Patrick Barker
1 post
Feb 16, 2008
10:28 AM
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I've been playing harp and piano with a band, and after trying to play a harp solo over a loud drummer, I've been looking for an amp. I've allready bought a green bullet mic and I am also on a pretty low budget, so I would like to get something $200 or less. For that price range, I've heard that the original pignose amp, the epiphone valve jr, and the fender champ 600 are good. If anyone else has suggestions for a low budget amp, please post a response.
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harpinonfire
2 posts
Feb 16, 2008
2:32 PM
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check out ebay. that is where I picked all mine, including pignose and 2 mouse amps.
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Explorz
1 post
Feb 17, 2008
2:21 PM
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Check out a classic kalamazoo from:
http://www.blowsmeaway.com/index.html
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Scoltx
3 posts
Feb 17, 2008
3:01 PM
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This one looks interesting,5watt Class A, the
Peavey ValveKing Royal 8
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Peavey-ValveKing-Royal-8-Tube-Guitar-Combo-Amp?sku=481661
Has master volume control and tone control unlike the Epiphone. And gets a favourable review from at least one harp player. (not me, never tried it).
http://reviews.harmony-central.com/reviews/Guitar+Amp/product/Peavey/Valve+King+Royal+8/10/1
I'm contemplating the Hohner Hoodoo Box to replace my Peavey Classic 30 but the Hohner isn't shipping yet, I'd like to see a review, and is a little more than your budget.
Scoltx
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BronxHarp
1 post
Feb 17, 2008
5:00 PM
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I recently got a Jay Terser Classic 25 amp (with Celestion speakers) for $200 and for my needs it's terrific.
I guess I'm about an intermediate player and have begun jamming with friends. I needed some amplification but didn't want to spend a ton of money on the best amp ever. I just wanted the ability to get a somewhat dirty sound and be heard above the guitar, bass and drums. At my level, I feel obsessing over equipment can be a big distraction. Channeling that obsessive energy and time into practice is the better way to go I think.
Anyway, the Jay Terser amp (and here's a link for it at $179 http://www.instrumentpro.com/P-JAYCLA25RC?source=froogle ) is a great buy. Great sound (though probably not the best sound ever -- but then again at this stage I probably can't tell what the best sound ever is) and a beautiful retro wood cabinet look.
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oldwailer
3 posts
Feb 17, 2008
9:42 PM
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The Pignose Hog 30 is my choice--the batteries are rechargable and last about 3 to 4 hours even with three mikes fed in through a little Berringer mixer. I don't know if it will get the amount of grit you want--but it sure does the job for me.
I got one on Ebay for about 60 bucks--I think they run around 150 new--but I don't know for sure.
I do some street playing, so the battery capability was important to me.
Oldwailer
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bohemian
1 post
Feb 18, 2008
3:01 PM
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I play thru a Boss DD-3 with a passive splitter out to an Epiphone Valve Jr and Lab Series L-5 2X12
The Lab Series L-5 is the sam e amp used by BB King... Mine dates to 1979. Some say it was one of the only soild state amps that sounded like it had tubes.
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kudzurunner
2 posts
Feb 18, 2008
3:13 PM
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If I didn't already have a 54 Deluxe, 56 Bassman, 62 Premiere Twin-8, an early 60s Kay, and a Mouse, I'd throw down the $650 or so that Brian Purdy gets for his Harpgear 1. It's the best small harp amp I've tried. Brian did NOT pay me to say this, BTW. I just really like the amp.
I spoke with Brian today and he tells me that Jason Ricci used a new, bigger Harpgear amp (50 Watts?) on his last couple of gigs and liked it so much that he may be putting his great-sounding Bassman reissue aside for a while. This is just a dirty, nasty rumor, but there may be some truth to it.
--Adam G.
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harpestry
8 posts
Feb 18, 2008
4:08 PM
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Yep, I bought a HarpGear 2 last year and it is a great little amp. Definitely worth the money.
