI PROMASTER MR-350V
This luxury harp has an Alloy body, Chromed reedplates, and chromed brass coverplates. ALL KEYS, plus low F and high G. 
Price includes retuning and gapping. If you want further work done to your ProMaster (eg. extra reedplate screws), email me.

	Standard Richter (Tweaked as above)	£40
	Paddy Richter, Country Tuned, Melody Maker	£50
	All Other Tunings   (see here for examples)	£90

FULL CUSTOM 10 HOLE HARPS
I use the Hohner Special 20 as the basis for these models, and improvements are:

Full Custom Special 20, Diminished Tuning, Half-valved

ORDER YOUR POWER CUSTOM HARMONICA NOW

PLAYERS COMMENT

"Hi Brendan, the dim. diatonics play great!

I just played a 3 hour gig using only your custom 1/2 valved Sp 20's,
and they are terrific instruments. Extremely airtight, with even response
from top to bottom, they are a joy to play.

I was able to maintain stable bends easily, and the airtightness combined
with half valving really helps even out blow/draw response, especially on
fast passages. I've always been a SP 20 fan, but your work makes the
instrument that much better. 

Thank you."

ED COOGAN, Nashville Tennessee, USA
(Three Diminished Scale Full Custom Special 20s, half valved)
Ed is one of the few harp players to specialise on the excellent Diminished tuning, which allows 
a full chromatic scale without overblows.  It gives him a unique and original jazz style which really works.
You can hear Ed as well as other interesting harmonica players on the Harp-L 6 Compilation CD available at
 http://hometown.aol.com/windsaver/myhomepage/index.html

"Dear Brendan,

Firstly thanks and congratulations. I've found your repaire well,harmonized - well tuned.

I had the time to try it at lunch and i am very glad of the (valved) A soloiste
that's a bit punshier than the (unvalved) C and well accorded.

While playing more on the SOLOIST, i noticed ( i discover a very good point)
that playing tong blocking (doing octave) it works properly on the drawing notes."

Pierre Oeuvray, Geneva, Switzerland
(Solo Tuned Full Custom Special 20, fully valved)

Dear Brendan, I have received my custom harp yesterday. 
I'm really impressed with your professional order management, custom care & delivery.

My first testing sounded awesome. It plays really sweet and smooth on the higher pitches!

Thanks for your great work and regards, Burak

BURAK A, Munich, Germany
(Full Custom S20, Augmented (Chafer) Tuning starting on Low E)