Harrison Harmonicas, agora com Michael Peloquin

Imagino que alguns já conheçam as tais gaitas Harrison, fabricadas em Chicago por uma startup que pretende jogar no mercado uma gaita de qualidade supostamente muito boa. Dos comentários que eu ouvi offline alguns anos atrás, parece que o lance é sério e que o sujeito realmente investiu em processos inovadores e deve conseguir cumprir a promessa dele.



A gaita chama B-Radical e já está disponível para pre-order para entrega em meados de Janeiro do ano que vem. Tem vídeo de caras do naipe do Jason Ricci detonando a gaita no youtube já, mas é o tal negócio, eu só acredito vendo e tocando.



O Michael Peloquin mandou um email, provavelmente para o pessoal que se cadastrou no site deles, explicando como ele se tornou sócio do Brad, o cara que abriu essa startup. O Michael me autorizou a publicar o email, então aí vai (não vou traduzir, mas qq coisa o google traduz)

To all of our fellow fanatical harmonica friends,

I have been the beneficiary of musical bliss for the last ten years as a direct result of knowing Brad Harrison. I am a professional harmonica player and I have relied on Brad’s craftsmanship and research to provide instruments that I consider to be the Ferrari of harmonicas. Brad understands what makes this small, seemingly simple instrument tick unlike anyone else out there doing this kind of work.

I am now a partner with Brad in Harrison Harmonicas, Inc. (we just Incorporated!). He has designed the innovative B-radical and is ready to take the harmonica world by storm by combining his passion for his instrument and craft with hi-tech production methods.

When Brad offered me a chance to be a partner in this exciting new venture, I jumped at the chance based on the strength of Brad’s skills as a craftsman, my craftsman that has helped to move my music!

I know that many of you reading this have invested and supported Harrison Harmonicas though your pre-order commitments to our collective dream: a high quality, harmonica INSTRUMENT Made in the USA. I knew from the outset that this would be a tall order, but I would have never guessed how tall! All along during this pre-sale, we have promised Fall 2009 (yes 2009) delivery of this fine instrument. I hate to bring up the fine print, but we do have almost 3 more weeks of Fall. It is getting cold here in Illinois, my home state. This brings me to another issue.

Please understand my commitment to this company. After 26 years in the Utopian island that I feel that Northern California is, I am fully moving back to the frigid tundra of Northern Illinois. I have so many musical and personal relationships that I am leaving behind . I am changing my life in most ways for the instrument that has given my life so much joy over the last 33 years. I do not take this decision lightly and I ask that none of you do either. Brad Harrison and this company will be successful and make most of our customers happy and we will not be perfect, but always striving for that brass ring of perfection.

Please have patience, we are working 14 hour days to give birth to this bouncing baby of a company. I understand some of the frustration, I do own about 3-4 dozen customized diatonic harmonicas, I believe that I paid 50% to full in advance for most of them.

I must go to bed now. Tomorrow I need to get up and talk with 4 more Made in USA vendors, revamp a website, setup a production facility, and bring Brad some more coffee. Thank you all for your support, kind words of encouragement, patience and understanding. This thing will work out, for all of us.

Music Is The Answer,

Michael Peloquin

1997 Harmonica World Champion

Currently residing somewhere in the USA

Prá quem não conhece, Michael Peloquin faz parte da geração X de gaitistas que começaram a modernizar a diatônica: Joe Filisko, Howard Levy, Carlos Del Junco, Allen Holmes, Dennis Gruenling, Chris Michalek, entre outros. Aqueles caras que todo mundo devia escutar.

Prá quem gosta de gaita rapidinha, prato cheio. Vídeo de velocidade em gaita com Jason Ricci, LD Miller, Michael Peloquin, Jay Guant, Brandon Bailey. Quéde o John Popper e o Sugar Blue? ;-)



Ah sim, o Michael Peloquin tb mandou um link prá um survey que ele está fazendo, e eu mandei uma tradução em português das perguntas para ele já, só que o survey dele tava com 2 perguntas repetidas, então estou aguardando ele publicar o link do survey corrigido. Basicamente, ele quer saber se as pessoas topam pagar e esperar um pouco mais para terem as gaitas personalizadas a laser. Chegando o link, eu aviso.