Last Edited by on Feb 18, 2008 4:09 PM
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harper13
4 posts
Feb 19, 2008
5:40 AM
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I think Jason is gonna use this new harpgear amp. Check out hapgear.com website, there is few video with this new amp.
I was gonna buy HG30 but now I am thinking about that bigger one. Can anybody tell is that a big soud diffrence bettwen those two amps? (I am not thinking about loud level)
Thanks.
Peter
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NG
1 post
Feb 19, 2008
12:10 PM
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Can anyone suggest a reliable website for modification tips on fender bassman reissues?
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68Champ
2 posts
Feb 19, 2008
6:30 PM
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Oddly enough...I use a 68 Champ...
The price was right as well--FREE!
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bluzlvr
5 posts
Feb 21, 2008
2:00 PM
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I recently purchased a Roland Micro Cube to woodshed guitar on, and was pleasantly suprised at the sound I got when I plugged a harp mic (Astatic JT30) into it. It comes in handy for woodshedding amplified harp with the headphones plugged in without waking up the neighbors. It's a pretty versatile little amp for $125, but way, way too small for gigs. (At least gigs with a full on band....)
Last Edited by on Feb 21, 2008 2:02 PM
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Tweed
2 posts
Feb 21, 2008
7:07 PM
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bluzlvr
Thanks or your comment on the Micro Cube. I've looked at spec sheet on line but can find no reference to the mic input impedance. Several Shure mics require a matching transformer when plugged into a guitar amp. Does your Astatic plug directly into the Cube? I'm just starting to play harp with a band and really need to get used to the amplified sound.
Also does anyone know how the Micro Cube compares with the Mouse that AG uses?
Tweed
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bluzlvr
6 posts
Feb 22, 2008
1:50 PM
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Hi Tweed
The only mic I've tried with it is the Astatic, right into the cube, but I'm sure any mic will work as it has a setting for "mic". For harp I've put the settings at "black panel" with the gain all the way up and the tone all the way to low, and a little bit of delay. I've found that the tone through the little five inch speaker is kinda tinny, but we're not talking about a 4by10 Bassman here. It's nice to be able to woodshed "amplified" with headphones in the middle of the night relativly quietly. And it's a great practice amp for guitar. Your local music store might carry them and I'm sure they'd let you try it out.
Bluzlvr
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mojojojo
3 posts
Feb 24, 2008
2:03 AM
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I got that little retro Honeytone amp for practice. I also got a small microphone to make the deal portable. It turns out the little mic sounds fine directly plugged into it, unlike a more expensive Shure, which sounds weak.
Maybe it has to do with the impedance (500 ohms +/-30% at 1Khz?). Anyways, the whole deal fits in a compact camcorder shoulder bag.
About US$50 in total.
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Jaybird
2 posts
Feb 24, 2008
7:25 AM
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The original post requested info on a good starter amp for under $200.
Roland Micro Cube!
Don't laugh if you haven't tried one. I have TWO of them.
Teriffic for harmonica. The numerous built-in effects and amp modeling choices will let you tailor your sound to be as clean or dirty as you wish. Also, add reverb or delay, as necessary. Has Aux input (line-in) for playing along with a back-up track.
One "cube" is plenty loud for it's size. With one by itself, you can be heard well up to 20 feet away. Want to be REALLY LOUD? I connect TWO cubes using passive splitters, and place them about 5 feet apart. One of Adam's videos explains the advantages of using two or more small amps instead of one large one. He's right. Want to be LOUDER on stage? Place a stage mic in front of your cube.
Very versatile.
Easily use the "cubes" as a portable recording studio. I use one "cube" to create and mix my sound. Then I connect the splitter into the "rec out / phones" jack. Next, connect one output (of the splitter) to my other cube (to monitor the sound) and the other splitter output into a recording device. I have a battery operated mp3 recorder.
Runs a real long time (like 8+ hrs.) on 6XAA batteries, or plugs in. Great for street playing.
