Frank
275 posts
Feb 18, 2012
7:19 PM
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Here is an interview where Les talks about hearing Deford Bailey play harmonica on the radio, then figuring out how to amplify his voice and harmonica. He states he plugged a mic into his Mothers radio... There are 2 pages to read.
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timeistight
354 posts
Feb 18, 2012
9:01 PM
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Les Paul ran a microphone into his mother's radio after hearing Deford Bailey's harmonica which was picked up by a microphone and broadcast to Les Paul's mother's radio.
Doesn't that mean Bailey was first?
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Greg Heumann
1485 posts
Feb 18, 2012
11:14 PM
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First of all - cool article, thanks for posting. And yeah - define "amplified" - the process of picking up the signal with a microphone for recording/broadcast requires amplification to make that happen. I think Les Paul had enough firsts to his name. He doesn't need "first guy to amplify harmonica" to add to his credibility! And I doubt he was.
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/Greg
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boris_plotnikov
699 posts
Feb 19, 2012
12:32 AM
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BTW, Les Paul also invented harmonica rack (of course besides electric guitar and multichanell recording). Real genius.
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Excuse my bad English. Click on my photo or my username for my music.
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Frank
276 posts
Feb 19, 2012
4:07 AM
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TiT - Good observation, not only was Deford 1st but Les was making almost $50 dollars an hour busking playing Deford Bailey tunes and Les's brother took home barely $18 dollars for almost 60 hours of manual labor.
Greg..The book is called "Secrets of The Masters" it is a bunch of interviews fron Guitar Player Magizine. There are 40 interviews...Here is a link to check the book outLINK He states pluggin a mic into his moms radio for amplification and playing the harp through it, not sure what year it was though? Being 1st will remain a mystery I suppose, The scholars can debate its meaning if necessary.
Boris - Right...He used a coat hanger, BTW, are you going to enter the "MBH Throw Down With the Pros competition #1" You have what it takes to be a contender, I hope you do!
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7LimitJI
612 posts
Feb 19, 2012
4:49 AM
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He heard Deford playing harp at the Grand Ole Oprey on the radio. He figured out cross harp from that.
He then made a mic that was plugged into a radio that was used as the amplifier.
He made $30-35 per week. Not an hour.
Harp had been played through amplifiers previous to this. Deford was playing into a mic in able to be transmitted through the radio.
The real question is who was the first to play amplified with distortion, on purpose?
Not Deford or Les Paul who would be playing "clean" but still amplified.
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The Pentatonics Reverbnation
Youtube
"Why don't you leave some holes when you play, and maybe some music will fall out".
"It's music,not just complicated noise".
Last Edited by on Feb 19, 2012 5:06 AM
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rbeetsme
650 posts
Feb 19, 2012
5:43 AM
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Snooky Prior made a point of telling a group at a seminar I attended that HE was the first to play harp through a mic. He played taps at an army base as a prank instead of the trumpet player. The Base Commander liked it and asked him to continue. When he served his time he went to Chicago and continued to play through a mic, became his sound. I wonder how many of these guys claimed to be the first.
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LSC
176 posts
Feb 19, 2012
8:43 AM
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Or as Big Walter once said, "Little Walter? I taught him everything he knows. Little Walter? I don't sound like Little Walter. Let him sound like this Walter."
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LSC
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