It began as a diversion; we would go to a little restaurant within falling distance on Pacific Coast Highway for a drinkie-poo and pass the time. The Glide'Er Inn is a real original, period place that used to be next to the runway at the Crawford Airport. In 1943, the building was moved across the corner to where it now stands, just before the Seal Beach Naval Weapons Station took over. (The airport is a memory) Every inch of the place is decorated with models, photos and flight memorabilia and is a joy to visit in its own right. (The food is excellent and the prime rib is highly recommended) NOTE: The Glider' has become a trendy stop. The food's still good but I don't play there.
Karla Benzl (God rest her soul), saw a benefit in having music in the bar area. The first guy played solo to pre-recorded cassettes (he did all the parts himself). Diane, my wife, urged me to play and I did a couple of sets. This quickly became a regular affair and for the next 3 years I crashed at least one set with every musician (or group) that appeared there - mostly traditional & oldies for the dinner crowd but a sprinkle of jazz later on in the evening.
I had been using an Electrophonic cassette-recorder mic - about 5" long and not quite 7/8" diameter at the business end. This served me well enough, plugged into the vocal PA system, until I became aware of tone and started to try to refine my cupping technique. I knew there was a better way and being an itinerant tinkerer, I had to experiment.
My first idea was to use the minimum microphone - perhaps a tiny electret in a foam blob - held between the fingers or around one with a ring of the wire (à la Leon Wortman) So I scrounged all the electret cartridges within reach and blew harp through them. This worked except the feedback was intolerable (most cheapie electrets are omnidirectional). My goal was to create (or preserve) a cardioid-type response in the little world inside my cupped hands.
It seems there is a patron saint for harmonica players (or maybe itinerant tinkerers) because my first choice worked great (maybe because it was the most expensive commercial electret around). But it did what I wanted, and was small enough to go where it needed to, so I went with it. The all-rubber body was a compromise between foam and metal, weight and strength and, it happened to be available.
A volume control is a must for a professional harmonica microphone. The challenge was finding one that was small enough, didn't cost $18 and could tolerate the abuse of on-stage use. Several samples were rejected for cost and fragility but, fortunately, technology rose to the occasion and a new product was introduced at just the right time in my product development cycle that would fit the bill. This almost caused a 6-month delay since, as a new product, enough orders had to be placed with the manufacturer in order for my particular configuration to be produced. I was able to get around this by reworking a more popular model in the meantime.
So, this cute, soft, little microphone works, but it still doesn't sound any better than the Electrophonic. In fact, it sounds just like a harmonica. But, I wanted to sound like Muddy Flats (whomever - insert appropriate pioneer harmonica player). Since the mic needed a battery, electronics could be used to beef up the tone but I knew it would be a cold day in Hades before I could make me sound like that. Well, I went to work. I began with the idea of trying to get the sound of an old crystal mic, through an old tube amp, (with a torn speaker), cranked up as high as it would go. If I could do that, (and add about 20 years experience to my technique), I might have a chance.
Fortune smiles. I serendipitously stumble on a simple solution. Here's where I start doing all the research I should have done at the beginning of the project - but nowhere can I find this technique used (as a sound effect). A limiter that gives you even harmonics? "This can't be original. (Can it?)" I think to myself. "It's so simple but it sounds just right!"
I hastily cobble up a prototype and take it to the best proving ground I can think of - The Blue Cafe' (Long Beach CA). The alpha test goes well, the harp player (in Bourbon Jones) is happy with the ease of use, but the sound needs work. Back to the "lab" I go, (this is a garage operation in the truest sense) reworking, refining, squeezing the sound, and thinking, "fat", "fat", "fat" (or at least pear-shaped). The results don't come as easy this time. Many trials, few successes; it's as elusive as I thought it would be to begin with. I listen again and again to the masters, trying to hear what it is that they got, where they get it and how I'm gonna put it in that little box.
It seems I have come close. It sounded good (enough) to me and enough people (3?) told me it sounded good enough to them for me to go ahead and try to sell it to the harmonica playing public. One usually has to make compromises; in this case it was between simplicity ($) and getting the sound. The sound isn't perfect, (as if I would know it if I heard it) but it's a good start and with a "proper" amp (and artist technique) can be as good as any. The ability to get a good sound plugged straight in to a P.A. system was one of the original goals of the project and this has been achieved (as far as I can tell). The ability to cup the harp comfortably (I think) is the real beauty of this gadget. The electronics were added to overcome the super-clean sound of the microphone element, and this way you get both and anywhere in-between.
I must admit the device is underpriced. There are a number of hold-your-breath, micro-operations involved, but I didn't begin this project with the idea of getting rich. I just wanted to make my investment back and have some fun.(...and to prove to myself that I really CAN have a good idea) Along the way I am learning more than I ever wanted to know about starting a business, product development, scheduling, TAXES, supplier management, acoustics, parcel delivery systems, business licensing, marketing, materials compatibility, etc., did I mention TAXES? -You get the picture. Don't get me wrong, it's still fun, but I didn't think about all the work that goes into being in business two years ago when I wondered, "Now, how can I do this better?"
To hear the results of my effort, you may call up my website:
http://www.harmonicahonker.com
Newly revised, it has sound and some pictures.
My e-mail address is: alan@harmonicahonker.com