Roland Micro Cube is a great value. Get a brand new one on eBay for about 100 bucks. Used ones sell for 85-90, including shipping.
Someday I'd like to be one of the best harp street players ever. I made a couple YouTube videos, completly on battery power, of me playing out in the desert. The desert, forest, mountains, etc. is my "woodshed".
www.youtube.com/jaybird33066
Last Edited by on Mar 07, 2008 8:23 PM
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bluzlvr
7 posts
Feb 24, 2008
1:30 PM
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I had a wierd dream the other night that I was playing through a wall o' cubes.......
Anyway, I'm curious about Hohners Hoodoo Hand wireless mic system and the Hoodoo Box amp that's supposed to be out now. I'm sure sooner or later someone will post a review.
Last Edited by on Feb 24, 2008 3:36 PM
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mcfly
1 post
Feb 24, 2008
5:17 PM
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Does anybody out there use a Mesa Boogie Subway Blues amp for their harp? I'd appreciate any thoughts or comments as to what you think of it..
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dewey.deloe
10 posts
Feb 25, 2008
9:46 AM
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I am also interested in the Hohners Hoodoo Hand wireless mic system and the Hoodoo Box amp. I am going to wait until I have been playing one year before I buy anything though. I think Adam mentioned the mesa boogie in one of his early YT vids. I do not remember if it was postitive or not. This is an interesting thread thanx to everyone for posting on it. I will definately review it before I buy an amp.
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Down the road I got to go
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kudzurunner
6 posts
Feb 25, 2008
12:14 PM
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I had a festival gig in Fort Smith, Arkansas back in the mid-1990s and ended up at a bar on main street. The owner recognized me and said, "You wanna go upstairs and try out my amps?"
Turned out that "upstairs" was a loft the size of the entire building, and "amps" meant literally a HUNDRED small and medium sized old tube amps of every brand, every shape, every condition.
"Go ahead," he said. "Plug in. Play as loud as you want."
I don't really believe in heaven, but to a harp player, that particular scenario comes pretty close.
So which amp gave the best sound? Without question it was the small, ratty old tube amps. I can even remember the brands of most of them; I'm sure there were some Fenders, Gibsons, and Epiphones, but there were a lot of off brands.
One thing became clear, and it's stuck with me ever since: the key to great tone on the harp is small-magnet speakers. The worst amps for harp are the ones with big, heavy magnets. They simply don't overdrive the right way, don't provide the needed harmonics.
You'll know you've got a good harp amp when you're afraid to let a guitar player play through it, for fear he'll turn up too loud and blow the cone.
I think late 60s Fender Champs and maybe even Princetons are a pretty good starter amp. All tubes, but not tweed and therefore not quite so pricey.
Of course, those late 50s Champs are amazing. My friend Trip Henderson used to fly to gigs with one of those. Just set it on a chair, mic it up, and go. If he wanted more stage volume, he'd split his signal and run a cable into whatever amp they had for him--but he'd only mic the Champ. The other amp was just for stage volume. The Champ was running through the PA system.
I think most harp players in search of tone need to do two things:
1) Let go of the idea that a "harp mic"--Green Bullet, Astatic JT-30, Blues Blaster, etc.--is a must. It's a must only if you want to sound like every other guy with that sort of mic. Please remember: Little Walter, Big Walter, Junior Wells, James Cotton, Carey Bell, Billy Branch generally did/do NOT use such mics. Little Walter sometimes did, but the others rarely did. They changed up mics a lot; they were all great at playing directly through the PA; they didn't/don't make a fetish of their mikes. Jason Ricci, BTW, doesn't use a bullet-type mic, and he gets a great and original sound.
