joemarkey
1 post
Aug 12, 2014
6:30 PM
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I am looking to buy a JT-30 mic and have been looking on ebay etc.
Do the new JT-30's have the same sound as the ones manufactured in the 50"s and 60"s? I'm gettimg mixed messages about the sound quality of the new ones. Unlike the sound of the newer Shure Bullets, which I know are not like the older ones, do the newer JT's sound like the old ones?
Thanks.
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1847
2051 posts
Aug 12, 2014
7:15 PM
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astatic stopped making crystals
about 15 years ago.
i wouldn't bother with the newer ones.
all the top pro's use crystals.
although some have a preference for ceramic.
spend the money on a good mic, they are not that expensive.
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slackwater
71 posts
Aug 12, 2014
7:25 PM
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No. The elements that were in the older ones are no longer made.
The only new ones are the Blues Blaster and the JT-30 Roadhouse, both marketed by Hohner. According to someone on this forum a few years back they emailed Hohner and were told that they were the same except for the finish and the lead. If that's the case then they're both rubbish.
The older elements (MC-151 or MC127) can be found second hand or new old stock(or so they say) but, it's risky because they weren't very durable.
I still prefer JT-30 bodies but, like some other people, have put old Shure Controlled Reluctance and Controlled Magnetic elements in them.
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BluesJacketman
196 posts
Aug 12, 2014
7:41 PM
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I have owned the JT-30 Roadhouse Microphone and a JT-30 with an original MC127 Ceramic element in it. The Roadhouse does not stand up to the MC127.
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HawkeyeKane
2587 posts
Aug 12, 2014
8:40 PM
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I'll say this much for the new issue Roadhouse, it's good for a beginner mic. It was my first harp mic, and I still have it. But the element on it died years ago and I replaced it with an Astatic ceramic element. If nothing else, a Roadhouse is a good buy when it's on sale, and it provides a good shell for a better element.
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Hawkeye Kane - Hipbone Sam
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Greg Heumann
2797 posts
Aug 12, 2014
9:03 PM
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"all the top pro's use crystals."
Not true. Simply not.
Gruenling - yes
Wilson - mostly
Piazza - mostly
Estrin - mostly
Hummel - CM/CR
Musselwhite - CM/CR
Smith -CR
Ford - CR
Kashmar - CR
Kumar - CR
Mischo - CR
And then there's the new "The Heumann Element" - debuted at SPAH - Mic Clark and Ronnie Shellist loved it. In fact Ronnie asked me to put it in his mic in place of a very good black CR. Here are Jake Friel and Nic Clark playing one through the new Memphis Mini amp:
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***************************************************
/Greg
BlowsMeAway Productions
See my Customer Mics album on Facebook
Bluestate on iTunes
Last Edited by Greg Heumann on Aug 12, 2014 9:08 PM
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Kingley
3671 posts
Aug 12, 2014
10:34 PM
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Well stated Greg. Plus of course not all pro players use bullet mics either.
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1847
2053 posts
Aug 13, 2014
12:03 AM
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Gary primach jt 30 predominately
Rod piazza jt 30 predominately
Lester butler jt 30 predominately
William Clarke jt 30 predominately
Sugar Blue jt 30 predominately
steve guyger predominately
mitch kasmar jt 30 predominantly
john nemeth jt 30 predominately
rj mischo jt 30 predominately
tom ball on occasion!
curtis salgato jt 30 predominately
kim wilson
dennis greunling
paul delay??????
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i get a lot of request when i play my harmonica
"but i play it anyway"
Last Edited by 1847 on Aug 13, 2014 12:20 AM
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1847
2054 posts
Aug 13, 2014
12:22 AM
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pat ramsey
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i get a lot of request when i play my harmonica
"but i play it anyway"
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1847
2055 posts
Aug 13, 2014
12:28 AM
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i get a lot of request when i play my harmonica
"but i play it anyway"
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Slimharp
368 posts
Aug 13, 2014
7:36 AM
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Greg, do you manufacture the element or is it a modified element ? On the Cutting Heads clip it sound great thru the Memphis Mini.
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Greg Heumann
2801 posts
Aug 13, 2014
9:37 AM
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@1847 - YES lots of pros use JT30's and SOME of those have crystal elements. But you said "ALL top pros..." and that is misleading. BTW, Kashmar's go-to mic for the last 2 years has been his blowsmeaway wood bullet with black CR. He loves it.
@slimharp - The Heumann Element is a modern vocal mic element to which I have made both mechanical and electrical modifications.
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***************************************************
/Greg
BlowsMeAway Productions
See my Customer Mics album on Facebook
Bluestate on iTunes
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BluesJacketman
198 posts
Aug 13, 2014
9:55 AM
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How much for one of these new elements Greg?
It sounds fantastic in the video by the way.
