I know this subject has been covered extensively, but here I go...Currently the only effects I use is the delay available on whichever mixer/board I’m going through. I’m now interested in incorporating a few great sounding effects to be used with said boards. Playing at low volumes...restaurants and such. I play diatonic and some chromatic through an SM58 on a stand. Musical styles played are varied. I’m thinking of possibly a Lone Wolf Boogieman, to add grit, and something(like Martin)of an organ sound, but really have no idea. I certainly don’t need a bunch of effects like flanger, etc. Appreciate any input to help with making an intelligent and useful decision.
The 'Lone Wolf Boogieman' is probably perfect ---I have all 3 separately; 1]the harp tone plus eq's for more bluesy "tone" 2] The "break' will add the 'grit' and or 'dirt" can have little or a lot 3] personally I set the delay for 1 slapback to thicken the sound
when u want clean kick it off also check out Lee oscar's sight for his order of pedals and different sounds http://www.leeoskar.com/harmonica-effects
Last Edited by snowman on Nov 22, 2017 8:21 AM
If I´m the Martin you´re referring to who was/is in pursuit of the organ sound (I still don´t have a good rotary pedal) then you may already know what I arrived at? There were no budget alternatives that sufficed so I went for the big kahuna, which was EHX POG 2. Kinda expensive. But so is also the LW Boogieman, and two such gadgets will set you back, if you´re on a budget.
IF you´re on a tighter budget I must say that the Joyo American Sound was real nice. In combo with the LW Harp Octave it performes even better (the HO staves off some of the feedback propensity when you´re going for "dirt"). A nice surprise in an accessible price range.
A Mooer Ana Echo delay was well worth what little it cost: It´s nice to be able to set your delay yourself, depending on the tune you´re playing.
I can´t recommend the LW Harp Attack, but there are others who like it just fine.
Robbert, There are many variables involved: playing style, mic, amp or PA, room, etc. And of course there are many different "sounds" and music styles you can go after. Hence everybody has their own favorites. You can find a lot of pedal conversations by searching this forum, and other forums.
Something from the Lone Wolf line up is certainly a great place to start. I don't think any of their products will disappoint. But they are not the cheapest. Best advice: experiment and see what works for you. Some guys get great results with Danelectro pedals. If you know any guitar players with a closet full of pedals, ask to borrow a few and try them out. Or go to a music store which lets you try out pedals.
I think the Boogieman is good... but as an "all in one", it limits your flexibility compared with building a board of pedals one by one. I almost bought the Boogieman, but after testing all the Lone Wolf pedals in the shop, I realized I like the Harp Attack much better than the Harp Break. (It's a personal preference, based on what sound I like). That is why I passed on the Boogieman, and got the Harp Attack instead. I then added a delay pedal (not from Lone Wolf).
Last Edited by AppalachiaBlues on Nov 23, 2017 5:48 AM
Thanks, AB, appreciate the input. I’m looking for an all-in-one sort of solution to keep my gear to a minimum. Probably going to be an all-in-two or three, though. There’s mention of an eq on another thread that sounds helpful for some tone variety, but perhaps not for the organ effect.
If you want to experiment/test the waters, a used DigiTech RP will give a lot of effect models to play with. Not a whole lot of money and the added benefit of an accidental 100 hours of practice.
Most of the effect pedals mentioned here are designed for a cupped mic into a guitar amp. If you are playing a 58 on a stand into a mixer, you're playing acoustically. I would suggest treating it more like vocals and sticking to delay or reverb. I think you'll be disappointed with grit and drive if you're playing acoustically through a vocal mic. Are you considering changing your playing style also? If not, you might look at vocal processors rather than harp/guitar pedals.
