What would be a good "blues" mic to go with a small tweed amp (HarpGear HG2)?
I am not looking to break the bank, but there are some instances where I want to get a traditional blues harp sound. I might use it live once in a great while, but am thinking more for home recording (so it doesn't have to be crazy expensive).
Maybe I have everything I need covered already? Am I going to hate a more traditional CM or CR mic with such a small amp and only an 8" speaker? In the past, I've not liked bullet mics as they are hard for me to grip well, but there are so many variables involved!
I was eying up a Shure 545 (Ultimate 545 more than likely) or the most basic offering of the wood mics Greg carries (almost bought one several months back and really should have).
In general, I want it to not sound like my Ultimate 57 as I already have that covered, lol. I think RE10's sound a lot like a 57 for comparison sake. There are a few instances where I would consider changing mics live to mix things up too, I guess.
But as mentioned above, I am wondering if I would end up not liking a hot blues mic into a small amp...Adam seems to have no problem getting a great blues sound with a dynamic and small amp. ---------- Mike Quicksilver Custom Harmonicas
I just bought my first CR mic off of Brian Purdy. He had the HG2 and an HG50 set up for the campers at Jam Camp last week. With a chance to really listen to them together, trying the mic at length, I decided to give the CR a try. I own 57's, an RE10, and several crystal bullets.
Brian knows what sounds good with his amps. If he suggests a particular mic, I'd trust him. Same goes for the other Mic-tech guys. They tend to have a good sense of the particular "hotness" or matching ability of individual elements they come across.
Philisophically, I've always liked crystals over "other" old-school elements. I've also been playing amostly dynamic elements for the last few years. My ultimate idea is to switch tone-style more completely during an individual show.
Just as a guitar player may swap a jazz-box for a Tele, why can't I go back and forth from a more "modern" effects-driven sound to a more old-school "trad" blues sound? I think the tonal contrast will make for a more interesting show.
As for the hand-size thing, I've seen some tiny-handed people completely rock bullet mics of all sizes. I think it's just a matter of adaptation and/or personal preference. ---------- 12gagedan's YouTube Channel
If you buy a bullet you should check SUKM silver bullet by rharley. I have small hands around 7" from palm to tip and mine is really easy to grip. Here's a video of the mic, it as a Mexican made 99C86 element with Rons super boost mod, I really like my mic. With a bigger budget than mine you can have a better element.
Martin
---------- Violence is the last refuge of the incompetent. Isaac Asimov
When I want a dirty blues sound, I use a hi-z 545 into my Princeton Reverb Reissue and crank the amp up to 8 and turn down volume at the mic.
Before Greg stated making his Ultimate series, i had him mod a Shure 545SD (SD=on/off switch) to high impedance with a guitar cord jack and a volume control. He did a beautiful job.
Now, i love my low-z 545 Ultimates (I've got two of them), but the hi-z has about 20% more gain, and is a hotter and dirtier mic. Perfect for when i want a dirty blues tone (which, btw, is NOT how i usually set up). I don't like bullet mics, so my recommendation would be a hi-z 545 with a volume control. A hi-z 545 Ultimate would probably do it. I prefer the hi-z 545 over an EV RE-10.
Last Edited by on Oct 04, 2011 9:35 AM
+1 on the 545. I have a vintage 545 that Greg ultimized and it sounds good with my HG2. Believe it or not the Shure 575s also sounds really good with it.
Mike - I use a variety of mics with my tweed Champ clone. They all sound pretty good. I'm able to get some pleasing tone out of any of them. Personally, since you have an SM57, I would not buy a 545 unless you use the SM57 for vocals.
People will likely scoff at my suggestion, because it's not normally known as a tone monster, but is super low dollar and it very easy to find. I'm going to suggest that you pick up an Astatic JT30RH the next time they go on sale at Musicians Friend for $50. It sounds pretty good with my tweed Champ and my Harpgear Double Trouble.
The first two were recorded with the JT30RH into the tweed Champ. They were recorded into straight into Garageband. I posted these on harmonicajam.com a few years ago.
This last one was straight into the Double Trouble. The recording quality of this one is somewhat poor. I was learning how to use the Zoom H2 and I was experimenting with placement of the recorder, but I think it shows that the microphone is usable.
The reason that Adam gets a good Blues sound out of his equipment is that he is a Blues player. I suspect the essence of his sound would be preserved if he was playing through your equipment.
Mike - I have an HG2 myself and have always preferred my Ultimate 545 through that particular amp. I have a couple of great CR mics too, but they can almost be a little too hot through the HG. The 545 gives a great crunchy tone and you can really get the amp into its sweet spot, so possibly your 57 may give a similar result.
