I searched the forum, but no cigar. Does anyone have any feedback...no, wait. Does anyone have any experience with this mic? Any comments, positive or negative? I am intrigued by the configuration. Of course, the eBay sellers and the Shaker site say they're great, but I haven't heard anything about them outside of eBay and the Shaker site.
I have one. The mic that I now use is one I put together so I woould sell you mine. It is a good mic but I couldn't get used to the shape after having used a big ole bullet for so long. Make me an offer if you're interested; staceyanddeeatmsndotcom
@eharp....thanks, Dude. I like the configuration because it looks like it would be similar to hold as my first mic, the "Mini Mojo," a little hand-made wooden mic. I'm in St. Clair Shores. It's called St. Clair Shores on account of it's on the shores of Lake St. Clair. Anyway, I guess it's a moot point now because I've make Lip Ripper an offer he can't refuse....unless he does. I take it you're happy with the mic.
the shaker is fair. i only use it with a little smokey amp for some bonfire type playing. if you are getting it at a good price, it could be worth having. personally, i try to avoid buying ANY harp gear without testing it first. what works for one person may not be so good for another. my offer is still there.
Well....thanks, guys; especially you, eharp, for your kind offer. BUT...The ripper and I have made a deal, the price is fair for him and for me. It's not an expensive mic to begin with, and getting it at a reduced price let's me try it (and have it) with little financial exposure. I just picked up a Line 6 Spider 15 watt modelling amp for super cheap. Same theory. I can dick around with solid state amplification, now with three different mics and a little amp I can use pre-amp to the Spider, and maybe learn something without making a BIG mistake.
I have small hands. I used to think I needed a very small mic to get a good cup. I was barking up the wrong tree. I can fully cup a JT30 size bullet. It just took a lot of practice, a lot more than I would have thought I needed. And most of that has nothing to do with the fit of my hands on the shell.
Personally I don't think this is a great mic, but that's not my message. Just because it has a small head doesn't mean it can't be good - the RE10, SM57 and 545 are all good mics with small heads. My message is - don't think you HAVE to buy a small mic if you have small hands. Avoid HUGE ones (520dx) and you'll be fine. Good cupping has more to do with sealing off the front of the harp and less with the back than you probably think. ---------- /Greg
Thanks for the comments, Greg. I don't have small hands, but I don't practice with mics much, and I DID start out with the little-bitty Mini Mojo. I'm on your waiting list for a K-Zoo, and I'm not going to make any big gear moves until my number comes up, and then I think I can cash in on your guidance and the experience of others to come up with a combination(s) that work for me without having to make multiple retail purchases that may or may not work out. In the meantime, if I can pick up odds and ends for less than a hundred bucks, I think it behooves be to do so and familiarize myself with some of the technical aspects. In the end, however, I'm sure my brilliant playing will shine through and obviate any gear problems........unless it doesn't.
Question. I sorta like the form factor of the Madcat mic. It's supposed to enable wah-wahs and other hand effects (never had one, though I've seen Madcat hisself play using one and of course he can do anything...). I wonder whether you could focus your amazing skills on re-fitting a Shaker Madcat or making a similar wooden model yourself? Might be the best of both worlds. Thanks, Michelle
Last Edited by on Dec 18, 2011 1:24 PM
Michelle - its a myth. You don't need a small mic to get great wah's. You need technique and practice. You can get great WAH from one of my wood bullets or a JT30 or an SM57 or a host of other mics. As for re-working, you just can't get good elements to fit tiny mics of that form factor.
Once again, and this is just as true acoustically as it it amplified, getting the deepest WAH requires sealing the unplayed holes on the front of the harp. If you're not doing that now, that's where to spend your energy.
Don't believe me? Spend 5 minutes with me and I'll show you. I've shown many players and the result is always the same. "Wow. I had no idea. Now I know what I'm aiming for." If you can't come see me, tape over holes 1, and 4-10 on the front of your harp with black electrical tape. Stretch it tight for a good air seal. Now cup your harp and do a 2 or 3 or 2/3 draw, and "wah" away. Hear now much deeper it is? That's because no sound pressure is escaping out the front of the harp. Now try the same thing on mic. If you don't seal the unplayed holes on the front of the harp, you'll never get the deepest wah's or fattest amplified tone possible. To do this, I have to TB, and use my right thumb and cheek. Depending on your grip and physiognomy and harp holding style you may need a different technique. ---------- /Greg
Thanks for the insights, Greg. I won't see you until SPAH 2012 so if you'll bear with me, allow me to try to describe my current grip in hopes you might be able to make some suggestion(s) as to how I might get a better wah-wah when gripping a mic. I am satisfied with my hand cup when playing acoustically, but haven't been able to get a similar effect when playing amplified.
I've seen accomplished amplified players pressing their hand cups to their cheeks (e.g., Dennis Gruenling) but I wasn't completely sure why they were doing that. In my own case, my left hand doesn't seal perfectly against the top and bottom cover plates (I use a two-finger harp grip with my left hand and complete the cup with my right hand, not the "drinking from a coffee cup" grip.) Even when I cup a mic, I still use the same basic grip that I use when I play acoustically, just cradling the mic with the back of my hands. I've never been able to make that "drinking from a coffee" cup grip that Tom Ball and Phil Wiggins use so effectively. I'm not sure what grip style you use.
My thumb and index finger don't lie perfectly flat on the cover plates to there are little gaps there that I seal with my lips when I bring the harp to my mouth. When I bring my right hand to the harp to complete the cup, I place my right thumb over the higher holes for the reason you cite. I grip my green bullet or 545 so as to form as large a chamber inside the cup as my hand size permits (i.e., mic as far back out of the cup as possible).
When I play a low note, my hand cup puts the harp at an angle with respect to the front of my mouth in order to seal the front of my cup against my right cheek. As I play successively higher notes, the angle of the harp changes until at the top holes of the instrument the harp lays against my left cheek to complete the seal. I've practiced making the most positive seal I can to get the best compression and muted tone I can.
Still, when I make hand effects with a mic in place I just cannot get the kind of wah-wah effect that I can playing acoustically. Paul Davies can make a wah-wah effect by lifting his right thumb on and off the harp (while maintaining the rest of his hand cup), exploiting the very phenomenon you mention. I'm not getting quite the seal Paul does, but I do get a bit of a wah by lifting that thumb on and off the higher holes at the front of the harp. I guess I need to work some more on getting a completely tight seal around the mic (or with just my hands, lips and cheeks when playing acoustically). Any suggestions where I should go from here? (Sorry for being so long-winded, but I can't explain such a detailed topic while economizing on my words.)
Greg you are always helpful and generous with sharing your keen insights, and I'm sure I'm not the only one who appreciates it.
Sounds like you're doing a lot RIGHT. You didn't say if you tongue block - without it there's a lot of harp hanging out the left side of your mouth and air can escape out the front there. Beyond that it does take practice - I know I've improved steadily for years and I KNOW I have plenty left to go. I am not capable of getting a good seal playing the high notes, and I'm not good enough to bend everything I want to bend in TB, so the front seal suffers in those moments.
I don't know if it will help but I did a couple of youtube videos of this a few years ago - they are at http://youtu.be/QRPaAyDTF5c and http://youtu.be/gcEQZApX5NU