Hey guys. Just popping in to let you guys know that I'm available to answer any LWBC specific questions and general pedal questions. ---------- --Nathan Heck General Manager, Lone Wolf Blues Co. customerservice@lonewolfblues.com
Thanks, Arrick, for that. Even though the mic is on a stand, I often loosely cup it, as well as back off of it, to get a little different sound. But, yes, I’m basically acoustic. I’m looking for some kind of mixer, effects pedal, eq box to use primarily through a pa that is easy to dial in for different tunes, or bypass entirely to just play clean. I’ve been getting a lot of good ideas. I’ve also followed the subject in various other threads over the years, but never settled on more than a delay pedal and a LW harp break for occasional use with a Kalamazoo amp. I’m not even sure the amp needs the harp break. Anyway, even with that setup I vary the cup to get a little different texture. All this is at small room volume. Now, most of my playing is through a pa, and I need my setup to be small, hence the one box idea. And thanks, Nathan, for chiming in, as well.
Hey Thievin’Heathen, I’ve often thought of a Digitech model, and am still thinking...not much of an effects guy, but a few could really be useful in varying musical settings.
I have a EV664 that is on a stand that I play semi-cupped like that sometimes. Fun for slow tunes and can sing into it also. I have a few effects pedals, but the only ones I like in that setting are my LW Harp Delay and Hall of Fame Reverb. The HoF has a great spring reverb and has quite a few other settings/modes.
Since posting this, I've put together a Pedal Train Nano+ with the Zoom, HarpBreak, Lex, California, and Zoom.
I also mounted an led light stirp underneath that looks pretty cool. I will try and share a new pic soon, but here is an old one...
https://photos.app.goo.gl/5wdHLW3ijFBn70tl2
I use the board to the pa and monitor for everything I play from acoustic to blues to space ship noises.
What I love about my rig is the two Zoom pedals and how they allow me to create crazy sounds easily without taking up too much space.
The Pedal Train Nano+ rig is very easy for others to recreate and get great sounds from. You could use just the HarpBreak or just a Joyo American sound and fit other pedals.
IMHO, you could go with a modulation, HarpBreak, Lex, and then 1-2 time based effects and totally crush a blues gig.
Glad you showed up, Mike! Nice review on the LW pedal board and power unit, and thanks for sharing your set up. Lots of ideas there, for sure. It’s great to hear how these various pedals sound. There is a lot of choice, for sure, in the pedal world.
Does anyone still use and like the Zoom g3? From past threads, it seems to be a pretty good pedal for a variety of harp applicable effects, and accessible function for performance. I like the size; it looks like it could fit on a mic stand tray/ shelf where you could easily get at the dials. It’s an older device and can be had new for around $150. Any thoughts? It would be to use in musical duos, in small venues with a PA system. We’re playing a variety of musical grooves, but no traditional blues, and I’m looking to vary my acoustic approach to fit certain tunes a little better, without hauling an amp and pedalboard.
I have occasionally gigged with and also recorded with a Digitech Genesis I modeler that uses knobs for adjustments in real time. You might find one used pretty cheap. It is an inexpensive way to experiment and sounds decent. Here is a demo with guitar:
Here are two different uses of this lightweight plastic console that I submitted to Frank's challenge to play of a Rollercoaster backing track back in 2014.
I like that you can adjust it as you go. In live situations there are two decent models, tweed and blackface. There are cabinet choices for when you go to clean amps or PA and direct for when you go to an amp. You can buy pedals, but this is a cheap way to get started that doesn't require menus and programming patches. ----------
Thanks Mike, and Doug and everyone else who has offered experience. I think at this point, I’m leaning towards the Zoom g3. It’s compact, seems versatile and user friendly enough, not too expensive, and looks generally suitable for my gigging needs at this time.
robbert -I've been following this because I am planning to expand my effects options. Trouble is, I hate almost all of them. I've been using a few really nice pedals for standard delays and the bit of distortion I can accept (tube junkie is my problem). I get 90% of what I want out of the harp because I am of the opinion that they can do anything. But, since I'm covering near anything these days, I'd like to be able to occasionally step on a switch to get classic fuzz, leslie, chorus or... So I'm looking at this g3n.
Last Edited by Littoral on Dec 05, 2017 7:42 AM
