There's been a lot of discussion about Aki lately so I hope this is an OK post. I asked Aki if he would do a quick video of the new Bulletini mic for me. He obliged. Here he is, up close and personal, solo. His playing just knocks me out. Groove, groove, groove.
Is this mic anything like the ol' Ruskin mics from a while ago? They were 3/4 and also 1/2 size of bullet mic. I think they were made out of a bicycle headlight shell...very light. I still prefer mine. ---------- The Iceman
I'm not sure what I like better the sound or the playing! Very nice playing from that young MAN for sure. Great overall sound! Amplified harp is an art form and everything has to be right! Great work Greg!!
@Iceman - I don't know what element was in those Ruskin mics. Do you?
@Kingley - The Heumann Element is a little over an inch in diameter and 1.675" long. The gasket I make to fit it to the Bulletini shell has a wall thickness of 0.100". I wouldn't want to go much less than that in order to ensure protection for the element.
I can't say if its similar or not. I've only heard of the Ruskin, haven't seen one. Unfortunately "crystal vs dynamic" doesn't mean much. There are inferior examples of each. There are sub-sized mics on the market today with both cheap crystal and cheap dynamic elements. I won't name names but I've played them and they don't do much for me. I hope some early Bulletini users will post comparison test results. I would pit the Bulletini against any other small bullet or "sort of bullet" - I don't know what to call the Shaker mic - on the planet. None of them has an element that was actually developed and tweaked for harp.
Sugar Ray Norci had one of those Ruskins andd the one he had used an Astatic MC-151 cartridge in it. ---------- Sincerely, Barbeque Bob Maglinte Boston, MA http://www.barbequebob.com CD available at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/bbmaglinte
I just tried the Bulletini at Deak Harp's shop in Clarksdale . Played through his re issue 59 Bassman. It has a real full bottom end, would be great for folks with small hands ,or for those with one hand. u can get a tight one handed grip! i t sounded great easily getting that fat Chicago tone .
Last Edited by mastercaster on Sep 14, 2015 1:27 PM
I'd love to see video of some regular Joes playing through it. I already know that better players than I can make my own rig sound awesome in a way I can't yet. So it's hard to extrapolate what these videos mean for me.
I saw Charlie Musslewhite in Kent OH last friday. He was playing Gregs wood mic with the CM logo, and a Cruncher. 1x12 and 2x8's. This mild mannered stately fellow is incredible! I asked about the Heuman Element and Charlie said he liked it very much. I was oddly nervous while speaking to him. Very honored to meet the man. ..BN
Last Edited by Barley Nectar on Sep 14, 2015 11:16 PM
@Greg, just throwing this out there sort of thing without knowing what it takes to produce/design, so, I'm taking it for granted that you maybe machine these mics yourself? would you be able to machine grills for an Astatic jt30 but with a similar grill design as the Bulletini and/or could any design be feasible? ----------
"Those British boys want to play the blues real bad, and they do"
That answers the question then. If the Ruskin mic was big enough to house an MC-151, then it was considerably bigger than the Bulletini.
@Marine - I do make the custom grills for my wood mics. Theoretically I could do them for the Bulletini too, but I ain't gonna - they take hours to make and I already have a long enough backlog on the wood mics that I am reserving them for wood mic customers only. My wood mics will always be my "premium" mic line - there is nothing like them. For the same reason I don't make them for JT30's either - but they have another complication which is the mounting ears required to mount a JT30 grill. In order to make that shape the part really needs to be cast. I'm not set up to make cast parts. The grills I make are turned from solid billets of aluminum or brass on a lathe, then machined on a CNC milling machine.
I actually like my Martini's so dry, I just face east and say "Vermouth" very quietly as I pour the Gin.
Greg, is this a mic for everyone? I'm not fond of any particular mic. My hands aren't particularly big or small. I struggle with every mic to get a good cup. The problem is me, I need to work on it.
But is the Bulletini a specialized mic or an all-purpose mic?
I own and play Gregg's Ultimate 545 regularly for the last 2 years . The Bulletini a is 'dirty' sounding mic compared to the 545 .... No effort needed to get 'crunch' .... The Bulletini is too small for my hands , when I tried it yesterday I also played Deaks wooden bullet Gregg makes for comparison ... Love that wood bullet !
@arzajac - this is definitely a blues mic. Of course it is for everyone! ;)
Seriously - mics are personal taste. I will say this. There is no other mic on the market in this size range that comes close for blues tone. The enhanced bass and high frequency rolloff really help people who haven't learned to cup like Kim Wilson (or Deak, or Aki) yet. So far, everyone who has played it through a small amp (Kalamazoo, Memphis Mini, Harp Train 10) LOVES it. It is more divided with bigger amps but only some of the best players like a black CR better - and some VERY good players (Nic Clark, Ronnie Shellist) actually prefer The Heumann Element, even through big amps. It is a high output mic so it will drive a tube amp into a wonderful frenzy, but if you have a really touchy feedbacky amp you're going to want the VC model for sure.
In case you didn't see Deak Harp's video, here it is:
