[Harp-L] Harp Mics

[Robert Ross <robertaross@xxxxxxxxx>]

Lots of good site and reviews of mics online...just Google it.

In general, let me say this:

SM58s, Fireball, most dynamic mics: for a clean sound, no distortion
or Chicago style crunch. Ideal for chromatic or other non-blues harp.

JT30 - classic crystal harp mic used by many, sounds great with many
amps, some crunch but less than Shure Green bullet. The modern remake
of this mic is called the Blues Blaster and isn't even a shadow of
its ancestor. Available often on eBay. Crystals are sensitive to
heat, dropping, etc.

Shure Green Bullet: I have used these mostly for 30 years, and build
some of my own mics with vintage shure elements. These are usually
called Controlled Magnetic elements (CM), The older Controlled
Reluctance models are twice as expensive but don't sound much
different in real use. They sound great with most amps, have more
crunch and more bottom than the JT30 and are almost indestructible.

There are several dynamic or vocal mics that work with for blues
harp. Jason Ricci uses a vintage EV RE10, but those are over $100
usually.

If you have excellent tone and are a very strong player, you can
sound great on any mic. For myself, I like all the help I can get to
get the tone I want, so I use mostly Shure CM's and a custom FatDog
harp amp which I love. CM's also sound great on Harpgear amps and
Sonny Jr.'s, of course, but I couldn't afford those when I got the
FatDog used for half its regular price, which is a real great deal
even at the regular price. 

You can usually find an old Shure Green Bullet for about $100 on
eBay. Many are the 520DX, which is a newer version that has a volume
control - not bad, but not anywhere nearly as good as the original
520 or 520D (usually without the volume control). There are seceral
DX's on eaby right now. 

Good JT30s usually are much more than $100, often over $200. Finally,
there is a bargain bullet style harp mic available which some guys
swear by, though I haven't tried it myself. It is very sensitive to
your amp - for some it is a feedback monster, for others a sweet
mic,,,and the price is right (about $70). It is the Superlux, usually
available on eBay (search for "harp mic").

Good luck...and don't get "gearitis" - it could be fatal to your bank
account.

- Robert
aka RawHarp


       
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