2) Let go of the idea that the way to get a big sound and great tone is to get a big tube amp such as a Bassman reissue or a Fender Super Reverb. I had two old blackface Supers at one point. They're not a bad amp, but they didn't sing--at least not for me. I found that half the wattage was twice as good. I personally think that 10-15 watts is ideal, as long as you can mic the amp through a PA. But the important thing is to keep on searching, keep on trying to play YOUR mic through different small amps, and then, when you begin to gig, testing various amps in various sorts of rooms. Some amps sound great in practice situations but then can't deliver on the gig. The best amp is one that can produce a fine sound on the gig and do that consistently in different size rooms.
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bluzlvr
8 posts
Feb 25, 2008
1:07 PM
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About 12 years ago I was recording a demo with my band at a studio in Hollywood. This guy had a roomfull of vintage recording equipment and amps all in mint condition, including a little 50's era Gibson with one 10 inch speaker (a GA9 I think). It sounded fabulous. I forgot all about my ri Fender Bassman and used the little amp for the entire session.....
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tootalldan
1 post
Feb 27, 2008
10:05 PM
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I have a rebuilt 1946 Stanco that can really howl. For gigs and when I have a dolly the 6x10 harp king goes along too. Helps with the pesky guitar players esp when I use a splitter.....
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Bobbyred16
3 posts
Mar 07, 2008
6:07 AM
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I would say I am an intermediate/advanced beginner (playing less than 1 year) but I can hold myself well enough to play in a band. I bought a Fender Blues, Jr. a few months ago, and use it with a green bullet. The price was about $500, but I live in NY where everything is more expensive. I love this little amp, I did not like the stock tubes it came with, gave a very high treble type sound that cut through the band, in a bad way. I played around with some tubes and found a combo that works much better. Great 1st amp for a beginning harp player.
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Mochamud
5 posts
Mar 07, 2008
1:26 PM
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I pre ordered the new Hoodoo Amp and it is taking forever. Since I'm just getting into amplified stuff - I'm like a little kid its ridiculous- I didn't do much research and got the green bullet because it was shiny and I knew it was well used for harp. The only amp I could find easily, in my price range, and that advertised itself as a harp amp was the hoodoo. So I ordered it.
I haven’t tried it yet. I ordered it in January and it is taking forever. I'm not convinced I'll get it. They've changed the date on me 3 times because they didn't produce enough but it is driving me mad… don’t know what to do... Hohner isn't moving very quickly. The sites that sell them update the arrival date with the current date (so everyday you look at it is the day they get them in), but people already on the list were told, at minimum, March 15th before they get them. Originally it was due Jan 30th and I ordered on January 16th Kinda false advertising.
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mr sog
5 posts
Mar 07, 2008
5:59 PM
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Keep us posted mochamud. It would be interesting to hear your opinion on it. I too went into harp amplification a bit blind. There is a site called harmony central (just google it) and they have lots of reviews on amps (mostly guitar players though) which can be helpful. The reviews about "gorilla" amps are the funniest. I started myself of with a 10W marshall practice amp coz I could play music through it and play harp over the top. Great for jam tracks. Plus you could plug headphones into it. Only cost AUS$159.00. Now I've caught the bug and yesterday my Epiphone valve special arrived. Still only a cheapo 5W practice amp but what a massive difference in tone. Cost $389AUS (amps seem to be more pricey in australia).I won't be getting anything bigger/more expensive for a while coz a)I can't afford to, b) I'm not a good enough player to justify it and c) even if I was good enough I am too chicken to play in front of a crowd! Well, maybe one day when I've had a couple of drinks and become 10 foot tall and bulletproof again.
