Neil Graham - The story so far...
That's Neil. Ain't he a peach?
Neil William Graham, born 1946
Trade background
12 years experience as boilermaker/welder /fitter ,specialising in machine building.
15 years experience as wrought iron worker and general blacksmith (self employed)specialising in decorative domestic ironware and tool sharpening/hardening and tempering .
4 years experience as commercial fisher.Master class 5/engineer grade 3/fishing.
My trade experience has been invaluable to me as a free reed technician.It has enabled me to better understand the properties of various metals and to create specific tools for the harmonica workshop.
As a technician.
I began repairing stock harmonicas in 1994 , replacing reeds and retuning,adjusting offsets etc.
In 1998 I began serious customisation experiments(inspired by the work of the master Joe Filisko)and delivered my first customised Marine Band for sale In 1999.Since then I have been working full time as a customiser providing highly responsive diatonics to pros and amateur players worldwide.
Musical experience
Vocals/Harmonica/Dobro/Jews harpMy musical career began in 1966 as lead harmonica player in Ray Rivamontes backing group.Winning heat 14 of Channell 9's"Kevin Dennis New Faces"led to further telivision appearances on "In Melbourne Tonight" and the "Bert Newton Show"plus a run of concerts and coffee lounge gigs prior to Ray's departure for the U.S.A.
Continuing to back singer /guitarists on the Melbourne coffee lounge circuit I performed regularly with John Graham and others up until 1968.
Throughout the 1970s I fronted as singer/harmonica player in a number of Melbourne's blues bands, and was also ocasionally seen as guest artist with bands as diverse as Captain Matchbox, Pigface and Madder Lake.
Following a move to the New South Wales south coast in 1980,I featured as a regular local performer with various line-ups culminating in a five-year full time commitment as front man for Blue Roots {1993-1998}.
The release of the C.D. "Hangin With The Dog"(1996) showcased some of my original songs via radio airplay.Rythms Magazine placed it in their top 20 releases for 1996 and P.B.S. radio in their top 10.
In 2001 , I attended the World Harmonica Festival and was rated 8th in the World Harmonica Championship with a rating of 'excellent' in the category of Folk/Blues Diatonic.
In 2002, a Churchill Fellowship enabled me to travel extensively in the United States. This fellowship gave me the opportunity to interact and learn from some of the best and most respected harmonica players/technicians in the world.
My experience as a player has given me an insight into solving many of the problems suffered by harmonica players.
Some people who deserve thanks
St. Jim - Ad Gloria Harmonica
Jim Conway is famous for his work as a harmonica player. He is also extremely active in the capacity of what he calls being a Facilitator.
This involves hours on the telephone in an effort to get the right people together at the right time in order for some grand vision to come to fruition.
This has proven to be very successful for Jim, and if he worked for an oil company he would be very wealthy. However he works for musicians mostly, and I think he does all this for the love of seeing important things happen rather than to make money.
When I say important things, I mean really important things in relation to our music . As for my part, it began when Jim suggested that I learn to retune my harmonicas in order to save myself money.
After he taught me the technique, I was shown a copy of Steve Bakers' book, The Harp Handbook (highly recommended) and it became the beginning of my journey into the microcosm of the harmonica.
Mind you, I've been tootin' away on the little devils since the mid sixties and I'm your classic total nutcase!
So it was that some years ago Jim told me about Joe Filisko and how he was customizing harps and making them sound great. By this time, the seed Jim had sown had sprouted and I was replacing reeds in my harps and putting gaskets in them to stop air leaks.
I telephoned Joe Filisko and inquired about his harps, prices etc, as I really wanted to try them.
Poverty stepped into the arena and I never did get a cheque in the mail to Joe for one of his harps (for this I kick myself).
Jim started to become a bit insistent that I take this stuff seriously. By this time he had tried one of Joe's harps and was really frustrated by the fact that there was a two year wait because of the huge demand for one mans' services.
So it was that I began experimenting with ways to improve the basic stock harp, and hopefully get some kind of improvement happening.
I'd send Jim a harp that I'd fiddled with and he would tell me what he thought.
What he thought was that my harps tasted nice but they didn't play really well.
Then he would say nice things like "you're on the right track" and "I bet you're having fun".
I said that I was glad he liked the taste (beeswax on the wooden comb) but that I was finding the whole deal a bit frustrating and was not having much fun.
By this time the challenge had become an obsession. It happened that one of Jim's close friends, Doug, loaned him a Filisko marine band 1896. Doug very kindly loaned the harp to me through Jim and I was given permission to play the instrument and check it out to see if I could discover what made it tick.
I'll never forget the thrill of that first note.... so easy rich, full and warm.
Joe Filisko is a legend for what he has done for our instrument.
When you play a Filisko it is not like anything you have done before. I reckon there's a little bit of
Joe's soul in there 'cause they sound so good and they feel so nice to hold.
To make a long story short, after many years repairing harmonicas for myself and other players, I embarked on a mission to give Jim Conway an instrument commensurate with his greatness as a player.
After 12 months painstaking research (which involved the ruining of countless harmonica parts )I realised some moderate success and received a proposal of marriage from Jim on receipt of my latest effort (this I declined with regret).
These days the work never stops and your 's truly is fully employed creating harmonicas that are receiving acclaim from pro's and amateur's alike.
The study of the airflow characteristics of harmonicas has become an important part of my work.
Without Jim Conway, I wouldn't be doing this work that I love so passionately and I would like to thank him for persevering with someone who was initially a bit slow on the uptake.
When I hear Jim play his customised Marine Bands, I hear the music he makes. The tone has improved and sure, he sounds greater than ever, but I always reckon he made great music on Lee Oskars anyway.
I am constantly trying to improve my work so that he (and you dear reader)can have available, harmonicas of the highest quality, because in my book nothing's too good for Jim .
I would also like to thank Joe Filisko for changing my life. Thanks also, to Richard Sleigh for his kindness and encouragement ...............Neil Graham. 1998 (edited 2004)
To be continued...
While you're online, why not visit some good mates of mine
Old friend and life mentor .A.K.A "that pesky Jim Conway"I love hearing him play his N.G.custom marine bands ........he makes them sound so good!
http://www.ramoshandmadeharmonicas.de
Tony and I have much in common!He is a great mate who produces very classy hand built custom harmonicas
http://www.customharmonicas.com
This is where it all began for me! Filisko Harmonicas.....My benchmark for excellence.
Judy Jaques my old friend ....the voice! Check out her latest award winning album "Making Wings"
Cutting edge guitars and a great Assie sense of humour.....golf anyone?
Tony Ayers, If you like Irish and Bluegrass fiddle tunes played with feeling and finesse on diatonic harmonica then this site is a must. Superlatives escape me!