Subject: [Harp-L] Harrison Harmonica's shutting down - open letter to Brad

[EGS1217@xxxxxxx]

This is purely my opinion, so please don't berate me or assume I'm a  
spokesperson for Harrison. I'm not associated with them at all other than as a  
satisfied customer.
 
Fwiw, Drew, I was only asked to put down an initial deposit for my two  
B-Radicals, which I did - along with most of the other people I know  who 
ordered the harmonicas from Brad, knowing full well (at the time) that  we were 
the first 'investors' in a brand new start up and innovative company in  
which he'd poured every bit of his own life savings along with every penny he  
could otherwise come up with.
 
I never got any feeling whatsoever that Brad was attempting to defraud me  
or any of his other customers and I trust my instincts about people. In 
fact,  over the time span it took to get first my C and then much later my Bb 
(both  engraved with my name so they took even longer than usual), I was 
informed  periodically of my order status. Both Dave Payne and Mike Peloquin  
worked for Harrison then and I had perfectly fine interactions with each.  
Apart from them, several other people were also putting in long hours trying to  
make this harmonica the perfect instrument that was Brad's  vision. 
 
When mine were ready I was notified, paid the balance and  received each in 
short order, albeit a year+ apart. I know this is how it's  worked for 
other people as well. Since the number on my 2nd was in the 1500  range I'd 
assume that they'd completed that many harps by the time I got mine,  every 
penny of which was poured back into the company for rent, machinery,  salaries, 
raw materials, etc. I would read and follow the info about  Harrison and 
watch the occasional videos, marveling at how anyone could keep up  that 
grueling pace. What they were doing was, in effect, producing a fully  custom harp 
but doing it in a tiny factory set-up. Anyone working there was  doing so 
because they believed in the dream because surely nobody was making  enough 
money at all on which to live.
 
While I didn't get weekly or monthly updates, there was sufficient  
interaction to keep me apprised. I'm not an impatient person and simply waited  
until my own were ready. My reasoning was that I wanted Brad to be  actually 
spending his productive hours working on the instruments rather  than wasting 
his time online having to respond to impatient customers. If I  added to 
that huge burden it would not only reduce the amount of sleep he was  getting 
(and already obviously deprived of) but take that much longer for my own  
harps to get to me. Process of deduction.
 
I DO know for a fact that Brad Harrison as an individual gave up everything 
 in his life to make this dream work. Every cent he ever had (and then 
some) went  into building these harmonicas, and any time outside of building 
them trying to  drum up more financial support (he originally won grants from 
Chicago for his  pure innovation) to keep the dream alive. More times than I 
can count I'd  wish to have been in a better position to invest in his 
company, because that's  all it would have taken...more real and solid financial 
backing - to give him  the breathing room to circumvent the inevitable 
problems which always crop  up.
 
I can't at all fault him for this. He is only human. Perhaps it was always  
an impossible dream. Perhaps there was absolutely no way other people could 
 learn to build them quite his way or put in the same kind of hours and 
devotion  Brad did - without pay, to continue filling orders. I don't know. I 
do know  I would never have wanted to 'walk these last miles' in his  shoes.
 
 I feel desperately sorry for him too at this point because his dream  has 
crashed down. It has to be a terribly painful experience. I  understand your 
and others' concern about possibly losing a certain  amount of money, but 
this is also his entire life. From my reading of  the email, your money isn't 
lost..the harmonicas will be completed as per  the orders. 
 
As a customer I received the same email as you. I believe whichever company 
 he has designated to finish his harmonicas WILL do so to his same exacting 
 standards since they're still the B-Rads and even while they were coming  
out of Harrison Harmonicas, Brad had been hiring and training other people 
to  work on them. Now that another company will be doing the work to his  
specifications I doubt he'd allow them to be finished to other than the  same 
level he demanded from day one, and that those of you whose harps are  on 
back order might be better off waiting for your harps. Presumably all the  
parts and materials are there and simply have to be put together into the  new 
harps and then fine-tuned. I'd guess he simply collapsed from  exhaustion 
trying to do it all. 
 
One person simply can't make custom harps(which is what they are) on that  
scale. As I see it Brad kept trying to turn out each harp as if it was a  
hand-made custom, but on a production level. I don't personally know more than 
 you, but this is what I've gleaned from my interactions and association 
with the  people from Harrison over the last few years.
 
Also, fwiw - I paid as much as (if not more) for harps made by a customizer 
 (NOT anyone from Joe Filisko's group), who raised his prices to $250 per. 
and  was still using cut back covers and raw edges from $30 MB's and GM's. 
While the  harps are 'quirky' looking and play very well, they aren't close 
to being the  objets d'art which is a B-Rad with its amazing reeds and 
everything else brand  new and different. I treasure my two B-Radicals. Someday I 
might gift them to  'whomever' only because I don't believe in selling 
harmonicas, especially the  special ones.
 
If I found myself in your position I hope I'd be able to find the patience  
to wait for the finished harps since they will, in all likelihood look and  
play exactly like the same B-Rads I have in my possession. 
 
Much luck to you and everyone in this situation.
 
Elizabeth
PS - might I suggest removing your subscription info from  the Harrison 
email since it gives more personal info about you than you probably  want 
widely known?
 
"Message: 7
Date: Fri, 5 Aug 2011 08:23:23 -0400
From: Drew MacFadyen  <drew@xxxxxxxx>
Subject: [Harp-L] Harrison Harmonica's shutting down -  open letter to
Brad
To: _harp-l@xxxxxxxxxxx (mailto:harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx) 

Brad, I have to say this is really  crappy.  I paid IN FULL over  $550 
almost
a year ago for 3 of your harps.  Not only have I not  received them, but now
you tell me that my order is being BAIT AND SWITCHED  to another
manufacturer.  How do we now it will be the same harmonica,  built with the
same specifications, composite materials.  You sold us a  bill of goods 
based
on your manufacturing and craftsmanship - and now I have  no idea who, how,
or when my order will be filled - thatâs total crap, and I  bet illegal.
COMPLETE BAIT AND SWITCH - WHAT A SHAME.  I love the  harmonica, love the
instrument, love playing it.  I missed an  opportunity to purchase a Joe
Filisko custom when he was still taking orders,  and when you launched I
thought - wow, how great that there is a new company  taking innovative
approaches to design and manufacturing.  I know  running a business is hard,
and I am sure you tried your best, and your  failure at that is 
disappointing
- but what is egregious is how you have  handled this situation with your
customers.  You have had my money - in  full for almost a year and I have
never, not once had a single direct  communication about my order - always
the same newsletter saying you're  trying to get the orders out.  And then
the first direct communication I  have is to tell me that you are shutting
down and have bait and switched my  order to some unknown, not named company
that should be contacting me  shortly....and you have the temerity to send
that from a do-not-reply email  address.



That leaves me little recourse but to go out to the  social networks and
shout from the mountain top that Brad Harrison, and his  company Bradical
were nothing but smoke and mirrors and a total scam.   Shame on you.  I will
be contacting Visa to get my money back.

Truly disappointed in your actions,

Drew MacFadyen"