Brendan Power & Alternative Harmonicas Forum

Oops! A typical New Year's Resolution that didn't go the distance... :-( After a fiery start, I got distracted by workshop projects again! I'm not good at multi-tasking between recording music/videos and tech Rn'D: both of them are very time-hungry and tend to consume all my available brain cells wh...

Happy New Year my Friends... Let's hope it turns out to be! Like most of you I'm sure, occasionally I've idly scrolled through the zany world of TikTok videos! I was intrigued to try out the ultra-short video format myself, to see what I could meaningfully play on the harmonica in 15 seconds or less...

Hi peeps, just checking in to say I'm still on this (see my other thread on all things valve related). I'm on a quest to find the perfect single valve material - the Holy Grail. A fool's errand some would say, but I'm certainly finding it fascinating and learning a lot. In the meantime my current in...

I'm still at it! Have ordered all kinds of materials to try on their own, or laminated together. Been talking to my engineer friend Zombor Kovacs about valves too - he's done extensive study of this vexing topic for his brilliant ExtraBend harp. He finally concluded, like all the manufacturers, that...

I'm still at it! Have ordered all kinds of materials to try on their own, or laminated together. Been talking to my engineer friend Zombor Kovacs about valves too - he's done extensive study of this vexing topic for his brilliant ExtraBend harp. He finally concluded, like all the manufacturers, that...

Of course I would say this, but I think you'll like the Lucky 13 version. The bends are easy and it's half-valved all the way. And quite a bit less expensive

Thanks vesuviation and others here for your comments. The diatonic Gasket-Valves were originally tested with a slightly different material to the one currently used - I wonder if that could be a contributing factor. I have the new material in my Lucky 13 harps and it's working well, but I'll do anot...

Of course, as ideas come along, I'm constantly testing other valve options too... Here's a more conventional shape using Walley Peterson's Mylar/Micropore laminate: IMG_20201205_121438_compress99.jpg I've used it before but found it wasn't entirely predictable over time, sometimes leading to valves ...

I tried it recently for my Gasket-Valves, but the stuff I have is rather shop-worn and a bit crinkled, so not all valves laid flat. I've ordered a new batch, will report back soon. The best single-material valve solution for both sitting and hanging valves I've found so far is textured polypropylene...

Over the past few days I've spent a lot of time experimenting with valve materials and shapes. Mostly in relation to my multi-valve Gasket-Valves for chromatic harps, but the principles apply to single valves also. Most harmonica and accordion valves are made of two parts: the flexible valve itself ...