SonnyD4885
71 posts
Aug 17, 2011
12:35 PM
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what is the best harp mic you have ever played...
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MrVerylongusername
1852 posts
Aug 17, 2011
3:08 PM
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The shell was carved from unicorn horn by virgins wearing silk gloves. According to tradition they worked only during full moon using blades forged in Icelandic volcanos.
The crystal in the element was a diamond taken from the Royal Sceptre of Great Britain. and the grill was fashioned from the radiator grill of John Lennon's Rolls Royce.
The whole mic was imbued with blues mojo by burying it in the grave of Little Walter for a full year and was then washed clean in pure hooch.
Greg has them for $5 a piece.
What's the obsession with the best and worst of everything?
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nacoran
4455 posts
Aug 17, 2011
4:12 PM
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I've played the same model Adam uses, I forget the number off the top of my head, and it was really comfortable. It wasn't a bullet, just a stick with a ball on the end. Nice tone, comfortable in the hand...
I don't play amplified enough to make fine distinctions. I've played in good mics and bad mics. I've got a Blue Yeti USB mic for my computer that I like, except I keep having technical issues. First it had a hiss, and I sent it back (and missed the spot on the site for shipping stickers, so that was a bit more $$$.) Now the computer is only recognizing it off and on. I don't know if it's the USB port or the mic. It is the best sounding computer mic I've ever tried.
So, what is the best? Well, it should fit your personal hand size. After that there are so many other variables I don't know. Greg makes some beautiful ones. If you want the microphone to have a dirtier sound skip the virgins though. They are best for making a pure toned microphones.
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garry
92 posts
Aug 17, 2011
4:30 PM
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@MrVerylongusername: i contacted greg, and he's sold out of these. if you ever decide to sell yours, let me know.
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sorin
317 posts
Aug 17, 2011
5:06 PM
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DO NOT FEED THE TROLL.
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Free video harp tabs and backing tracks
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Pakman450
8 posts
Aug 17, 2011
7:37 PM
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@nacoran
Adam uses a Shure PE54 High Impedence microphone. I think Paul Butterfield used that microphone in additional to Shure 545
... maybe...
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Cristal Lecter
104 posts
Aug 17, 2011
7:55 PM
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Simple answer:
THE BEST EVER: Ultimate 57 with bulletizer by Greg Heumann (www.blowsmeaway.com)
For my youtube shit, Yeti Microphone by Blue
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Never try to be as good as someone else, succeed to be the best player you can be!
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HawkeyeKane
1 post
Aug 19, 2011
7:29 AM
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I have to make a distinction here...
Best BULLET I've ever played would have to be my buddy Bill Robinson's customized vintage Shure 520 with a 99S556 element. No volume control on it, just pure balls out distortion and raging good tone. I think Mr. Microphone out of KC was the one who rodded it for him. I didn't wanna give it back to Bill. LOL
Best STICK mic I've ever played, believe it or not, would have to be my Akai DM13. Got it for a steal on ebay with doubts in my mind. Boy was I surprised. Who'd have thought a cheap little Japanese made tape recorder mic could produce such good overdriven tones? Especially on a solid state amp!
Last Edited by on Aug 19, 2011 9:33 AM
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thorvaldsen76
117 posts
Aug 19, 2011
8:03 AM
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Verylongusername: Now that was funny :)
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Pluto
161 posts
Aug 19, 2011
9:16 AM
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My favorite mic was built by Fritz Hasenpusch,out of Salem Or. Its a JT30 with a NOS MC-151 crystal element in it. Sounds the best in my Mini Meat.
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chromaticblues
964 posts
Aug 19, 2011
9:24 AM
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Ditto to Longfellow! I bought one of those too!
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528hemi
218 posts
Aug 19, 2011
12:55 PM
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For me, I use a EV 638, RE-10, Shure CM/CR in an astatic jt-30 shell and and shure 440sl shell and a Front & center. All these mics are my favorties and it depends which amp I use them or which Mic/Amp is the best match. I have 3 amps and use a different mic for each one.
If the question is which one is the most comfortable, it is a wood front& center. Very light and feels good in my hands. Not saying the others are uncomfortable but that is my choice.
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KingBiscuit
90 posts
Aug 19, 2011
1:09 PM
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Wood Bullet made by Greg Heumann at www.blowsmeaway.com
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atty1chgo
129 posts
Aug 27, 2011
7:37 AM
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I've only played through bullet mics at Hill Country Harmonica for the two years I have attended. Even though my hands are not small, I have trouble getting the right grip and seal. And quite frankly, i prefer a cleaner sound than a muddy one. The mic that I own and use is an Electrovoice 660A, and I really love it.
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tmf714
750 posts
Aug 27, 2011
7:47 AM
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Both Chuck Gurney Fat Bottom mics-A black Astatic JT-30 with a vintage CM elemnet-and a Big Walter Argonne A54 with a vintage black label CR element-both killer mics. No volume control on either mic.
