Reply To: Hohner Melodica, classic versus new

#3794
Lowboy
Participant

Hohner, Suzuki, Yamaha, and others:

Let me give you some million-dollar ideas to start brainstorming within your organizations:

1. Create more melodicas with the sound holes on the back so that volume and timbre can me modulated by moving the melodica towards and away from your chest and stomach.

2. Create some melodicas with a darker, smoother timbre.

3. Similar to the Suzuki Pro37v2 melodion, create a single sound hole at the bottom of the instrument, perhaps with an internal or external trumpet-like bell. Insulate the instrument so that all sound is emitted from the bell or sound hole. Provide a means for holding the instrument at the sound hole and enabling the player to cup and uncup the sound hole with her hand to module volume and timbre.

4. Use your knowledge to design reeds that can bend notes easier. Make them part of replaceable reed plates so that when the player blows out a reed, they can easily replace the reed plate. (Make big money selling replacement reed plates every couple of months to us players that love to play hard and bend notes.)

5. Give us an extra set of channels (or an internal valve) and a button to press that will enable us to draw as well as blow. (Think accordion, harmonica.)

6. Make a “blues” keyboard harmonica.

7. Create channels that will direct some of the air at an angle to the reed to enhance bending, or give us a button that will change the flow of air at the reed to enhance bending.

I have many more ideas. When you start to make millions of dollars on one of these ideas, I will be approaching retirement. Please send me a check for half a million. How about $100,000?

Regards,

Lowboy

Back to top button