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1847
2058 posts
Aug 13, 2014
11:11 AM
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certainly, not all pros use crystal mics.
would we want everyone to use the same mic?
i think not. the blues can get a bit tired
as it is.
mark ford uses a cr. he has a great sound
a personal favorite, for me.
it seems, he has spawned quite a few players
especially in northern calif. to take suit.
in so. california rod p
and william c. had a similar effect.
their mic of choice crystal and ceramic. jt 30
when i was younger, i remember hearing jerry portnoy with muddy waters.
that was the sound for me right there.
pretty sure he was using a green bullet.
and that is what i wanted.
then i got to see william clarke, and then rod piazza.
they both emphatically, suggested an astatic mic.
i was like, are you sure? but jerry portnoy uses a green bullet.
now i cant remember william doing this, it's been too long,
but i can easily see him, pushing his sunglasses down his nose
and repeating himself.
back then i did not know there was a ceramic and a crystal.
i thought they were all crystal, so that is what i got.
i remember seeing one just like it,
on charlie musslewhite's first or second record,
so i knew i was on the right track.
it is what my ear has got accustomed to.
i tend to gravitate to players that use that element, for the most part.
i believe jerry portnoy is using an astatic these days,as well.
there are exceptions, like i said mark fords sound is killer.
as is the sound on jerry mc cains steady.
but there are times i hear a great player
and they will be using a green bullet,
and i cannot listen to it, i know its just me, cant help it.
i do like most stick mics, they seem to have a wider freq. response.
some green bullet elements that have an extremely narrow
freq. response, depending on the model it comes out of.
there are mic builders, that have absolutely no clue,
they drop one in a shell, and go,
wow doesn't this sound great?..... well no it doesn't, not really.
greg i was just looking at the wood mic's, you posted
they are absolutely stunning!
for the record, i own one myself...... it has a crystal element of course.
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i get a lot of request when i play my harmonica
"but i play it anyway"
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i get a lot of request when i play my harmonica
"but i play it anyway"
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garry
526 posts
Aug 13, 2014
7:55 PM
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James Cotton - whatever anybody hands him.
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arnenym
298 posts
Aug 16, 2014
9:06 AM
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Greg,,
How soon can "The Heumann Element" be on the market and how much for it?
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MP
3254 posts
Aug 16, 2014
1:42 PM
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The Heumann element sounds interesting.
As far as JT-30s go, if you buy a vintage JT- they are all vintage come to think of it and borrowing the shell and calling it a Roadhouse doesn't count to me as being a JT-30- you will more than likely have a dead crystal element in an old 30.
If it's a JT-30-C, a dead ceramic element.
Gone are the days where I would phone Astatic and they would send me a crystal for $8. Or $14, $18, and up from Angela Instruments.
A great crystal is a thing of beauty. I have a pretty good one I gig w/ in my Astatic Biscuit.
I often think that people don't really want a crystal sound. I think they like a dirtier CM sound w/ lot's of break-up. A great crystal has a full fat warm sound w/ a slight edge. Not the huge midrange edge of a CM and some CRs.
To me, the CM is a one trick pony as far as sound goes.
I think great crystal has a bit more variation tonally.
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Affordable Reed Replacement
Marks Harmonica Tune-up
Click user name MP for contact info
Last Edited by MP on Aug 16, 2014 1:46 PM
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Greg Heumann
2807 posts
Aug 16, 2014
4:10 PM
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@arneym - for now - only in my wood mics. I'm still working out some business details.
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***************************************************
/Greg
BlowsMeAway Productions
See my Customer Mics album on Facebook
Bluestate on iTunes
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1847
2098 posts
Aug 28, 2014
3:55 PM
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maybe not all the top pros use them
but it sure does seems like it.
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LFLISBOA
5 posts
Aug 28, 2014
5:54 PM
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Even the players do like to change mics eventually.
I do remember Dennis Gruenling telling me he prefer CR/CM years ago.
Kashmar, before get the Heumann mic, used an old Blues Blaster (crystal)
I know Kim prefers the ceramic elements.
Steve Guyger and Piazza prefer crystal elements.
The late Paul DeLay used an Astatic with ceramic element.
Hummel used JT30, then switched to EV, then back to JT30, and sometimes the Green Bullet.
Even when we see the JT30 shell, it's hard to tell which element are inside, unless we ask about it to the player.
Sugar Blue and Gary Smith used a JT30 shell with a CM/CR element, mostly because the JT30 shell are the most comfortable shell.
I'm pretty sure that Greg's mic are great too. I never tried, because I have sweaty hands, and I think that I'll get trouble with wood shell.
Personally I like crystal and ceramic mostly for recordings, and CM/CR and dynamic mic (Shure 585, 545, EV re10) for live gigs because they're less fragile.
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markdc70
151 posts
Aug 28, 2014
8:01 PM
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I bought a new JT30 a couple of years ago and love it. I bought another gasket and installed a CM element, but it doesn't sound bad stock. The smaller size and lighter weight makes it SO much nicer to handle than my previous 520DX. They used to run sales on it pretty regularly, don't know if they still do, to where it was greatly reduced from the regular retail price.
Last Edited by markdc70 on Aug 28, 2014 8:02 PM
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1847
2102 posts
Aug 28, 2014
8:07 PM
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The moniker life less boa
If I have that right
Is the best I’ve seen so far touché
As far as changing mic’s occasionally
I am all for that.
I used a 633 shure dynamic
This week into a solid state amp,
How is that for blasphemy?
The harp players you mention for the most part seem to prefer crystal elements. I do not want to put words in their mouths.
But it is what I hear.
Sugar blue, sounds like a stock blues blaster, not a cm at all.
Paul delay also sounds like a crystal
What I like about them, is,
You can have two different players like paul delay, and rod piazza,use the same mic
And get “completely” different tones.
Where as the green bullet
Sounds quite similar.
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i get a lot of request when i play my harmonica
"but i play it anyway"
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1847
2109 posts
Aug 29, 2014
11:05 AM
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so i looked up rick on Sonic Junction
and not only is he using a jt 30
but a vintage champ as well.
no wonder, i like that clip so well
he is using my rig lol.
i am not hearing any echo, but i would bet
he uses digital echo as well, when called for.
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i get a lot of request when i play my harmonica
"but i play it anyway"
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