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Harmonica Slim
20 posts
Mar 15, 2008
5:12 AM
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Main problem is that most amps are made for guitars. This means that you need high impedance from your mic to get things to crank the way 90 % of us harp player wants. Most bulletstyle microphones is high impedance from the start but not everyone. If you are using a standard mic for singing as the SM 57 then you need a converter that tranpose the signal from low to high before you feed your amp, once this is OK you need to consider tubes or solidstate. Tubes is more expensive so you need to know what your needs are. I have tested numerous different amps and a couple of suggestions from me would be: Pignose, the small one and the one with 20 watts works with batteries which is good if you want to play the street. The new Peavey valve king 8 is great but needs some tweking (another preamptube)Many of the amps mentioned above in this tread are great I personally own the Harp Gear II best little amp I ever used. Crate made one small one which I believe Richard Hunter is a big fan of. Check out his website if interested. Fenders new Champ 600 seems to be a god deal I just played guitar thrue it and it seems to be a little hot for harp. Well, a couple of suggestions the most important thing is that you find something that works for you and that you like it! Remember that every each and one of us have our own style and preference. Sorry for the length of this message, hope this helps HS
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Mochamud
13 posts
Mar 16, 2008
8:43 PM
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I dunno what to say but I have the Hoodoo box and i made a video since I thought that would be better.
I don't know if you can hear it well enough to tell, but its better than nothing. I tried to repeat and played somthing simple so you could compare but I suppose I probably should have played a song.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xaGu9Ik0GWk
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bluesnut
4 posts
Mar 17, 2008
12:59 AM
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I have owned a Sonny Jr. 410 amp for 6 months now. It's all around incredable. Loud or kinda loud (soft ai'nt no fun)it's sounds clean warm with a mean punch. I get allot of compliments on tone. The only thing is it recreates sound so well you can't hide bad playing. Garbage in, garbge out, still working on the in/out thing. I have a SJr costom built controled reluctance Turner +2 bullet mic. Sometimes I play thru a danelectro relay pedal to spice things up. I have found playing with no delay you can hear more of your playing and I prefer no delay most of the time. I still have yet to try out the more powerful preamp tube set up. I highly recommend forking over the cash for a good amp then you don't have to worry about what a good amp is 'cause you got one. Do your research and save up your money it's worth it.
Happy hunting
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dewey.deloe
15 posts
Mar 21, 2008
7:57 PM
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t0VYmrmg6wk
The link to Jason Ricci's new YouTube video about a HarpGear 50 that Adam referred to earlier in this thread.
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Down the road I got to go
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dewey.deloe
18 posts
Apr 02, 2008
10:09 AM
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Here is another link about amps that came from David Barrett's newsletter.
I do not own an amp so cannot vouch for the article but I thought you guys might be interested.
http://www.skipsimmonsamps.com/truthaboutvintageamps.html
copy and paste the above link into your browser address window.
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Down the road I got to go
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ChipperHarp
5 posts
Apr 03, 2008
5:58 PM
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I have a couple amps. One is a 71sh Fender Champ and the other is a re-tubed Bassman Reissue. On my myspace site you can hear some recordings of me playing through the Champ mic-ed. I am using a Green Bullet that other than having a switchcraft connector put on and a paint job, is the same as you'd find in the store. The thing with amps is finding a decent vintage Champ, or something like that, seems best. They are plenty loud for practice and on stage, you can just mic it. For micing I prefer a small stand that allows me to point the mic right at the speaker as opposed to hanging the mic in front pointing downward.
BTW, of the bullet style mics I prefer the GB as I just don't have time to chase down elements that are becoming fewer and fewer. The GB is a bit warmer than, say the Bluesblaster. But, as with the harp itself, amps and mics are personal choices. Try different ones and see what happens.
If you play on stage regularly with a band you should have a back-up mic just as you have back up harps.
All the best,
Chipper
www.myspace.com/chipperharp
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LittleJoeSamson
1 post
Jul 21, 2008
11:02 AM
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Getting in on this late, but here goes:
For 90% of playing out I have a MicroCube set on Brit combo, low tone, hi gain, slight delay. Mic is Bluesblaster w/lo impedence converter. Then I slave that to a Crate GXT100 that I run clean. If the room is small, that is plenty loud. If larger or with a bigger band, then I line out or mic the big amp through the mains.
I also have a Traynor MarkIII YGL-3 that I use for big outdoor venues...a ten tuber that weighs over 80 pounds.
