Search found 920 matches

by Brendan
Tue Aug 05, 2025 10:42 pm
Forum: Brendan's Custom Harmonicas, Tunings, etc
Topic: Paddy Power? Mods to Power tunings for Irish music
Replies: 6
Views: 116440

Re: Paddy Power? Mods to Power tunings for Irish music

Holes 4-8 of PowerBender repeated is PowerChromatic Tuning. The easiest Trochilus to retune to that scale is their Solo tuned model: not too much alteration required.

The 'Freebird' Trochilus does have a slide, but with a thumb button attached to it so I can maintain cupping.
by Brendan
Tue Aug 05, 2025 7:30 am
Forum: Interesting Alternative Harmonica Ideas
Topic: Alternative chromatic slide buttons
Replies: 1
Views: 20137

Re: Alternative chromatic slide buttons

Just saw this post - sorry for the delay in replying. It's an interesting point. Something I've done for many years on my CX12 chromatics is add what I call a 'Slide Hook'. It's a long 2.5mm bolt screwed into the base of the plastic button, then bent forward with the end flattened into a comfortable...
by Brendan
Tue Aug 05, 2025 12:49 am
Forum: Interesting Alternative Harmonica Ideas
Topic: Slide Diatonic tuning ideas for blues and rock: "Wilde Slide" Tuning
Replies: 11
Views: 21717

Re: Slide Diatonic tuning ideas for blues and rock: "Wilde Slide" Tuning

It's interesting stuff, alright 🙂 On the Irish Slide-Diatonic tuning in fifths, I'm not going for bluesy bending but more trying to make the traditional fiddle tunes easier to play. There are several advantages: 1. Wide fast intervals jumping up a fifth or more and back to the pedal note can be play...
by Brendan
Tue Aug 05, 2025 12:13 am
Forum: Brendan's Custom Harmonicas, Tunings, etc
Topic: Paddy Power? Mods to Power tunings for Irish music
Replies: 6
Views: 116440

Re: Paddy Power? Mods to Power tunings for Irish music

Sorry, not the Trochilus: it's a 10-hole diatonic
by Brendan
Wed Jul 09, 2025 11:15 am
Forum: Brendan's Custom Harmonicas, Tunings, etc
Topic: Paddy Power? Mods to Power tunings for Irish music
Replies: 6
Views: 116440

Re: Paddy Power? Mods to Power tunings for Irish music

I'm glad you're enjoying exploring PowerBender tuning! As far as raising the 3 blow goes: others have tried it, and I have a couple of harps with that mod. You can say absolutely whether it's better or worse than standard PowerBender, it depends on personal preference. As with any tuning change, you...
by Brendan
Wed Jul 09, 2025 10:57 am
Forum: Brendan's Custom Harmonicas, Tunings, etc
Topic: Lucky 13 Retune to A
Replies: 7
Views: 579910

Re: Lucky 13 Retune to A

As far as the area you polish at the end of the reed: it's not important to be super precise. I'd the reed end thins down a bit, it's no problem.

Don't overthink it. Just practice on some old reedplates and you'll soon get the knack.
by Brendan
Mon Jun 30, 2025 2:17 pm
Forum: Brendan's Custom Harmonicas, Tunings, etc
Topic: Lucky 13 Retune to A
Replies: 7
Views: 579910

Re: Lucky 13 Retune to A

Just the A & B areas
by Brendan
Sun Jun 29, 2025 5:30 am
Forum: Brendan's Custom Harmonicas, Tunings, etc
Topic: Lucky 13 Retune to A
Replies: 7
Views: 579910

Re: Lucky 13 Retune to A

I'm a bit confused about your opening sentence. The standard Richter Lucky 13 (as well as several other tunings) does come in A. But AFAIK you're talking about Diminished Tuning here? In that case you will need to do a retune. I think you're making a mountain out of a molehill on this issue. If you ...
by Brendan
Tue Jun 03, 2025 9:25 pm
Forum: Brendan's Custom Harmonicas, Tunings, etc
Topic: Diminished Lucky 13
Replies: 5
Views: 358903

Re: Diminished Lucky 13

It was a conscious and logical decision to half-valve the Diminished Lucky 13. As Jason Rogers said, the valves do give you isolated-reed bends on the blow notes if you want them. However my main reason was that half-valving balances up the expression and volume on draw and blow reeds. With them in ...
by Brendan
Sun May 18, 2025 7:31 pm
Forum: Brendan's Custom Harmonicas, Tunings, etc
Topic: Fast Wide Intervals on Harmonica
Replies: 1
Views: 105282

Fast Wide Intervals on Harmonica

Many Irish & American fiddle tunes incorporate rapid repeating wide intervals into their melodies. These "fast jumps" are virtually impossible on regular harmonicas, but this clip of the popular session tune 'Drowsy Maggie' shows how they CAN be played on alternate types. The tune is i...