You change keys by swapping out the harmonica, which takes seconds. I’ve looked into pitch shifting, to see if one could transpose to a different key without having to switch harps. It’s theoretically possible with a pedal like a Boss Harmonist or EHX Pitchfork which would shift the amplified tone, but it might be confusing to the player’s ear because the harmonica in the Harmonicaster is still sounding in it’s natural key while the amplified tone is pitch shifted.

“you guys” is me, with some feedback from players, help from some folks doing digital design and Jeff Lace, at Lace Music, who has worked with me on developing the pickups. The latest revision uses a purpose-designed version of the Lace Alumitone pickup that is just 1/16″ thick and weigh less than a half ounce. Jeff and I think it’s the thinnest, lightest guitar-type pickup in existence.

Wow! Are you in either video? The player or “Ray?” Based on the description and videos it appears you guys nailed it, including the name. Perfect!

I know it can be done downstream, with an inline electronic device, but did you put any thought in a switch to change keys on the harmonicaster itself, like the volume and tone control sliders? Sort of like a capo on a guitar?

You play harp? You might be interested in the electric harmonica I’ve developed: http://www.harmonicaster.com
It’s a bit more than $7, but then so is a Marine Band these days.

https://townhall.com/tipsheet/bethbaumann/2021/03/13/is-wa-gov-jay-inslee-single-handedly-responsible-for-americas-covid-outbreak-n2586203

He’s safe, though, King Jay hasn’t been frisky with the other sex AFAWK.

I had the idea you two might have crossed paths. IIRC Barger disappeared down a wormhole during an 80s Lisp Machines Era project attempting to achieve AI Takeoff by Taxonomising Everything and somehow recursed himself into some kind of fugue state which from time to time would output copious chunks of Robot Wisdom.

Came across his Finnegan’s Wake annotations in the mid-late 90s and became a fan for a while and then he disappeared.

Appears to have hopped from Monomania to Monomania… and unfortunately finally landed upon the most unprofitable monomania square of all and did not collect $200. Or just burned out. Dunno.

https://youtu.be/ghHhRklLQzE

I’d like some Santa Claus-modified snow peas, please.

TommyJay:

As I recall, I read it on the back cover of a late 70s Kottke album. The photo was B&W and showed him close-up in profile drying off his dog at the beach.

That was a clever link. If only we had more decisive refutations of claims such as “geese farts on a muggy day.”

Haven’t heard of Jorn Barger before. He seems to be my more famous doppelganger. We went to New College around the same time, he stuck it out at Stephen Gaskin’s Farm for six months, while I was content to visit, and we worked on computer games in the 80s.

Maybe I’ll try to look him up sometime. He’s in New Mexico.

I was wrong. Corrina, Corrina isn’t a Dylan song though the did perform it. It is a “traditional”(?) first recorded by Bo Carter.

I like that link. If Jorn Barger (is he still around?) had taken up musicology, there would be more of this material out there.

Not much up on geese farting on a muggy day — roasting them seems to put a stop to it — but Humid Springtime out here is the season of frogs fornicating in drains. Some of the more intelligent avian predators hang around the exits and feast upon overworked frogs popping up for a restorative smoke.