Then I have a sweet Gibson GA-8 that I use for studio work only. It's too valuable to haul around anymore. Sure sounds great, and only a volume knob on the back.
I use a Shaker mic with it and the Traynor.
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Anonymous
Guest
Jul 21, 2008
8:14 PM
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Hi there,
been reading your comments about harp amps and wanted to share with you something I discovered by accident.
The guy who used to teach me harp (but has recently moved to Australia!) always told me that I needed a low wattage valve amp if I wanted to get that lovely harp tone I could hear on all my favorite records. At this time I knew nothing about amplified harp so I didn't pay too mach attention. When I started to go to blues jams I always palyed through the house PA and it ALWAYS sounded rubbish. I told him about this and he told me again to get a low powered valve amp and mic it up to the PA.
So I looked through ebay and a few music websites and laughed (well cried really!) at the ridiculous prices that people wanted for even the most basic valve amp.
One day in error I ended up looking at hi-fi valve amps and came across a old extension speaker/amp for an old valve record player called a Hacker. It was rated about 5 watts and had a small eliptical speaker. It also had an RCA input which was used to attach the record player to it to give a stereo sound. I bought it for £18 ($36) and about £8 shipping.
I bought an RCA to jackplug connector, plugged in my green bullet....and was blown away. The best tone I'd ever heard. I brought it up to the jam I regularly go to and the guy who runs it mic'ed it up to the PA and I've never looked back. It has a fantastic sound and I wouldn't be without it.
I then found out that there were a few companies making these type of valve amps in the 60s and 70s and now have a collection of 4 including 2 x Hacker amps, 1 Decca amp and 1 Murphy amp. They all sound great and none of them cost over £25. They all need to be mic'ed up as none of them are over 5 watts but I promise you'll be amazed at the tone you get.
I always get at least one person who comes and speaks to me about these amps at the jam and I got one guy to play his guitar through it who was very impressed.
I don't know if you are living in the US and I'm sure there were US companies making similar amps in the 60s and 70s but if you want to find one of these in the UK then look on the UK version of ebay and look under "intergrated amplifiers" (tube amps) and you will see one every now and again up for sale.
I would recommend you get someone to have check them out for safety before you use them but all of the ones I have bought have been no problem.
Another way to save money if you are a budget is to use old crystal mics instead of the more expensive modern or classic JT30 etc. Again you can pick one of these up for under £10 ($20) and they sound excellent when played through one of these little amps.
It's nice to have all of the top gear like bassman amps and JT30 mics but you can get just as good tone and enjoyment from something that's a fraction of the cost of these big guys!!
By the way, if anyone is in London and looking for a great blues jam then get yourself down to the "Heathcote Blues Jam" at the Heatcote Arms, Grove Green Road, Leytostone, Every wednesday night. Never had a bad night there.
Great forum and even greater website Adam..keep it up man.
Oisin
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Doghouse
3 posts
Jul 21, 2008
9:56 PM
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I have found when using amps, you can get a great harp sound even from the most unsuspecting amps. I had a green bullet, which i decided to run through a small Drive amp. It came from a bass package my friend had for like 200 bucks. So i stole it and tried my harp.
The amp sounded great! I had the amp on about 2 with my bullet volume at half. Bass up and treble down. It had a presence which i cranked all the way.
If you put more volume through the mic the sound got more and more distorted. But it gave me a nice Chicago sound. Not to mention this amp is 10 watts and has one 6 inch speaker.
If i cranked the amp, It was LOUD. And Miked through a PA... it was great.
So it also depends on ur mic, and any effects you have, and that will influence your sound. I have also taken a crappy vocal mic and put with an amp with the distortion channel on and gotten a nice sound as well. Its nothing like a nice bassman or champ amp sound, but its better than nothing
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blowout
Guest
Jul 22, 2008
12:46 AM
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FENDER SUPER CHAMP XD 15W(12AX7 and 6V6 tubes).
WDTPJJTith superlux 112C mic.
Souds good if you play well.
about 200-300 depends where you buy.
