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Dirty-South Blues Harp forum: wail on! > Mission Delta Sonic harp amp -- with various mics
Mission Delta Sonic harp amp -- with various mics
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cliffy
249 posts
Jan 22, 2017
5:44 AM
Hi MBH,

I made a video of me testing my Mission Delta Sonic amp with various mics/elements and different key harmonicas. The video is long but if you are considering buying a Mission amp, this will give you a good overall picture of how it sounds. It sounds pretty darn good; you'll have to check the video out.

I would be open to trading this amp plus cash for the Mission Chicago 32-20 if anyone is interested. But I'm not interested in selling the amp. I have a couple of amps in this size category, so that's why I was looking for the larger 32-20.

Here it is:




Cliffy
harpoon_man
189 posts
Jan 22, 2017
11:24 AM
Cliffy: Nice playing, man! I especially liked the way you provided a sample of your acoustic playing to give the listener an idea of what's being amplified.

A lot of amp demo videos are done by players with weak acoustic tone and/or weak mic technique, but your video is different. You've got solid acoustic tone, mic technique, and phrasing to boot.

The Mission amp is sounding good as well.
Killa_Hertz
2125 posts
Jan 22, 2017
12:09 PM
My thoughts exactly harpoon.

Very well done. Your acoustic tone is Killer. And the video is very well done. I would say Bruce Collins owes you one after this nice demo of his amp. Lol.

Last Edited by Killa_Hertz on Jan 22, 2017 12:17 PM
Bass410man
116 posts
Jan 22, 2017
2:17 PM
I will triple that, great demo! All the amp makers should be sending you one of their amps, for a demo.

Edit: Nice colllection of mic's, yo must have a good day job...Cheers and Thanks for the demo.

Last Edited by Bass410man on Jan 22, 2017 2:24 PM
cliffy
251 posts
Jan 22, 2017
6:18 PM
Killa, Harpoon, and Bass, thank you so much!

I was having fun making the video. I had a few more mics that I didn't try because I was afraid the video would be an hour long.

I'm glad other people appreciate the "what I bring to the table" reference playing. I have frequently watched amp testing videos and thought, "gee, that player doesn't have all that much experience." So to me, that negates the value of that video clip... you can't tell what the amp really sounds like because the player's tone is thin.

OR, the other situation. The guy testing the amp is a total pro, and you feel like no matter what, you're not going to be able to get that sound. I feel that way watching Nic Clark play the Mission amps on YouTube. He has such a big, lush, resonant tone (it's practically superhuman!) that I wouldn't think I could replicate that sound even if I had the same amp and mic. If you bought an amp just based on Nic Clark's amplified sound, you might be pretty disappointed when you can't get the same results.

So, with those things in mind, I think I represent the "pretty-good-but-not-quite-a-pro" player who might be looking for a nice amp.

I'm comfortable with my acoustic tone. I'm not Kim Wilson, but I'm pretty solid. I've been playing for about 28 years (I'm 46) and I've really only been happy with my acoustic tone for the last five years or so. And my mic cupping got a lot better with a few things: (a) I started leaving a finger's width air pocket between the harmonica and the mic grille, and (b) I stopped holding the mic/harp combo with both thumbs up.

Anyway, thanks for watching the video clip! When I can, I'm going to make a few more with my other amps. I have the Mission Delta Sonic, a Kalamazoo Model 1, a Weber 5F2H, and a Bassman reissue that I had Kendrick rewire with their Texas Crude harp amp circuit. I also have a 3x10 tweed Bandmaster clone on the way, made by Headstrong amps.

Cliffy

Last Edited by cliffy on Jan 22, 2017 6:20 PM
Killa_Hertz
2126 posts
Jan 22, 2017
7:08 PM
I would love to see your other amps demoed.

I also really like some of the techniques you did acoustically. That "tongue rattle" you did a few times, was pretty tight.

Had to take a while to setup and edit this video. Turned out great.
cliffy
254 posts
Jan 24, 2017
7:33 PM
Killa, I'm going to work on making some other videos.

As for the tongue effect, I think you're referring to something a lot of the West Coast harp players do. I am drawing on 1234 together as a chord, then tongue-slapping down to get just the 4 draw, and lifting it up to get the chord again, repeating this very quickly.

...and Bass410man, I wish all the harp amp makers would let me tone-test their stuff! I happen to really like "Harpsucker's" YouTube channel, too.

So I'll put it out there... any of you harp amp makers, hit me up. I'll thoroughly test your amp with different mics and amps and make a video even higher quality than this one. Get in touch with me people!!! :) I'll call the series "Tone-Testing with Harmonica Bill."
Killa_Hertz
2134 posts
Jan 24, 2017
8:53 PM
Cliffy. No, i wasnt refering to the flutter. But it seems that your doing a Horton-esque tongue roll.

When playing acoustic you did one after each flutter. It's pretty cool. Never heard anyone use it quite that way.

