[Harp-L] PAS, Clean Amps, and the "crunch"

["Bill Hines" <billhines4@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

So we haven't talked about the Bose PAS for a while, since it came out a
while ago really. How has the test of time treated this unique alternative?
Has the price come down any? It seemed back then that the folks using it
were the ones that weren't strictly blues, but those that do a variety of
styles that require the clean-ness of something like the PAS (Iceman,
Hunter, Papparozzi?).  

Richard also recommends a clean keyboard amp with amp modelers like the
Digitech units. Chris M also recommends the same, and says his bassman patch
for the Digitech is very close to a real bassman. So when going this way
(clean amplifier), where does the blues crunch/distortion that is typically
attributed to break-up come from? Must a mic with the proper type of element
be used (i.e. biscuit, bullet, etc), or can a clean mic such as the Fireball
be used and the break-up comes from something like the Digitech or Harp
Commander? I know those devices can provide things like reverb, delay, and a
variety of other effects, but can they also provide that crunch/breakup that
is needed for so many blues songs? 

I think if you are doing only blues perhaps the SJ410 or such would be money
better spent since it's probably about the same as a PAS, but I was curious
about this question for folks that play a variety of styles and want to go
this way and still get a good blues crunch/distorted/breakup sound.