Last Edited by on Aug 27, 2011 8:40 AM
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hvyj
1716 posts
Aug 27, 2011
8:35 AM
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Best all around harp mic I've ever played is the Shure 545 Ultimate.
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Kingley
1629 posts
Aug 27, 2011
8:40 AM
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These kinds of questions are pointless. There are many great mics out there for harmonica. It's all about personal preference and what's right for one person isn't necessarily going to be right for you.
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Diggsblues
961 posts
Aug 27, 2011
9:57 AM
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In the studio for Chromatic work the akg c414.
Live diatonic and Chrom akg dm500.
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Emile "Diggs" D'Amico a Legend In His Own Mind
How you doin'
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2chops
31 posts
Aug 27, 2011
2:54 PM
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My mic experience is limited. But I find bullet mics too chunky for me to hold and manipulate properly. A guy I know has a Shure Beta57A that I've used a few times and I love it. I can get a good seal around it and still manage to utilize my hand techniques. Has a good thick sound to it when my cup is real tight with about a 1/2" of space between the harp and grill.
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chromaticblues
985 posts
Aug 27, 2011
3:06 PM
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The best bullet mic I've used I own which is Shure 450 or 444. The model # is on the base that I cut off and threw away. Also the best stick mic would be my Akia DM-13. I'm really surprised to hear so many people say they like the Akia DM-13 as well. The Akia isn't hot and doesn't distort, but has very nice tone and I really like the way it picks up all the notes with even volume. Its great for people that like to play the whole harp.
I've heard alot of bullet mics that suck on the high register. The bullets that due sound good up top don't have good base. My shure desk top short wave mic from the 70's has good base, picks up the high end very well and isn't prone to feedback at high volume jams. The shure cr/cm elements vary ALOT. Most of the Shures I've owned I have not been happy with. I traded some custom harps for a couple cm's that were JUNK. If you get a good one keep it!
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hvyj
1719 posts
Aug 27, 2011
3:13 PM
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All bullet mics are the same to me. They all work fine for my purpose since I would only use them as door stops or paperweights.
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tmf714
751 posts
Aug 27, 2011
3:42 PM
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I find CR,CM,Crystal and Ceramic elements all sound different.
I will change mics for Chromatic playing,or if I want a different tone on a certain song.
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Delta Dirt
196 posts
Aug 27, 2011
5:09 PM
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Chuck Gurney; Astatic JT-30,C.R. Beat to hell and back
still rockin.
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Rick Shanks
83 posts
Aug 27, 2011
10:18 PM
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I favour a clean sound and mostly use a Beyer Dynamic m-160 ribbon mic. Lee Oskar is my primary influence and over twenty years ago he recommended the BD m-160 to me. Beautiful clear, transparent sound. Works well with effects into a clean amp and or PA. Also use an EV RE-10 which is hotter and suits the old Roland 501 tape echo I sometimes pair it with. I plan on ordering an Ultimate from the Greg H. at some stage, as the bulletizer and convenience of a volume control really appeals.
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KiwiRick
Last Edited by on Aug 28, 2011 12:28 AM
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Greg Heumann
1241 posts
Aug 28, 2011
9:00 AM
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@hvjy - you haven't tried a BlowsMeAway wood bullet. At 5 ounces, it is a revelation and makes a lousy door stop. On the other hand there's no law that says you have to like bullets. For me, when playing amplified blues, I find a bullet offers the optimum in tone and holding comfort. The larger diameter ensures a big chamber inside my cup.
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/Greg
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hvyj
1720 posts
Aug 28, 2011
11:13 AM
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@Greg: True, i haven't tried one of your bullets. To be fair, the recordings I've heard of musicians playing one of your bullets do sound pretty good. And, i actually have played through some custom made bullet mics here and there every now and then that i thought sounded pretty good --they were capable of good dynamics and a range of tonal variations. But those have been very much the exception.
No question that bullets are good for certain applications. Not so much for the sound i am after, though. Besides articulation, my biggest problem with bullets is that most of them have a slow response. When i want to, I can play pretty fast with clean separation between notes. The larger diaphragms on most bullet mics do not respond quickly enough to allow me to that, so I have to avoid fast tempo runs using most bullets. Every now and then I've played through a bullet that had adequate articulation and quick enough response to enable me to play fast runs when i wanted to, but, again, those were rare exceptions to the usual bullets I've run into.
As far as cupping goes (and I always play cupped) i am more comfortable cupping a stick mic than I am a bullet. i find bullets are more awkward to handle. But i suppose it all depends on what one is used to, hand size, etc.
The whole bullet mic/distortion thing isn't something that interests me. It is just not the basic sound I'm after. I went through my bullet mic phase about 30 years ago before i knew any better. After all, harp players are SUPPOSED TO use bullets, right?
I suspect that if i asked you build me a bullet to meet my requirements you could probably do it. But, you know the old saying, if it ain't broken, don't fix it? Well, my 545 Ultimate ain't broken, and even if it was, I have a spare.
Last Edited by on Aug 28, 2011 11:28 AM
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