digitalshrub
44 posts
Dec 01, 2017
3:23 PM
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Hi all,
I just picked up a used (but mint condish) Fishman Loudbox Mini for a great price. I did not buy it for harp specifically; I played mandolin out of a Loudbox Mini for a gig a couple years ago, and it sounded so damn good that it kinda stuck in my ear ever since. A similar gig is coming up, and I decided to spring at the best opportunity when I saw the amp on Reverb.
As before, the amp sounds fantastic with my mandolin, as well as various acoustic guitars and ukuleles we have around the apartment. And the Mic channel sounds great too; like I said, I didn't get this amp with harp in mind, but it's nice to have the mic channel going with my Shure 545 and a chromatic, for the few tunes where I play it.
Now, diatonic is a different story. Personally I'm drawn to overdriven tube sounds for diatonic, at least when in conjunction with 2nd and 3rd position blues playing. (I use an Astatic T3, btw). Not surprisingly, I can't get this sound out of the Loudbox.
Anybody have suggestions, apart from "bring another amp?" I love my Vibro Champ, and if I play a more blues or rock-oriented show on electric guitar or harp, it'll be the Vibro Champ that gets to tagalong with me. Just looking to make the most out of any given "rig" I bring to a gig without breaking my back. Also, it's not that fun being the guy with two amps on the subway.
Last Edited by digitalshrub on Dec 01, 2017 3:24 PM
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Lou
20 posts
Dec 01, 2017
4:37 PM
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I play a mando. through the LB mini's big brother Loud Box and you right you will not get an over driven tube sound out the LB without a pedal. I've used the LB a few times for harp with a green bullet and it's like playing through a PA. Grab a distortion pedal and it will work pretty good I'm not sure on the mini but the LB I have has good sounding reverb, delay, echo and chorus that can all be used at one time,individually I'm sure with bit of time you'll get a sound you can live with for gig.
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robbert
433 posts
Dec 01, 2017
4:37 PM
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Sounds like you need a pedal. A Lone Wolf Harp Attack or some other pedal.
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digitalshrub
45 posts
Dec 01, 2017
6:47 PM
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@robbert yes indeed. I just haven’t used any effects pedals with an acoustic amp before. I do have plenty of pedals though. Would using a regular guitar overdrive pedal work, or in any way hurt the amp?
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jbone
2398 posts
Dec 01, 2017
7:34 PM
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I don't know if it would hurt the amp but I'd definitely plug it all together and play it at home before trying it out at a gig. I have no experience with a Loud Box, but I had a 545 pistol grip with impedance transformer for a few years. Back then I didn't use pedals of any kind, these days I have LW harp delay and that's it.
Overdriving a harp mic, for me, has usually resulted in a lot of squeal, but if you're doing low z and not high z, that may be a different critter.
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Bluestu18
6 posts
Dec 01, 2017
8:33 PM
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I've also been thinking about buying one of these. I played through a friend's and it sounded great with an Audix Fireball. I also tried it with a JT30 and a Lone Wolf Harp attack and it distorted nicely. Nice built-in reverb also. 60 watts and it has a line-out to the PA if needed.
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digitalshrub
46 posts
Dec 01, 2017
9:22 PM
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@jbone totally — I usually just set my T3 to a fairly low volume and it’s still enough to drive my Vibro Champ. I’ve messed with running harp through my electric guitar pedalboard (not thru the Loudbox, yet), but there wasn’t anything in there that sounded all that great. Except for delay, of course.
@Lou to that point, unfortunately the Mini does not have delay! Bummer...ummer...ummer...
@BlueStu18 helpful to know that the Loudbox and Harp Attack sounded good together! I’ll mess around with my Hotcake overdrive tomorrow to see if it’s at all passable enough for the gig that night.
Last Edited by digitalshrub on Dec 01, 2017 9:29 PM
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shakeylee
710 posts
Dec 01, 2017
11:19 PM
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Maybe a joyo American sound?
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www.shakeylee.com
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AppalachiaBlues
98 posts
Dec 02, 2017
5:30 AM
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I have used the Harp Attack with a number of small tube amps, small solid state amps, PA systems, etc. It does a nice job of dialing in that warm "tube overdrive" sound for traditional blues. I guess it would work as well with a Fishman Loudbox mini.
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digitalshrub
47 posts
Dec 02, 2017
8:17 AM
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@AppalachiaBlues also good to know, many thanks.
I just ran my Astatic T3 thru a Hotcake, into the LoudBox Mini. It certainly put me in the ballpark of that overdriven tube sound, but the feedback squeals were pretty unmanageable. In an ideal scenario, I'd be 8-10 feet away from my amp and it wouldn't be an issue, but in reality, gigging in NY usually means I'm practically standing on top of my amp because of limited real estate.
Can't get that Harp Attack in time for this weekend's gigs (and that shiz is pricey, yo!), but does that pedal handle feedback better than a standard overdrive pedal? I know lots of folks have squeal killers and the like, but as a multi-instrumentalist, I'd really like to avoid having a slew of harp-specific pedals to set up.
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digitalshrub
48 posts
Dec 02, 2017
8:18 AM
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@shakeylee well, the price is certainly right on the Joyo!
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Lou
21 posts
Dec 02, 2017
8:19 AM
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No worries on a pedal in front of LB there tough amps and you'll find out there's a lot of tonal changes that amp will produce just using the EQ, gain and master volume you really should spend time using those controls. I've used a few OD, chorus & delay pedals on mine just playing around, you will get an over driven sound with pedal that you may love.
Good Luck
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digitalshrub
49 posts
Dec 02, 2017
8:40 PM
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Hit a gig with the following rig tonight:
Mandolin/Astatic T3 -> Hotcake -> Loudbox Mini (instrument input)
Shure 545 -> Loudbox Mini (mic input)
I played diatonic out of the T3, and Chrom outta the 545.
The Mando and Chrom sounded great. Diatonic playing squealed when the Hotcake was engaged; I had to actively adjust my cupping technique in passages where I used rests, as the silence was when it started to feedback. I wasn’t up all that hot at all, but it was still enough to squeal at times. I rode the volume control on the mic to reign it in, and like I said, I never anticipated this would be my go-to harp amp, but the dirty stuff hasn’t worked yet.
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Prento
28 posts
Dec 02, 2017
9:35 PM
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The hot cake is a guitar focussed pedal and the gain is set for guitar distortions. A microphone will definitely squeal through that. The beauty of the Lone Wolf pedals is that they are designed with harp in mind. Shakeylee mentioned the Joyo American sound. Although it is meant to be a guitar pedal, it does seem to work well for harp as well. Even though the LW harp attack is a bit pricey, it is a great pedal and built tough. You will have it for a long time and it will always sound good. When you connect it to your PA or loud box, push the low mids more than the bass, this is where the sweetness is.
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digitalshrub
50 posts
Dec 02, 2017
10:27 PM
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@Prento I had a feeling the Harp Attack was the real deal. Thanks, knowing me, I’ll probably have to pick one of these up.
Last Edited by digitalshrub on Dec 03, 2017 3:10 PM
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