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birdman
41 posts
Jul 23, 2008
7:00 AM
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i use a micro cube and a bottle blues mic works for me sounds great
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wheezer
16 posts
Jul 23, 2008
10:26 AM
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I was seduced by the looks and low, low price of a Hayden Peacemaker 40watt (class A auto bias) on Ebay. This is probably the most beautiful amp I have ever seen. Twin channel, 12" speaker,
4x12ax7's, 4xEL84's, 4way pedal board, built in chorus & reverb.
Blond tolex with gold fittings. Plug in a Strat or Les Paul and guitarists are in heaven.
Plug in a harp mic, crap! It just does not do it for me. What is missing? I couldn't say, but this amp just doesn't kick and it looks so great I really wanted it to be the best harp amp in the world. So for now I am sticking with my Rocktronic Tube 30 which was also very cheap and does give a sound I can get off on.
The moral of all this is, don't be seduced by looks or what people tell you about an amp it is the sound that pleases you that matters.
As a positive ending a guitarist wants the Hayden and I shall end up in profit.(maybe some groove tubes for the Rocktronic)
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LittleJoeSamson
2 posts
Jul 24, 2008
8:57 PM
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wheezer: before you sell your Hayden, try some other things first. You got it at a great price ( am guessing you priced in GB pounds ), new is 425GB. Try some different harp mics. Some are hotter than others. Try both channels. On the rare occasion, the clean actually gives the right tone. Then, probably most important, get a low impedence converter. Often, that is the missing ingredient. I wouldn't want you to dispose of a mean tuber with all the guts that seems to have.
If all that fails then, yeah; let your git friend enjoy it.
Good luck!
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wheezer
17 posts
Jul 25, 2008
3:01 AM
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Thanks for that Littlejoe. A friend of mine builds his own retro harp mics and he is bringing one along for me to try at a jam so I'll see how it goes.
Yes, I did get the Hayden at a good price, £155.00 and only three months old. The thing is though I was playing at a gig last night with the Rocktronic and each time I use that amp the sound seems to get better and better, in fact I had to turn the bass down 'cos you could feel it in your feet through the stage. I assume that the speaker is starting to break in so now no guitarists are allowed to use that amp.
Also last night I was able to use the Suzuki MR350V for a few numbers. They are really good to play, to my mind they put Marine Bands totally in the shade. If you are in the U.K. you can get them for £23.00 appx. via bluzerd on ebay.
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LittleJoeSamson
3 posts
Jul 26, 2008
5:21 AM
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wheezer: yeah, I had a temperamental Peavey Champ that I called my woman amp. A love/hate relationship. Running straight through the second channel it would be pure honey at one gig, then throw fits of feed at the next; with no changes in settings or other gear. I dumped it when I picked up my Traynor.
PS: was talking with Rod Piazza, and he is coming out with a signature edition of Hering harps. Rod does not know yet whether the reeds and plates will be of a bronze, or a different alloy; but they will be more durable than the 1923 Vintage brass Herings. Everything else will be the same...the beautiful rosewood comb, same configuration of covers ( but polished steel with the Rod Piazza nameplate ). Hope they are not too pricey!
I loved my Seydels... great tone, but they started failing after 3-4 months. Non responsive on 4 and 5 draws. Now, I must say that most have snapped back when treated to the back-and-forth hot water and icewater treatment. This is a desperation tactic reserved mostly for ghost harps that would be designated for cannibalization. Something intended for Johnsons or Huangs...NOT primo alloy combed harps at $50+ apiece. Todays rate is over $100 a harp!
The Suzukis are bright sounding, but I have had five over the last eight years with no failure thus!
Kim Wilson informed on the QT that he was a fan.
Anticipating the Rod Piazza harps. Rod is a great harmonica ombudsman. His story is legendary.
PS: if you play any chromatic, pick up a Toot's Hard Bopper. Steel reeds that make it practically indestructible. Just play it easy for about six months, and always let it air dry upright for a half hour before packing it.
