Here is a totally new challenge based on a totally new harmonica, Brendan Power’s amazing new Slider Bass single mouthpiece system for chromatic double bass harmonicas. Brendan has recently been brewing up novel concepts to exploit his 3-D printing capabilities and this may represent the pinnacle of his technology.
Brendan Power’s Slider Bass Harmonica page.
Brendan makes Slider Bass components for the Hohner 265 and its big brother the 268 as well as the Suzuki double bass. This particular case was for a Hohner 265.
These harmonicas are large, very heavy, have a slide button and they take an odd triangular cross-sectional shape. As a result, they won’t fit in their original wooden case. All four of these factors make for a special challenge for the leather worker. I decided to take a modified Doctor’s bag approach with two half-lids closing clamshell-style over the harmonica as opposed to a square box-type case. Due to its weight I decided to include a handle. You don’t want one of these babies slipping out of your hands!
This case conforms to the shape of the instrument but there was a further challenge because the back of the harp (towards the bottom inside the case) has a hinge that protrudes beyond the flat and angled surfaces formed by the back sides of the harp’s two halves. I designed a fitted leather “cradle” base that keeps the harmonica stable in its upright (vertical) position and won’t let it roll side to side inside the case.
A standard feature with all my cases for chromatic harmonicas with a slide button is a pigskin-covered protective wooden block that prevents the harp from slipping inside the case so the slide cannot get pushed spuriously. Also standard are pigskin patches that cover any metal snap or rivet inside the case.
The result is a shape-conforming case that holds the Slider-Bass very snugly. The instrument can touch no metal parts and cannot shift around, so that the button cannot be pushed by the sheer inertia of this big harmonica once it’s inside the case.
I’m quite proud of this case and am certain that it provides a safe and protective home for this exciting breakthrough new Power Slider-Bass chromatic harmonica.
Please see the Contact, Ordering and Pricing Information page for details on how to purchase such a case for your new Power Slide Bass harmonica.