Re: [Harp-L] 59 Fender Bassman reissue

[MARK BURNESS <markwjburness@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Richard wrote: "That said, in 2011 there are alternatives, some of which offer 
more power and flexibility at a lower price and with a smaller, lighter 
footprint, and an increasing number of players are beginning to outfit 
themselves with those alternatives. " Rick's poll was conducted in 2011, I'm not 
sure what has happened in the months since to significantly change his data?

"The Bassman sounds great for blues, but modern players increasingly need to 
play more than blues." A bassman is rated at 45W RMS, or 50W RMS with a solid 
state rectifier, this is the power it potentially makes when relatively 
clean...as with any 45 or 50W amp. It doesn't know or care what genre of musc 
you play...it just reacts to what goes in. It's not genre specific. Jason Ricci 
is most often referenced as the cutting edge of "modern" (whatever the 
qualification for such is) players, he toured for years with a RI bassman until 
he picked up the HG50 (which is not directly related to the tweed bassman, nor a 
recent development of it - it's a 2x6L6 4x10" amp and that's pretty much where 
the "genetic" similarity ends). I recently heard that world reknowned blues 
player RJ Mischo plays a HG50, does this now exclude it from the modern player's 
arsenal? ;-) I have trouble with the perception of genre specific amps, if it's 
working properly, it should be able to make music. Some seminal blues recordings 
were made straight to the desk, this doesn't make them any less bluesy.

There are, of course, alternatives, but as a pick up & go, pretty well self 
contained package (you're gonna have to mic up through a PA sometime), a tweed 
bassman is hard to beat...the RI makes that package rather more accessible to 
the masses than a handmade 45/50W amp.

 Regards, Mark.

 



________________________________
From: Richard Hunter <turtlehill@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx
Sent: Tuesday, 25 October, 2011 21:11:29
Subject: Re: [Harp-L] 59 Fender Bassman reissue

Rick Davis wrote: 
<In the Harp Amp Poll I conducted at the Blues Harp Amps Blog earlier this
<year, I found that the Fender Bassman RI is the amp most often used (by a
<large margin) by gigging players who make at least 25% of their income
<directly from playing harp.  It is the workhorse of the blues harp
<community.

True, and a significant number of pros use amps like the Sonny Jr and Harpgear 
that extend and improve the Bassman design. It's a durable platform.  


That said, in 2011 there are alternatives, some of which offer more power and 
flexibility at a lower price and with a smaller, lighter footprint, and an 
increasing number of players are beginning to outfit themselves with those 
alternatives.    


I'm pretty sure that this movement reflects the increasing diversity of harp 
players and styles, as well as the availability of new technologies.  The 
Bassman sounds great for blues, but modern players increasingly need to play 
more than blues.  It also reflects the increasing desire of players for gear 
that's designed for harp from the ground up, as opposed to being repurposed from 
guitar (the Bassman) or the cab dispatcher's office (the Green Bullet).

Pretty exciting times, and the gear is getting better and better, not to mention 
generally less expensive.

Regards, Richard Hunter  

author, "Jazz Harp" 
latest mp3s and harmonica blog at http://hunterharp.com
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