(BTW Its officially been stolen already. 8^) ... )
harpoon_man
190 posts
Jan 26, 2017
5:35 AM
Cliffy says: "And my mic cupping got a lot better with a few things: (a) ..., and (b) I stopped holding the mic/harp combo with both thumbs up."

Same here on getting away from the "thumbs up" grip! I started out that way after seeing Charlie Musselwhite do that in the late 1990's and then seeing Dennis Gruenling use the same grip later. So I played amplified that way for probably 15 years before switching to the "traditional" bullet mic grip and found that it removed muddiness and added articulation to my playing - a big improvement and more noticeable with bigger amps like a Bassman.
hvyj
3200 posts
Jan 26, 2017
9:58 AM
I don't know about bullets because I don't use them. But with my 545 Ultimate I can vary tone, timbre and volume quite a bit by altering my grip. My basic grip is close to what Adam refers to as the reference standard grip, but very tight using what Barrett refers to as an end cap with my right hand. But a musician plays for the song and I'll shift to a much looser grip or a different grip and sometimes the 2 thumbs up grip for different sounds. The 545 has strong proximity effect so those sorts of grip variations alter the sound substantially which is helpful. So it's not always a one size/grip fits all thing. I tend to view my mic as an extension of my instrument anyway.

I don't use harp specific amps, but I was at a jam not long ago when a harp player came in with what he told me was a Mission amp. It was a bigger amp and he said it was a 3x10. I thought it sounded pretty good.

As a side note, the player was a very nice guy and an ok player but without accurate intonation on his bends. He didn't bend to pitch. He had a whole bunch of harmonicas many of which were customs made by Matt Smart or Anthony Dannecker. I asked him why he carried so many. He said he had a complete set tuned to ET, a complete set tuned to JI and a complete set compromise tuned and some spares. I don't know what difference that made for him. Since he didn't have decent intonation anyway, it couldn't make that much difference how his harps were tuned, but I didn't want to be an asshole, so I didn't say anything. Some of the Dannecker harps were called "Centurion" and looked like Pro Masters but probably had Hohner plates. I'd never seen one before.

Last Edited by hvyj on Jan 26, 2017 10:03 AM
cliffy
256 posts
Jan 26, 2017
7:36 PM
Killa, I realized what you were getting at. Yes, sometimes I roll my tongue when going to do a tongue slap. Like if you were going to say "arriba" in Spanish. I think I picked it up from listening to a lot of DeFord Bailey stuff.

Harpoon and HvyJ, I came to find that mic grip because I play acoustically a lot, often while I am walking. I hold the harmonica with my left hand, thumb on the bottom, index finger on the top. So one day I figured I should just try holding the harp that way with a mic, too. I found it so much easier to get a fatter tone that was also crisp and distinct.

And I know exactly what you mean about how some guys have a million dollars' worth of equipment but still just aren't all that good. I also a great player who doesn't give a shit about what stuff he has, and I could listen to him play all night. (in all fairness, I also know another guy who has a killer amp and pedalboard, and he's a monster player, so expensive equipment can also be put to good use)
MindTheGap
2074 posts
Jan 27, 2017
3:56 AM
That's a great demo, thank you. I'm not interested in buying amps and mics, but it's interesting to hear them, and I love your playing. Do you have any examples our your band we can download and keep? Both to listen to and to learn from.

hvyj - I think that's the layman's view of harp players in general. Boxes of many harps, and they all look and sound just the same! At least the audience can see if you've got different shapes and colours of guitars.

Last Edited by MindTheGap on Jan 27, 2017 5:24 AM
Killa_Hertz
2139 posts
Jan 27, 2017
5:19 AM
Dannecker Harps ain't no joke. Those things are serious. At $300 a pop, they better be. Too bad they were waisted on a guy who couldn't play worth a damn.

I agree that different tunings can sound better than others in certain situations. But if your bends and such aren't in tune, it really doesnt matter what harp or tuning your playing ... lol.

And carrying a set of each is a bit much. Perhaps an ET harp in a certain key for a certain melody you like to play. Or a 7 limit harp in a few keys for certain old blues tunes. But who needs to carry 3 sets with them?

It seems a majority of harp players have more confidence and money than they do sense. I am my biggest critic .. and i surely don't want to be the guy who thinks he's Great . While others are shaking their heads. Lol.

Anyhow, sorry i got off on a rant there.

Cant wait to hear the demo of the 5F2H.

Last Edited by Killa_Hertz on Jan 27, 2017 5:21 AM
cliffy
259 posts
Jan 28, 2017
8:17 PM
MindTheGap, I have a few videos on my YouTube channel ("William Lifford") of my band, and of me playing some solo acoustic stuff. I have If there are any you would like to have for listening/studying offline, just let me know and I'll put 'em in my Dropbox and send you a download link.

Killa, I started to make a 5F2H video but I was rushed and it didn't come out good. Maybe next week I can make another one. And I agree, lots of guys spend too damn much money on harps without being good enough to really appreciate the difference... they just know they read that whatever intonation was better, etc.


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