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Dirty-South Blues Harp forum: wail on! > Semi-OT - T shirt design?
Semi-OT - T shirt design?
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2chops
171 posts
Oct 06, 2013
4:05 PM
Kingly brings up some good points about using vector art and PMS colors. I work in the promo products biz and deal with this every day. Another thing he brought up is also spot on. Your Ultimate 57 with a Bulletizer is your unique contribution to the harp/music world. I think this should be your focal point for the main line of shirts. Nothing else looks like them. Plus a shirt with this ad the art could be worn in mixed company. I also dig the cross hairs grill design. Nice one.
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Rubes
766 posts
Oct 06, 2013
4:07 PM
Keep it up gus..Greg's gonna love em'! I like your first one Tooks!, and nice and retro Pistolcat...but that could be a secret!~....and Frank.....Frank.........
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tookatooka
3538 posts
Oct 07, 2013
2:40 PM
Just bumping this up in case Greg drops by.
Frank
2945 posts
Oct 07, 2013
3:15 PM
Here is a mic shirt I got about 10 years ago when I bought a mic from Mr. Microphone.
 photo DSC00338.jpg

Last Edited by Frank on Oct 07, 2013 3:16 PM
6SN7
376 posts
Oct 08, 2013
7:05 AM
Greg, I guess people have spoken, but I am going to add my two cents.
First off, I would wear one of your shirts as I dig your products and service. But...
I have a bureau of black tee shirts that I never wear. Why? Because black tee shirts look crummy on me and most the population. Black shirts are usually crummy quality. I have never seen a nice one. I would rather wear a prewash/stone washed, cotton tee (not that Gildane shit) in a light blue or green pastel shade. Or white tee.
Your tag line, well, its about 1% as clever as the products you sell, again, nothing I would wear. Please do not take this persoanlly, clearly others think its great, but that's me.
The use of the phrase "harp gear", is well, to me, a bit confusing as it is already in play (the amp) and I think there are better phrases/decriptions of your offering. "Harmonica Tone Tools" I think is more focused of your product line and stands out. "Mojo Magic" I dunno, that line just came to me as I thought about what you provide to the customer.
I like the second mock up Took did with the guy playing harp. It is direct, simple, clean, no clutter and looks good. The first one is clever, imagine if you put one of your custom grills there, it would be nice.
Design and particularly logos are very tricky things and are difficult to develop. Develop a message that is simple and focused, what you have presented makes me chuckle but thats it.
Gig74
144 posts
Oct 08, 2013
9:17 AM
I like that last one best tooka, simple and effective, it'd look good on anything, letter headed paper, harp cases as well as t shirts of course.

I had a meal out about a year ago with a bunch of friends and family they all play guitar so when the conversation turned to music they couldn't believe all the innuendo within the world of harmonica, one of them said you should get a harp t shirt with the slogan "I've got ten holes and I suck at them all" needless to say it never got made.

Go tastefully :o)

Greg
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Living the dream and learning the blues one little trouble at a time.
Grey Owl
358 posts
Oct 08, 2013
9:34 AM
I like all of them Tooka but I agree with Gig74 that the last one is best for the reasons he states.

I mainly identify Greg with quality custom mics and in order to put this across I would suggest dropping 'Gear' and replacing it with 'mic's' or 'mics'.

'Custom Harmonica Mic's'

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JInx
571 posts
Oct 08, 2013
10:37 AM
How about:
"Harp microphones, made from rain forests....they're that good!"
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mlefree
131 posts
Oct 08, 2013
11:05 AM
Greg, I think you should use your T-shirts as an opportunity to build on your brand.

I spent several years as a graphic designer specializing in helping young companies create a uniform brand across their visual communications (web site, product tags, letterhead, etc.) Usually this involved creating a logo or other ID that could be use in all these different places.

You may not realize it but you already have an established and recognizable image. No, it's not one of your beautiful wooden bullet mic's. As attractive as they are, they are not absolutely unique, nor do they lend themselves to a logo. But your Ultimate Series mic's certainly do. Nothing like them, anywhere. Plus, to me they represent the summation of your skills as a machinist and electronics technician.

One glimpse of one of your Ultimate mic's, in use on stage or elsewhere, and they are instantly recognizable. No question who made them -- Greg Heumann.

My best advise is to create a very simple stylized, graphical line drawing version of the shape or outline of an Ultimate Series mic', clearly showing the built-in volume control. It would be simple for anyone with Photoshop or Illustrator to create a line drawing logo from a photograph. Such a line drawing logo could be used in manifold ways that could minimize your printing costs for any application (no grey-scale printing). Screen-printed logo stickers for your products, visual web site identification, etc.

Go for it. In my view it's the only thing that your company lacks; a sort of BlowsMeAway shwoosh if you will. :^)

Michelle

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SilverWingLeather.com
email: mlefree@silverwingleather.com

Last Edited by mlefree on Oct 08, 2013 11:09 AM
Greg Heumann
2405 posts
Oct 08, 2013
4:56 PM
FYI guys - thanks again - I will not produce the shirt above. I like the idea of the harp grill but that's no fun. I could show product but there's too much to show - Ultimate mics. Wood mics. Wireless systems. Bulletizers. Kalamazoo amps. Volume controls. Adapters. Cables... and I haven't figured out a way to do that without it looking stupid....

(edit: Michelle I just saw your post AFTER writing this - good input and I will consider it. Thank you)

or, what I was shooting for originally - just something fun that ultimately says "I'm a harp player" and happens to drop the BlowsMeAway name. People will ask the wearer what its about if they're into harp - and my customers are my best sales people. If they're not into harp - I don't care.

SO - out of energy on it for now - maybe something else will come to me. I appreciate all the feedback, here and privately.
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***************************************************
/Greg

BlowsMeAway Productions
See my Customer Mics album on Facebook
BlueState - my band
Bluestate on iTunes

Last Edited by Greg Heumann on Oct 08, 2013 4:58 PM
The Stick
32 posts
Oct 08, 2013
6:43 PM
Greg, I like tookatooka's concept above (The "outlined harp"), but I also like something that shows off your flair for woodwork. Maybe a large black & white relief of the "surfboard mic" on the back of the shirt?!
What about something that ties you to California?

See below!

 photo P1070640_zpsa3a4c410.jpeg

 photo P1070639_zps9c0ee0ea.jpg

 photo surfboard-waves_zps94c598a1.jpg

 photo JLM-surf-01_zpsafec6a26.jpg


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