Custom Marine Band Harmonica

Full Custom

My custom harmonicas require hours of meticulous work on all parts of the instrument, especially the reeds, to provide deep tone and unmatched responsiveness.

Available as:

- Rocket
- Special 20
- Marine Band Deluxe or Crossover
- Golden Melody Classic (Not the Progressive version)

My Full custom is a very powerful instrument that is tailored to your needs. It's an excellent choice for playing in multiple positions with plenty of control and volume using very little work.

Play it very soft (pianissimo) to very loud(fortissimo).

Standard features include:

- Marine Band Deluxe/Crossover or Golden Melody using my custom Dark comb™
- Special 20 or Rocket using upgraded stock ABS comb
- Covers fashioned with two stainless steel screws in the front
- Marine Band choice of cover plates (Deluxe, Crossover, Rocket, Rocket AMP, Rocket Low)
- High-performance work done to every aspect of the instrument, including sympathetic reed work™ and high-precision Analog Strobe tuning.
- 12 month warranty + lifetime service
- Free shipping to Canada and USA

Overblows:
Can this harmonica play overblows "straight on"?

Yes. Overblows and overdraws can be played as passing notes using regular breath and you may be able to sustain them but this harp is not specialised for overbends. If you want easy playing overbends or to sustain or use vibrato with overbends, I recommend my Overbend Custom.

Free tuning options
Tuning temperament:

- Compromise (recommended)
- Just Intonation
- Equal temperament with perfect octaves

Also available, tuning to 432Hz as well as altered tunings

Extra features:
- Conical cover plates (Thunderbird covers), add $15
- Pearwood comb (flattened, chamfered edges, lacquered tips and channels. Do not submerge under water), SUBTRACT $10

Can your used harps be customized?
- For the very best results, I obtain reed plates and covers directly from the Hohner factory in Trossingen, Germany. There are no significant savings for the customer once you take into account shipping a used instrument to me and the added labour of working with a used instrument.

Protection
- Traditional plastic case
- Black Zipper case, add $10
- Hohner Flex Case M, please inquire. (Best option when ordering multiple harmonicas at the same time.)

Multiple discount:
- Save $10 per additional harp (not counting the first one, per order)

Shipping options:
- Free shipping to USA and Canada
- International shipping - please contact. Expect up to $45 extra for Europe and up to $75 extra for tracked shipping to other countries.

Non standard Low and High Keys
- Low F#, Low F, Low E, Low Eb, Low D, High G, Add $50
- Low C, Low Bb, Low A, Low G, Low Low F, Add $75

Click here to order online.

Any questions? Contact me and I will be happy to answer them.

Basic Custom

My Basic custom is a pro-grade harp that is tailored for second position playing.

This harp offers fantastic response. It's ideal for players who require a great instrument but feel that their playing style may not make use of everything a full custom harp has to offer. Overblows on holes 4,5 and 6 are playable as passing notes.

My Basic Custom harp is "one-size-fits-all".

Full Custom

The Full Custom packs a lot of power. It's a responsive harp that is loud without needing a lot of effort. It’s extremely easy and satisfying to play.

Expect superb control over all blow and draw bends needed for playing in multiple positions. Overblows on holes 4,5 and 6 are available as passing notes.

This harp enables you to play from pp (pianissimo - very soft) to ff (fortissimo - very loud) and everything in between - all with very little breath.

Overbend Custom

This harmonica features overblows and overdraws that are sustainable and bendable using regular breath force. Blow notes, draw notes, bends and overblows/overdraws all play with the same breath force; the overblows do not need any extra breath to play than any other notes.

For most players, the enhanced control of an Overblow harp allows for expression you
can't experience from any other harmonica.

This harp enables you to play from ppp (pianississimo - very very soft) to fff (fortississimo - very very loud) and everything in between - all with very little breath.

NRW Harmonica™

Reconstructed - No Reed Work. A Reconstructed NRW harmonica™ is not a custom harmonica because it does not feature high-performance reed work.

Whereas a custom harmonica does most of the work for you and is played with little effort, an NRW harmonica™ is played with regular breath force. As such it is the best choice for players who cannot use breath control.

Every player secretly hopes to "win the lottery" and get a "really good one" when they buy a new stock (non-customized) harp from the music store.

A Reconstructed NRW harp™ exceeds that expectation because attention is paid to every detail of its foundation as it is rebuilt. But it does not feature custom reed work (reed shaping). It aims to be powerful, consistent from top to bottom and in perfect tune.

My Reconstructed NRW harmonicas™ are CAD$150 to $175.