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Dirty-South Blues Harp forum: wail on! >
Poor Charlie - Tarnished Blossom
Poor Charlie - Tarnished Blossom
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GMaj7
155 posts
Nov 30, 2012
8:58 PM
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One of my all time favorite You Tube videos used to be the Orange Blossom Special performed live by Charlie McCoy. I used sit in amazement as I would listen to that guy play. I'm sure I watched that video 200 times. Something happened along the way, though. I heard something. It was barely perceptible at first. I could hardly make it out. I slowed it down and replayed certain segments probably another 50 times or so. Still unsure, I watched an replayed the video again and again and then right there before my eyes I saw and heard it! It was as obvious as a pregnant nun. Charlie tried to conceal it with advanced cupping techniques and that audience engaging smile, but how could anyone be fooled. That awful sound I was hearing was from a plastic comb on a Special 20.
The tone it was .. well.. fat, but thin, heavy on the high but light on the low, just something about it. The sound was crisp yet edgy, it lacked the fullness and boldness of wood. I think I would describe it as plastic overtone. Actually, worse than that. Cheap Chinese plastic overtone.
Oh sure, he was playing at 1,000 beats per minute with the timing of a click track, but that was just the illusion to cover up that tone. I don't know how I missed it in all those times I watched in pure amazement at his skill. I even noticed that as the camera panned the audience, many of them heard it, too. There was none of that clap and stomp usually associated with a show-stopping performance of OBS. No, in fact, in a really awkward moment, a wife
stared at her husband in total disgust. Who knows what she said, but her look said it all.
Oh, poor Charlie. If only he has spent less time practicing and more time on the forums debating the important stuff. At least he would not be standing in total embarrassment on that lonely stage.
(For the blues players, remove your fedora and sunglasses and relax. It is called a parody)
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Greg Jones
16:23 Custom Harmonicas
greg@1623customharmonicas.com
1623customharmonicas.com
Last Edited by on Dec 01, 2012 5:22 AM
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rbeetsme
940 posts
Dec 01, 2012
5:28 AM
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I sat 5 feet in front of Charlie at a seminar a few years back. Someone asked about special tunings, did he work on his harps, what mic he used, etc.. Charlie held up his clear plastic parts bin container he found at Walmart. The dividers were just the right size for a harp, clear plastic made it easy to read the keys. He was quite proud of this discovery. He claims he never touches his harps, they all come ready to play from the Hohner factory. (Charlie is a long time Hohner endorser, I'm sure that his harps are well sorted before shipped. Most would probably consider them customs) As for mic, amps, effects, he trusts the boys in Nashville to make him sound good. BTW: When Charlie played on stage that night I saw him play something that I've never heard anyone else play except me, thought I'd invented that technique. Guess I haven't lived long enough.
Last Edited by on Dec 01, 2012 5:31 AM
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florida-trader
209 posts
Dec 01, 2012
5:37 AM
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rbeetsme I visited with the Hohner Techs at SPAH this summer. One of the things they mentioned in passing was putting together orders for the "name" players. All the harps are thoroughly checked out and adjusted according to the playing style or preferences of the player. I don't know if I would call them full blown custom but they are definitely not plain old OOTB harps. It's not like Charlie orders some harps and the Hohner guys just pull some off the shelf and send them to him. Like you said, "well sorted".
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Tom Halchak
www.BlueMoonHarmonicas.com
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Frank
1524 posts
Dec 01, 2012
8:17 AM
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Who knows what she said? I had an expert lip reader analyze the video and to my surprise she said to her husband…
"Is that all he’s got…I’ve been jaded you bastard - ever since that Jason Ricci show you brought me too"!
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