HarpNinja
502 posts
Jun 13, 2010
12:56 PM
|
I apologize in advance for having no sound samples from this weekend...
I had three gigs in 24hrs...
1. Medium sized club with full PA and a five piece band
2. Outdoor wedding gig with a different five piece band
3. Small bar gig - no stage and every other shitty thing you can think - as part of a town wide "Blues Fest"...which was actually a great event and super cool.
I forgot to mike my amp at gig one. This place holds a couple hundred and was half full. Everyone else in the band is miked, including drums, FOH. I have ALWAYS had problems with feedback, monitors, and stage volume. NOT this past weekend with the HG50...On 4 I had plenty of cut through the mix, no need for monitors, fantastic tone, and totally filled the house in relation to other members of the band. In fact, the sound guy kept going on and on about the sound, tone, projection, etc...this at a club that almost weekly has nation acts and tons of harp players coming through.
Gig two was with a reggae jam band. It was a two hour set of reggae and jazz tunes. The guitar player had a 2x12 that was very loud (and right next to me) and the drummer hit really hard. I had zero problems with anything. In fact, I ended up turning down and not maxing my volume control. The show was outdoors, I was the only one unmiked, and was even asked to join the band full time later that day.
The third gig had the amp in a rectangle shaped room...all hard surfaces...amp on the floor (no stage). I did the show on 3.5 unmiked. Sounded fantastic. I had several musicians come up between sets and ask about the rig. I ran our sound for this one and go wireless...sat perfect in the mix. In the room from hell, no feedback at all.
Here is the trick...my HG50 has a 5ar4 (the 1210 usually comes with a 5u4), and I subbed the 12ax7wc with a NOS Mullard 12at7. This combo of tubes is by far my favorite and works wonders with my Ultimate 57 (YMMV).
Listen, if you like the HG amps, I am just pointing out that this amp is totally giggable under many situations without suffering in tone. I know there are a number of great harps amps, but I am just sharing my experience with this particular one. As much as I should miss 4x10, I don't...although I'd make the HG50 410 my #1 choice overall.
My band isn't super loud, but we aren't a quiet band (at some point in all three shows the guitar player was asked to turn down...I never was). I had headroom if needed and had to adjust the bass with my low harps so I wouldn't hit the "brown" note. Mad bass on that sucka!
----------
|
bigd
166 posts
Jun 13, 2010
2:05 PM
|
Good follow up. Thanks Mike. d
----------
Myspace: dennis moriarty
|
Greg Heumann
526 posts
Jun 13, 2010
2:20 PM
|
Nice! Thanks. I keep waiting for a chance to hear/play an HG50. I expect it is a damn good amp.
----------
/Greg
BlowsMeAway Productions
BlueState - my band
Bluestate on iTunes
|
Chinaski
94 posts
Jun 13, 2010
2:22 PM
|
UK harpers - I still have one of these amps for sale..
drop me an email on paddy_wells at hotmail dot com if interested
----------
Myspace
|
Tuckster
581 posts
Jun 13, 2010
6:26 PM
|
Nice! That's as good a test of amp versatility as I can think of.
One question-Isn't the HG 50 a 4X10?
|
ZackPomerleau
900 posts
Jun 13, 2010
8:32 PM
|
I have heard the Avenger and think that is a seriously great amp (better than the other Sonny Jr. amps) but I personally prefer the HG50. Two best harp amps out there for the size in my opinion.
|
Ev630
615 posts
Jun 13, 2010
11:54 PM
|
Mike - thanks for the assessment. Good stuff!
|
