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Dirty-South Blues Harp forum: wail on! >
Great Job on a Mic- Thanks Greg Heumann!
Great Job on a Mic- Thanks Greg Heumann!
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jbone
91 posts
Jun 27, 2009
9:10 PM
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First off, I must totally tip my hat to GREG HEUMANN, of BlowsMeAway Productions. He just modded a low-z E-V m43u for me and it came out incredible! If you have a mic that needs tlc Greg is your man. He not only does repairs and mods, he makes wood shells and nice grills and does repairs too. He also has a line of Shure 57 and 58 mics with built-on volume controls, and can change impedance and add volume controls to virtually any mic, and his work is top notch professional. The mic he redid for me now is high-z with a built-in transformer, sports a built-in volume pot, and has a switchcraft screw-on with a 1/4" guitar adapter. It's the real stuff. No mars, no scratches, and worth every dime spent. Greg's prices are competitive too. and the personal touch is priceless!
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Greg Heumann
90 posts
Jun 28, 2009
1:17 PM
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Thanks, jBone!
Note that the low-Z original mics are still available on eBay for 79.95 - I think they're a great buy, even with the mod money in them to make them usable. Just search on m43u microphone.
The mods came out well and were a fun project. Installing the connector meant machining a bushing to press-fit where the XLR connector used to be - you can just see its top in the photo. It also meant drilling and tapping a hole inside for a grounding screw. The area below the knob is also milled flat to give the volume pot nut a secure place to seat. The internal impedance matching transformer is the same transformer that Shure uses in their A95U series products.
The result is a really sweet mic!
Here's a pic:
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/Greg
http://www.BlowsMeAway.com
http://www.BlueStateBand.net
Last Edited by on Jun 28, 2009 1:27 PM
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jbone
92 posts
Jun 28, 2009
3:42 PM
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that is it exactly. not a scratch or mar on it, it looks like it came from the factory that way.
next thursday i plan to take it and the bassman to a jam and really wring it out. and friday Jo and i are one of the openeing acts at the "patriotic spectacular" here in town- a 4th of july celebration. we'll do maybe 3 songs and i'll have our silvertone 1482's out for amplification and the m43u will be the featured mic!
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jbone
97 posts
Jul 03, 2009
5:52 AM
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ok, back to the topic at hand.
i took the bassman and the new e-v mic out for a spin at a jam last night and i am very glad i did.
i had put 12a class tubes as follows just after i got the amp- p1- 12au7, p2-12ax7, p3-12au7. it tamed out the feedback but did cut the volume a lot. so i took someone's counsel and put a 12ax7 in p1, and 12au7's in p2 and p3. which was better, but still not quite there.
when i got to the jam the house harp guy and a good friend, sonny, wanted to look it all over. when the house band took a break we plugged it in with the new mic and i blew a little into it to see what was what. almost immediately sonny grabbed a lil jumper cord and we put it between the 2 channels of the amp. HUGE improvement in bottom end breakup and a bump in volume before feedback also!
about then the band, plus guest guitar guys, hit the stage, and i got to play harp with them. bass, drums, keys, and 3 guitars on stage. it's a pretty small stage and the harp guy spot on one end is tiny, so i had the amp on the floor a foot below me, and was standing behind it mostly. as the band got wound up, i bumped the bassman volume to match. and it kept up and didn't squeal! and the bottom end, wow it was just heaven. at one point sonny came over to tell me i needed to turn DOWN a bit- something a lot of harp guys never hear. and just to be real clear- tone for days. incredible from low end all the way up. i had the amp volume at about 3/4 at one point, and the mic volume nearly all the way up. no feedback. and it let me play a low F harp in 3rd position pretty gently and be heard, even with all that band on stage!
the mic worked really great also. since it's about 2/3 the diameter of say a green bullet, it was real easy to cup. the vol pot is very easy to reach, being installed at an angle on the back end of the mic more or less. the mic's element- a dynamic with a transformer to convert it to hi-z- packed plenty of punch for the bassman to send out. the original finish is that olive drab green military color, and it's like a satin or semi gloss, not slick at all so even with some sweat on the hands it was easy to grip and keep cupped tight. i am thinking of maybe getting a custom paint job on it just for giggles.
over all, i am really just amazed and totally pleased with the mic and with the latest tube configuration, along with the jumper cable idea on the amp. all of a sudden this has turned into a very killer rig. i would not hesitate to get on stage with this setup just about anyplace with just about anyone. this rig has instilled that kind of confidence.
my recommendation, if you've done your woodshedding and feel ready to get out with the big guys, is to get hold of STEVE CLARK at sligo amps dot com, and order a replica '59 bassman. at the same time, get hold of GREG HEUMANN at blowsmeaway productions, and have him build you a mic. for my dineros, that has been the two best investments i could have made. both are really good guys who will work to meet your needs, and they are both a pleasure to do business with, and both make great products that i am proud to own and use.
so that's the story. and it's a REALLY happy ending!
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