Brendan Power & Alternative Harmonicas Forum

Mention anything you like, this is an easygoing space for open discussion :-) Re. Availability of Paddy Richter Slide Diatonic and Irish Session harps... They are niche items, not widely used. We got them made to order by Hering in small batches, but experienced various problems (long delays in deli...

LUCKY 13 INTERNATIONAL VIDEO COMPETITION PRIZES ANNOUNCED! Thanks to all entrants in the competition – 66 videos in all! It was tough deciding the prize winnners, but after much conferring we judges have reached agreement. NOTES 1. Several contestants took the opportunity to send more than one vide...

Absolutely Chris! The DM48 perfectly fits the category of "Interesting Alternative Harmonica Ideas" :) Good info on suitable platforms is in the DM48 manual: http://www.lekholminstruments.com/DM48_Manual.pdf I'm using the EwiReasonSounds Refills in the free demo version of Reason. They are fantastic...

Wow, 66 entries in the competition! Thanks to everyone who submitted

Today I'm conferring with the other two judges, my business partners David Ireland (UK) and Tu Hua (China), to finalise our scores. Announcement of all 10 prize winners will be by the end of today USA Pacific time. Till then!

Announcement will be next week, after the Frankfurt Musikmesse

It's not easy to go back to the original state, but try this:

Remove the reedplate, look along to see where the bend is, put that point on a fulcrum of some kind (a raised edge) and GENTLY apply pressure on both sides in the opposite direction. Keep checking to see when it looks straight again.

EASTTOP BOOTH: Hall 8.0, booth G04 The fast-rising Chinese manufacturer Easttop makes three harmonicas for me: the Lucky 13, Slide Diatonic and AsiaBend. All these models will be at their booth from the beginning of the Messe for anyone to stop by and play. I’ll be at the Easttop booth off and on du...

SEYDEL DEMOS at FRANKFURT MUSIKMESSE The excellent player-friendly German harmonica company Seydel makes two of my tunings, PowerBender and PowerDraw, and I'll be demonstrating them Fri/Sat this week at the Seydel booth at the Messe: Hall 8.0, booth C89 Friday 4.30 pm Saturday 2 pm. Here is the Seyd...

Diminished half-valved chromatic is a truly great harmonica combination, Eugene. Beginners who aim to play jazz on the chrom would be well advised to choose it instead of Solo. Unfortunately there is very little knowledge out there of excellent all-round alternate chromatics tunings like Diminished ...

Hi Pedro, please take a couple of close-up photos and email them to:

Feedback@brendan-power.com