I know that the Harp Attack is great for use with a PA or a solid state amp.....What happens if you use it with a tube amp ??? Anyone ever tried this ? ----------
Yeah, several folks-including Zack P. It just adds tube distortion, which is great if you're not overdriving your amp to 'break up' and getting mostly a clean signal. I've tried it, but since the only amp I currently own is 'dirty' without really trying, I don't need it. *Personally*, I prefer the HarpBreak's sound, but there are folks out there getting good results with the HA-perhaps at lower volumes that you don't want to come across clean. ----------
Todd L. Greene, Codger-in-training
Last Edited by on Nov 29, 2010 1:45 PM
Todd, that is correct. But, for me I ALWAYS use it no matter what, especially if low volume is needed. To me, it brightens the tone (which is an issue if my delay is on) and makes it cut better, but that's because I keep the tone all the way up. I just think it sounds really good. It's also just great for driving an amp if you can't, or a solid state amp. The HarpBreak is way to bright sounding for me, but it's still a really cool pedal!
I got a Harp Attack a few days ago and I am floored by how good it sounds with either my Sonny Jr Cruncher or Super Sonny. You can dial in the the edge of power tube distortion you want and it's very pleasing to the ear. You can make any amp at any volume sound like it is a small class A amp like an old tweed champ. My pedal board is now a LW Harp Delay -> LW Harp Attack -> LW Tone+. The Tone+ is now only used for stepping out front for solos. It just sounds too yummy for tube distortion freaks!!!
Yep. Love the Harp Attack. I can use it straight into the board and it sounds good, in front of my Cruncher or use it for quiet practice with headphones. My little pedal board has a Line 6 wireless > Boss DD3 > Harp Attack.
Cisco, you mention making your amp sound like a little tweed Champ...that is EXACTLY what I think! And through a PA, too! I loveee that thing, that's all I have to say about it. I rely on it all of the time and it has never failed me once. Same with the delay pedal. I never used delays before that pedal, but I think it's really great. Randy at LoneWolf is just a really nice guy. I recommend his pedals.
+1 to what Cisco and Zack say: You actually are putting a SE amp output stage in front of a push-pull amp and you hear something of the SE harmonic content and also more of a 6V6-ish distortion. I ran the HA into a retubed BF Super Reverb RI at the local jam for a few weeks, an amp that is just fine with a harp mic straight in, because I was curious. It worked fine--I didn't feel that it made the amp much worse about feedback, *especially* given the amount of drive in the tone. And it can really grab the audience with the urgency of the tone, little bit of a Butterfield-on-steroids effect is all I can call it. I wouldn't do it all the time, but it turned out to be a nice place to visit.
I have the early version with the treble-cut tone knob and tend to run the tone full up for clarity; turning the HA's treble down can muddy up by the time it gets through the amp, plus full up better projects a cool harmonic "chirp" on the right kind of attacks that the HA will do. You will probably have to change the amp's tone settings from what you'd do with the same mic straight in.
One warning is that Harp Attack may do a brief microphonic ring if you switch it off and on, caused by the sturdy footswitch's snapping. Go with the SS Harp Break if you're thinking of toggling between cleaner and dirtier with people listening.
Yes, the microphonic thing is there but I never turn it off, so it's no issue! But, I gotta say, htownfess got it right about the Butterfield thing. I can get serious Butterfield tone with it if I choose to. It just CUTS and that is important for my purposes.
Cisco, I am jealous and confused as I had NO out of body experience with the the Harp Break. Which pre amp tubes are you using? Can you share with me the settings on both the Cruncher and Super? I thought the LW Break would work for me too, but it just doesn't sound good on those two amps. Works great on a Pignose, so I'd like to get that kind of tone on the Sonny's. I have a LW Break and Delay but I don't own the LW Tone or LW Attack. You said I may not need the LW Tone? If it's too much of a pain is the @ss to go through all of that, I understand that too. A good friend of mine has the Attack pedal that he uses to play through the PA at our local jams, so I can just ask to borrow it, hate to waste time dialing in and need your short cuts if you can give them?
Last Edited by on Nov 30, 2010 10:37 AM
Lonesome Harpman - the Break & Attack are two totally different animals and will sound quite different. You need no special control settings on the amp and just follow Sonny's recommended settings, although I like more mids because that is where the overdrive harmonics live. The Break will dirty up your tone but just add a layer of square wave harmonics (usually not that pleasing to the ear but Randy has done a decent job with it). The Break also has a Bass boost to it so it can be used with SS amps or amps without much bottom end. The Attack will actually add loads of even ordered harmonics (very pleasant to the ear) and push the amp's pre amp sections to sound more like an old tweed champ pushed hard.
My first pre amp tube on both the Cruncher and the Super Sonny is a 5751.
