Musical relations gallery

Harmen & Julie performing to their guests at Waima Lodge.
Julie plays a C. F. Martin 0016 DBM. Harmen plays a Taylor AB1 acoustic bass.
Covering Joni Mitchel, Karol King, James Taylor, Joan Baez, Van Morrison, Annie Lennox and more.




































Dorland, Tim & Harmen (hence D.T.H.) Under the Grafton Bridge. Skiffle with wonk: Albums 
(undiscovered) "Life's too long" Cutting Room Floor (Deleted & X rated)






































Harmen with his latest and most successful string drum (skiffle Bass)


This bass is made from a Beverly Bass drum shell that I found in a junk shop in Auckland for
$ 5.00.
I removed every second tensioning lug so that only 4 remained. These lugs provide the mounting for the legs. I welded some tube clamps inside the lugs which adjust with a wing screw from the inside of the shell. This allows me to adjust the height of the shell from the ground ( for different players ).

The shell is finished with an iridescent fabric resined to the surface and clear finished in lacquer, The feather is my own custom paint job.
The sound board is made of high quality mahogany plywood ( 3 ply ). The string is spectra braid 1/4 inch ( 4mm. ) this is a braided cord that is used exclusively for control lines in small sailing boats. Spectra has zero stretch and fantastic tonal qualities. The sheath of this cord is soft to the touch which saves blisters when playing for hours.

The pole I hand carved from a native timber called Red Matipo into a design reminiscent of the
native people of New Zealand ( Maori ). The wood is extremely dense and rigid.
I get 3 octaves in the key of G.

I have an AKG concert microphone installed permanently under the sound board which enables me to DI during concert or recording conditions.
My personal amplifier is a Jansen 50 watt bassman valve amp (copy of a Fender Bassman built in NZ in the 1960s) through a quad box with 4x12 in speakers.















My treasured 1961 Jansen valve amp & quad.

Everyone is astounded at the tonality and punch of this bass. It is the best bass of my experimental range to date. I'm still thinking about ways to improve though fixing what ain't broke keeps me working with this one for the time being.

The bass and I feature on several albums of NZ music including
The Jews Brothers Band 3 albums, "Live at Gerhards Cafe", "My Yiddish Swing" & "Too Much Talent"
The Blue Bottom Stompers "But is it Folk? Live at the Auckland Folk Festival".
Graham Brazier's "East of Eden"
Richard Watt's "Songs From Down the Line" and
Lorina Harding's Award winning album "Clean Break"


Among my many collaborations I have played drums or bass with:

The Ink Spots, Billy T James, Tama Renata, Caitlin Smith, Nigel Gavin, Richard Adams, Lin Lorkin, Peter Scott, Eddie Rayner, Don Hopkins, Malcolm Green, Gumbo Fever, Yaneck Croydon, The Blue Bottom Stompers, Tim Heraud, Dorland Bray, Finn Andrews, Tommy Adderly, Tommy Ferguson, Garry Clark, Gary Harvey, Kerry Adams, Grant Bridger, Frankie Rowles, Jodie Vaughn, Kelvin Hair, Kelvin Roy, Neill Duncan, Bill and Kath Worsfold, Kerrin Worsfold, Miranda Adams, Micheal Young, Diane Ponzio, Don McGlashin, ...