Last Edited by on Oct 04, 2011 12:35 PM
Thanks for all the great responses! I know with my VHT, it doesn't get really gritty unless really cranked and the treble down...ultimately, I have it setup that way. I like the cleaner tone with it.
I always end up wrestling with what I think I hear at home and then how it sounds live...so my ears can deceive me.
Ultimately, it may not be the best rig for going from different tones - meaning it probably would be too hot switching mics live.
I know Chris used an RE10 with his little Harpgear amp when he wanted a blues tone. I might be remembering wrongly but I'm pretty sure the harpgear that Chris had was a prototype HG2. It was definitely a small wattage amp with one 8" speaker. I know he used to go wireless a lot of the time, but I know he also just plugged his RE10 straight in. He got great tone outta that thing! ---------- == I S A A C ==
People don't talk about them much here, but I absolutely love my Front&Center ceramic. I traded a Lone Wolf pedal for it to another MBH-er, and it's dirty, light and unbelievably feedback resistant. I also love my 50's CR and Ultimate 545, but this has been my goto mic for months. ----------
I use the Front and center with my SJ Super Cruncher, If I want more dirt I go to the Shure CR or RE-10 which some say are more muddier?
I use the EV-638 with my Multibox combo bass amp because that amp is bright and the Ev's 638 cuts the highs which makes great combo.
I like the Shure CR/CM with my masco 5U for bedroom playing where I can keep the volume lower and still drive the pre-amp hard.
They all are different and you really need to try the Mics and adjsut the amp to see what YOU really like. There really is not 1 mic that I would say sounds terrible, just different.
If you lived near NY I would let you try them all.
I have an HG2 and LOVE the Shure 533SA stic mic with it - they seem really made for eachother (much better than a stock 57 no comparison)! --------- ~Banned in Boston!
Last Edited by on Oct 05, 2011 1:10 PM
Holy balls! Best amp I have ever played. Obviously not as loud as a HG50, but louder than my modded VHT..but the TONE! Perfect!!!
Me thinks the VHT is a better effects rig platform, but the HG2 tone is amazing! Lots of punch, volume, and tweed flavor. Perfect plug and play with my 57.
The POG2 (which has limtied tone shaping), the M13 octaver (sounds the best and is most flexible), and the Boss OC2 (which sounds the worst for singing bass lines, FWIW) all cause speaker distortion.
It isn't the fault of the speaker. I am doing something with it that it isn't intended to do. The amp in general sounds so friggin' awesome, that I am not sure it is worth trouble shooting.
If anything, I can use less proximity on the mic (which reduces the bass volume) to limit it and use my preamp/DI to add more bass.
In other words, I can make the amp see less bass and probably boost the bass going FOH. I realize I could use a speaker that doesn't break up as much, but what's the point? It sounds perfect as is. Plus, if I use any of those pedals with harmonica, it doesn't breakup. It only happens when I hum a bass line. I will get to test this again this afternoon with a PA and then for real tonight. (I actually run everything to my powered monitor and then feed that FOH, so what I hear at home should be the same there...I do this because the sound guy can't mix board feed more by feeding the mixer and routing it to the monitor anyways...I have full control of that and he can only EQ).
Honestly, it isn't a big deal as I probably won't use it much for that. The HG2 distortion bugs me more BUT, that is not a knock on the amp...I am just again using the amp in a way it was built to be used.
I'll check at lunch, but I am 90% positive I can limit the amount of bass gain the amp sees. If I lineout from it, the only person who'd every hear it is me on stage (true of either amp).
I know I stated this above, but the VHT is still a fantastic amp. It just has a very different sound and is overall darker than the HG2. I was just surprised that the HG2 had just as much bottom end even though the VHT has a 10" speaker, and oversized OT, a 12ax7, and has been modded. The volumes were very very close too.
Granted, the VHT had a Tung Sol RI, and putting a JJ 6V6 might have given a more aggressive tone.
The kind of metalic tinkling (like reed rattle) I heard on your recordings may well be a borderline case of parasitic oscillation (PRRI & Marshall 1962 RI are also prone & various attempts to cure this by looking at mechanical aspects, like speaker/cab/baffle are in vain). Amps are under most stress when trying to project low frequencies (like when you hum), it takes a lot of current, whilst it won't damage anything it might be enough to expose any weaknesses with layout/grounding in the amp...which wouldn't normally be encountered.
You seem to have everything covered now with the HG2, but it might be interesting to see if the VHT still rattles whilst humming with a 5751/12AT7/12AY7 installed? Just for futue reference, in case any other VHT owners notice the rattle. ---------- www.myspace.com/markburness
