Built to Order Custom Big River Harp

Important Announcement

September 9, 2024

Effective immediately, I will not be accepting orders for Built-to-Order Custom Harmonicas until further notice.   As of this moment, I have enough orders on my bench to keep me busy for at least the next 5-6 months.  Given how busy my personal life and schedule will be for the rest of the year, it makes little sense to continue taking orders which will only push me further behind schedule. 

This will not affect orders for Custom Combs, Custom Covers, Tools, Logo Wear or Sonny Terry Estate items.  All that will be business as usual.  Orders for those products will be shipped immediately.  In addition, as we speak, I am in the process of adding some new products to my offerings.  New comb materials.  Exciting new colors.  A line of tools for doing harmonica repair and customization.

After I am caught up, I to offer more Ready-to-Go Custom Harmonicas.  I am not opposed to doing Built-to-Order Harps in the future, but I do think it will be on a much more limited basis than what I have done in the past.

My apologies if this catches you by surprise.  I am at a point in my life when it is time for me to make some adjustments in the way I do business.  It is time for me to draw a line in the sand and move forward.

Thank you for your understanding and your support.

Tom

The Big River Harp is a member of the Hohner MS-Series family of harmonicas.  MS stands for “Modular System” which means that any part of a MS-Series harmonica - reed plates, covers, comb – is interchangeable with any other MS-Series harmonica.   Also included in this family of harmonicas are the Blues Harp, MeisterKlasse and Pro Harp.  There have been several other MS-Series harps made that are no longer in production, however, the parts from the discontinued MS-Series harmonicas still fit those that are still in production.  The Big River Harp features brass reed plates and reeds and sturdy Stainless-Steel covers. The stock Big River comb is made from Injection Molded ABS Plastic. The ABS comb will be replaced with a custom Blue Moon Harmonicas MS-Series Comb of your choosing when you design your Built-to-Order Custom Big River Harp.  Blue Moon offers custom combs for the MS-Series made from five different materials and a wide variety of colors.  All our combs are precision CNC Milled from solid blocks of material.

1. Solid Surface (like Dupont™ Corian®)
2. Fancy Acrylic
3. 6061 Aircraft Grade Aluminum
4. Brass
5. Phenolic Resins

As you design your Built-to-Order Custom Big River you will have a variety of options to choose from so that you can order your harmonica exactly the way you want it.  Here are your options:

1. Model – Big River
   
   
2. Comb Material – Choose from one of five different materials
   
   
3. Key – the Big River Harp is available in 12 major keys
   
   
4. Comb Color
   
   

1. Setup – we offer two different setups
   1. Traditional Blues Setup – ideal for playing classic Chicago Style Blues, Rock, Country, Gospel and Folk.
   2. Overblow/Overdraw Setup – ideal for making full use of the chromatic possibilities on the diatonic harmonica via the use of Overblows and Overdraws. (Extra Charge Applies)
      
      
2. Temperament – We offer a multitude of different temperaments:
   1. MS-Series Compromise Temperament – This is the Default Temperament
   2. Modern Compromise Temperament – The Current Marine Band 1896 and Special 20 Temperament
   3. 19-Limit Just Intonation – the Temperament used for the Marine Band from 1985 – 1992
   4. 7-Limit Just Intonation – the original Marine Band 1896 Temperament used until 1985
   5. Equal Temperament – the Temperament used on the Golden Melody
      
      
3. Specialty Tunings (Optional):
   1. Country Tuning – 5 Draw raised a half step
   2. Major 7^th – 5 Draw and 9 Draw raised a half step
   3. Todd Parrott Tuning - 7 Draw tuned down half step
   4. Paddy Richter Tuning – 3 Blow raised a full step
   5. Natural Minor
   6. Harmonic Minor

All the options are menu driven.  Very easy to navigate.  The MS-Series Temperament and the Traditional Blues Setup are the default settings.  All the other Temperaments, Setups and Specialty Tunings are optional.

A few words about Build Time and Expected Delivery Dates

These are Built-to-Order Custom Harmonicas.  They are NOT Ready-to-Go.  You design it – we build it. The Big River Harp is available in 12 different keys.  Blue Moon offers 26 different custom combs for the Big River Harp.  Just looking at those two variables – 12 keys times 26 different combs – there are 312 different possible combinations.  Factor in the additional options of two different Setups, 5 different Temperaments and 6 Specialty Tuning Options and there are 18,720 different possible combinations.  We have a large supply of Big River Harps in stock.  If we run out, Hohner has a warehouse full of them and we can get them quickly.  We have over 300 custom MS-Series Combs in stock.  We can’t make them as quickly as we can get more harmonicas from Hohner, but rest assured, if we run low, we will make more and keep our inventory up to date.  All the harps are prepped as far as we can take them prior to knowing exactly what you want.  So, we are geared up for this project and are committed to getting your harps out to you ASAP.  Still, give us a month or so to be on the safe side.  Thank you in advance for your patience.

100 % SATISFACTION GUARANTEE

Blue Moon Harmonicas LLC stands behind everything we offer with a 100% Satisfaction Guarantee.  If, for ANY REASON, you are not completely satisfied, please speak up.  We will do everything in our power to make things right.  That might include making adjustments to your custom harmonica, exchanging the product for something else or refunding your money.  That is your call.  We just want you to be happy.  So, please do not hesitate to communicate with us.

ONE YEAR COMPREHENSIVE WARRANTY

Every Custom Harmonica comes with a Top to Bottom One Year Warranty.  If ANYTHING goes wrong with your harp in the first year, we will fix it at NO CHARGE.  This includes blown out reeds or anything else that can go wrong with a harp.  After one year, we will service your harp for a flat rate of $25.00.  That would include cleaning, tuning, replacing any blown-out reeds and in general, making the harp look and play like the day you got it.