Amps and Mics and Stuff

[CAnthes@xxxxxxx]

Alrighty guys,

I've been slacking in my email responsiblities lately and managed to queue up
over 1100 mail messages that I hadn't read.  That was fun!!!  Anyways, I just
finished skimming my way through all of them and have a few questions of my
own to throw out there.  Seeing how there was talk about amps a while back, I
was wondering if anyone out there has used one of the new Fender Blues
DeVilles that are out?  Currently I play through my Fender Keyboard 60 (I'm
also a keyboardist) using a Boss SUPER OverDrive pedal.  I have to say, I'm
not too happy with the sound (although it could simply be due to my lack of
skill, but...)  I wanted to get a good, fat overdrive sound, but I didn't
want to 'vest out the bux for a whole new amp when I already got one, so I
started searching for pedals.  I tried them all, including some of those Tube
Works with real tubes, and a Ibanez Tube Screamer (like SRV used to play).
 I'm sure all of them sound great for guitars, but all I seemed to get was
feedback.  Anyways, I finally got a deal on a Boss pedal ($30 used) that I
seemed to be able to get a sound out of with the drive set real low (and the
volume on my amp real low also).  Some of my guitar player friends told me to
check out the Blues DeVille.  They said it was beautiful.  I managed to plug
in to one for a minute or two at Guitar Center, and it _seemed_ to sound
great for the short time I used it, but I was blown away by all of the
thrasher metal-heads that Guitar Center seems to allure.  Anyways, I looking
to start up a band here soon and I'm thinkin' my Keyboard 60 isn't going to
cut it (I don't even like to play my keyboards through it).  I think going
with a *real* tube amp is probably going to be my best bet (James Harman has
*my* favorite sound ... ooo, its so sweet ...).  So, I was wondering if
anyone has any experience with these guys and what they think of them.  BTW,
they come in 3 configs: the "Blues DeVille" which has 4 10-inchers, the
"Blues DeVille 212" which has, you guessed it, 2 12" speakers, and the "Blues
Deluxe" which has 2 10"s.  I think they are bassed (excuse the pun) on the
Bassman amps with modernized switchable inputs or somthin'.

Next, when I first got into harpin', I decided to buy a mic.  I didn't know
anything about them (and I guess I still don't), so I managed to end up with
a Hohner Blues Blaster.  I got it because the music store I was at had IT and
a Green Bullet, but since the BB had a volume control and a A3M connector, I
went with it.  I've later since learned that the BB are actually built by
Astatic, but Hohner (IMHO) _screws_ them up so they don't have as good of a
tone as the Astatics.  I was wondering if anyone knows what that change is
that Hohner makes and if it can be re-modified, or if there's somewhere I can
pass this thing off in exchange for an Astatic.  Also, some more info on Harp
mics might be helpful too.  Again, I'm looking for that warm, fat James
Harman sound.  I know he plays Astatics, but I'm not sure what kind (I think
his are customized in some way).  I heard some about Tom's Mics in Texas and
will probably give him a call, but any help y'all could shed would be
appriciated.

Lastly, and the most vague question of the bunch, what advice can anyone give
me on startin' up band.  I was a music major in college and was involved
heavily in music in high school (O.K., I used to ditch class to hang out and
play with some of my musical buddy's), but I've since left those arenas to
become a working man and pay the bills (most of them 'caused by my trips to
Guitar Center and the CD store).  I really miss that environment where I was
surrounded by people who would love to just 'jam' and the drop of a hat and I
think the only way to get back into that is to start giggin'.  I go to see a
lot of my HS friends bands play around now and I really get to urge to do it
myself.  Music rules my life (I'm sure *none* of you out there can relate to
that ... ;-) ).  I'm into so much music (from Bach to the Beatles, from Duke
Ellington to Hendrix, from the Flecktones to Living Color [Vernon Reed
*jams*]), but my first love is the blues.  I am a vocalist (voice major in
college) and I play harp and ivories, among a 1000 other instruments, each
decreasing in skill level.  Anyways, I NEED to play and I'm getting sick of
jammin' with my computer ... it really doesn't FEEL 'dem blues.  O.K., I
know, I should get off my lazy $%#^& and start playin'.  Stop babbling,
Chris...

Anyways, anyone who's made it this far into this message, any help on those
first two would be appriciated.

Thanx,

Chris