Re: [Harp-L] Re: Ron Holmes

["bloozeharp" <bloozeharp@xxxxxxxxxx>]

I happen to be one of the "close to a thousand" owners of a SJ410. I have 
had it for a year now, and I'm still in awe of this amp (an understatement). 
I've tried most of the tube combinations that Sonny recommends in the manual 
and really like the versatility afforded you there. The tone of this amp is 
beyond my capability to describe, other than Exceptional! It is a volume 
MONSTER but in a small venue with the volume turned down it is still a 
killer piece of equipment! You got it, I am thoroughly pleased with Sonny's 
handiwork.
----- Original Message ----- 
From: <SONNYTONE@xxxxxxx>
To: <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Sunday, January 28, 2007 9:15 AM
Subject: [Harp-L] Re: Ron Holmes


> First of all, I have never heard Ron blow like Little or Big Walter, I 
> know
> the tone that is supposed to come out an amp after working hard at it for 
> 35
> years, that is my advantage over every company, so called gurus, and 
> everyone
> in  between, they rely on theory and maybe have a harp player listen to 
> it.
> But what  harp player, IMO you have to be able to have full control of the 
> harp,
> and be  able to create the tones that intermediate, beginner, and very 
> good
> harp players  aspire for.. I have a NASA engineer who is my hands and we
> decided after much  testing that messing with voltages on preamp tubes 
> does not give
> the purest  sound and did not effect the amp as drastically as our tube
> swapping technique.  You don't have to know a shoe from a tube, I give a 
> fully
> illustrated 12 page  manual for the lay person on just what tubes to 
> change, how
> they will affect  tone, punch, distortion, cut, the whole ball of wax. 
> When
> work is done  internally, you are stuck with one sound, all night, all the 
> time.
> After owning  well over 2000 vintage amps I know what is available in 
> these
> mostly class A  older amps, just so much, can't get over the top. I want 
> my
> players to  understand they are in control of their amp, how to adjust it 
> for a
> smaller  venue, big show, medium show. We tried controls in the circuit 
> that
> would vary  resistance, never sounded good. I have guys who have owned 
> their amps
> still  contacting me saying they tried one of the tube suggestions after
> loving it  initially, find more and more. I have discovered another aspect 
> of the
> controls  I will share with my customers. Talk of altering voltages and 
> such
> goes over the  head of 99% of harp players, the same as when Kendrick used 
> his
> hype to sell the  Texas Crudes, who I don't know of anyone using them. All 
> I
> know is I have had at  least 5 guys who spent a ton of money with them, 
> ended
> up buying another amp  they suggested, would not take back they said would 
> work
> for them, I can say  after selling close to a thousand amps I have the
> bassman figured out, their is  one very key ingredient of tube gain that 
> if you were
> a harp player, you would  understand that by not having it where I do does
> nothing but cause feedback. All  I have heard from many is that there is 
> no
> difference in sound and tone with  pure metal orange drop or mallory caps 
> and the
> NOS beefy paper in oil caps I  use. Do a google search on Vitamin Q, you 
> may
> find some interesting information.  My new midsized amp after many tries 
> of
> other circuits is a 410 with redesigned  trannies to make 35 watts max, 
> you are
> probably playing it at about 30, and with  the single 12 and single 10,. 
> it
> pushes them into That sound, along with many  other acoustical tricks I 
> learned
> from Sam Hutton. The more positive feedback I  continue to get just fuels 
> what
> I know to be true because I can hear it, to go  and listen to Sugar Ray
> blowing through my amp and knowing he can go for  anything he wants 
> because it will
> be there for him from the amp. The new only 40  pound amp is close to 
> being as
> loud as 410, and in some respects, it projects  into the audience further 
> due
> to it being a bit edgier. I tested every eminence  speaker, all of the 
> Weber
> line before coming up with what I feel is the perfect  combination. I stay
> humbled as 5 guys have sent 1K deposits on the Cruncher on  my word alone. 
> If you
> watch ebay you see what a used SJ goes for, well more than  50 %, 
> sometimes
> close to what I sold them for, all were limited runs. Now that  everything 
> I
> dreamed of doing, seminars, two amps to offer, working on CD is  close, 
> once
> again this year I have a tough battle Fortunately I formed a merge  with a 
> large
> company to keep my quality control tight so I can focus on health  issues,
> trying to hit the road for what I hope will be different seminars than 
> everyone
> else is putting on.
> I have heard from many that Ron made their amps sound much better, but the
> average guy should NOT be going in and trying to solder, even if someone 
> is a
> tech they may note have a clue, Ron is a great tech.
>     Harphouse will be sending out a mailer in about a  month which will 
> have
> my new amp The Cruncher, featured alongside the 410. The  CR. will have 
> line
> out plus crystal mic mod. Keep an eye on my website for new  events and
> hopefully will have info on the Cruncher. I am hoping to make Boston  my 
> first stop.
> I want to focus in my Sonny Terry portion of how his playing evolved from
> the early years with Blind Boy Fuller and Leadbelly , then to Brownie 
> McGhee.
> Gary, I will try and call the studio this week about the record. I will be
> breaking down segments of Sonny's style, trying to learn a complicated 
> rhythm
> requires shutting off your Chicago oriented brain and totally change the 
> way
> you  approach the instrument, how to breathe without getting caught up 
> with too
> much  air in, or gassed out, being able to practice for a half hour to an
> hour  straight on rhythms, working lines off them, is a tremendous 
> diaphragm
> strengthener, the stronger you are in one area, the seminar will 
> transition to
> electric, learn how to work both styles in where appropriate, and learning
> about  Sonny the man. What he had to endure to be what he was, the best 
> for his
> style.  I will know more around the third week of February what medically 
> I
> might  have to go through, I just want to play and hopefully bring some 
> job into
> people's hearts. I will try and get to work one on one with each in the 
> class,
> have them come up, being able to compliment and laydown a rhythm or just
> some  tone full single notes can be just as effective.  WWW.Sonnyjr.com
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