Am getting a new amp soon for possible endorsement. A VERY boutique ( old style ) amp. Point-to-point wiring. Six tube valved. Heavy insulation. Transformer double the industry standard. No artistic trophy-model. A-rated. Should be sweet, and alot easier to drag than my Traynor.
Will inform as conditions merit.
LJS
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wheezer
20 posts
Jul 27, 2008
4:39 AM
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Hi Little Joe,
Funny how Suzuki harps are featuring more and more on this forum. It was almost as if people were ashamed of admitting that they liked them and now they are appearing out of the woodwork because, through this forum, they are finding that there are others out there who don't think that the Marine Band is the be all and end all of harmonicas.
I have just had a Bluesmaster apart to change a reed and it is the best made harp I've worked on. I'm not suprised it is so airtight, the reed plates almost have to 'clip' into the comb, the tolerances are so tight. The reeds appear to be spot welded to the plate (there is no proud rivet on either side). I've also just obtained an MR350V for the same money (in the U.K.)
as a Marine Band. The 350V is so beautifully engineered and airtight with a slightly less bright sound than the Bluesmaster.
As a closer I must say that having now bought two Suzuki harps neither have required tuning on first playing them unlike another famous brand.
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bluzlvr
46 posts
Jul 29, 2008
1:27 PM
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Has ANYBODY seen or heard anything about the Hohner Hoodoo box? (I mean besides the one video on YouTube.)
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Patrick Barker
100 posts
Jul 29, 2008
2:15 PM
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I've heard its pretty bad, especially for its price. I think I've read it in somewhere on harp-L
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"Without music, life would be a mistake" -Nietzsche
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Bob909
1 post
May 07, 2012
8:45 AM
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For the most part, I've used Fender guitar amps; Super Reverb, Bassman and Blues Deville. In the 80's and into the early 90's, I used a Showman (yes, a Showman) head with a Bandmaster bottom. I was playing with very loud bar bands at the time. I still have the thing but haven't use dit since 1994 when I graduated to a Blues Deville. At some quiteter gigs these days, I use a Fender Frontman or a Crate MX15R. Usually, use a bullet Mic, although I have others (blues blaster, tec.) and put the amp right in back of me on stage, like a guitarist would. It works fine and feedback is rare. You just learn to "feel" your volume range, according to each room played. Right now, as most of my Fender stuff is well-used and a bit worn, I'm playing through an Edwards, an amp made in Ontario, Canada, that my guitarist just gave me. It's hand-wired and all, a tough little guy, but a little too tempermental, on the hight end. I'll be going back to Fender soon.
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kevin franke
3 posts
May 08, 2012
9:43 PM
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haven't heard reviews from harp players on hohner hoodoo voodoo amp
mf's reviews are mostly guitar player oriented. that doesn't help me or us harp players much. any harp playin reviews out there?
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kevin franke
4 posts
May 08, 2012
9:54 PM
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easy tolga i just joined and aint surfin the archives
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colman
159 posts
May 09, 2012
5:50 AM
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fender excelsior amp,13w 15 in. speaker,i watched a video today and it sounds great, i`m thinking about selling a silvertone amp an get one .going for $299.
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TKOTBH
5 posts
Jun 25, 2013
11:08 AM
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I'm using a Bassman LTD, retuned with 5u4gb, 5751's in v2v3, 12ay in v1, homemade beam blockers, stock fender speakers, ARTmic preamp with W30 Astatic mic shell with jap Chrystal , or GB with Electrovoice 630 element through Boss overdrive. Extremely versatile, can get my sound in any room at any volume. Also, can get unGodly Loud unmicd with loudest of guitarists. But, that's what I'm known for, and it took DECADES of tweaking to figure out. And of course, the search continues. The curse of the harpists!
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TKOTBH
6 posts
Jun 25, 2013
11:13 AM
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BTW, I can make ANY amp sound like a transistor radio, HA!
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