DoubleJ
116 posts
Dec 15, 2014
12:05 PM
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I came across a post of an email written by the late and ever-so-great Pat Ramsey explaining his set up on the Dave Barrett site. Hope this isn't a redo. I didn't see this posted after a search (lots of discussion on Ramsey's tone) and thought it would be valuable for the forum. Have you seen this Mooncat?
Here's what Pat wrote:
“My Harmonicas are the MS Hohner replacement plate on MS blues harp bodies I also have 4 Lavoie Titanium combs that are made to fit the Ms plate.
My element in my Mic is a duel Magnetic basically an old telephone mouthpiece or receiver with the wires crossed. the Man to talk to here is Mr. Microphone out of Kansas City .
My amps are as follows:
My #1 stage rig is a 1956 Fender Princeton( a solid state rectifier was put in by parties unknown in 1980) with a Peavey 8" PA speaker (bigger magnet less distortion) I have a line out built into the back that comes out after the pre amp section and I run a guitar cable into the #2 input of a 1958 Fender Harvard which has One 10" speaker. I use this amp as a monitor for myself but have miked both amps.....A mic plugged into a line splitter and then A to Princeton and B to Harvard will
work just as well as the line out in most applications..(That is what I'm using now as the line out is not working properly)
I also use a 1958 Fender 3 10" Bandmaster but usually use a different mic..when i play it
I have a 4 10" peavey 50 watt Classic that I don't use much anymore(but I like much better than the fender Bassman. I am looking for a 4 10" fender Concert (Chocolate early 60's) but can't really justify spending the money lol..
I have a back up rig that is exactly the same...Both of these amps (1956 Princeton and 1957 Harvard) are completely original. here is the weird rub bub....I like the solid state rectifier so much better than the original tube rectifier that I'm trying to find an exact copies of that old 80's rectifier to put into the other '56 Princeton....this stuff drives collectors crazy as the amps are much more valuable in complete original form....but I am not a collector I just like the way they sound...I find something I like that sounds great i try to copy it so I have a backup”
B/t/w, he shared this info with a fan who happened to ask about it. What a classy special human being and an absolute harp genius.
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Littoral
1173 posts
Dec 15, 2014
4:34 PM
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Thanks A LOT for this.
Lucky, I got my Concert (Jan. 60) for a steal just up the road from his house, 1992.
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DoubleJ
117 posts
Dec 15, 2014
9:38 PM
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1960..That's a blessing. You probably scored it because it was near his place.
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Moon Cat
474 posts
Dec 15, 2014
10:05 PM
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Thanks for posting the! Very , very cool move! Yeah thats it! Except I didn't know Pat to use MS Hohners (except at the very end) all that often…He was using Suzuki promasters for most his career (once they came out till around 2005 I think) and he had a few Filiskos he got in 95, then after Katrina I rounded him up a few more Fiilisko's, then 6 Richard Sleigh harps were donated by some awesome guy and I gave him a couple of Joe Spiers harmonicas too…He actually was afraid to play them most of the time...His mic I'm pretty sure was an American Turner or something…It was awful in size and weight... AWFUL! And totally unwieldily, (I dropped it once in Memphis the first time he let me sit in and he almost killed me) it had a volume control placed near the back all catywampus like and It was Pat's favorite thing ever…He used that VC with his little finger and it kinda served as a mini handle/ring to keep that beast n his hands that ole mic broke/died near the end and he freaked out and Had Mr Microphone and the rest of us scanning the globe for a replica in a fucking pane! So I feel like Pat was downplaying the mic a bit here…It may be because (Knowing Pat) he didn't want anyone really knowing what it was/cloning it…He used a JT 30 or something maybe even a blues blaster until Dennis or someone found him one kinda like it. His tone was unique for sure! Miss him a lot right now even talking about this silly gear stuff! He obviously was the most important person to ever come into my life not just muscly either. All hail the Reverend Pat Ramsey!
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www.mooncat.org
Last Edited by Moon Cat on Dec 15, 2014 10:11 PM
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DoubleJ
118 posts
Dec 15, 2014
11:53 PM
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Sounds like you could write a book on him Moon Cat! I always thought his tone sounded like it came through a crystal or ceramic element and was surprised to read about the magnetic telephone mic.
In any case its his articulation that knocks me out. His improv was done in a way that made every single inflection count. It's obvious that you are his spiritual son, maintaining and expanding his musical legacy.
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TBird
85 posts
Dec 17, 2014
2:59 PM
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Speaking of Pat Ramsey... I'd love to put more of him in my ears. Any thoughts on where to find his best stuff. How 'bout his stuff with Johnny Winter? Youtube has shockingly little to offer.
And yes... wow... look at the size of that mic!
T.Bird
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DoubleJ
120 posts
Dec 18, 2014
9:23 AM
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Pat's website is still up and has a list of CDs here:
http://www.patramsey.com/cd.php
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MN
362 posts
Dec 19, 2014
8:07 AM
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For the first part of his career, Pat played a Shure 533SAV stick mic that he said Johnny Winter gave him during the recording of the "White, Hot and Blue" record. You can see him playing it in this video from 1982. He was still playing this mic into 1992 or '93.
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Bluedawgbluesacrat
32 posts
Dec 26, 2014
11:00 PM
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I met pat Ramsey at blues city cafe1995. Beale street , memphis.....he and billy Gibson were sharing house band duties....I had only been playin harp 2 years and pat was a beast ....he was playing the peavy classic....don't remember what mic but I do think he was playing Suzuki harps....we were competing in Beale street blues comp to go to ibc......we came in 2nd that year to ........drumroll.....14 year old guitar prodigy......Sean Costello ....actually think I have some video of those nights ......lotta great memories of some great players
Last Edited by Bluedawgbluesacrat on Dec 26, 2014 11:00 PM
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Mojokane
776 posts
Dec 29, 2014
7:20 PM
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yeah, awesome payer and singer...wow!
1:18 to 1:40 is NIIIIIICE! Thanks MN
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Why is it that we all just can't get along?<
Last Edited by Mojokane on Dec 29, 2014 7:21 PM
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