Re: Harp Commander - A Late Review

["M. N." <mnessmith@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Ken wrote:
"I was able to dial in a VERY nice tubular sound on the HC running to the 
PA. The Alamo was dialed in as per a normal gig. Together it made for a 
really, REALLY fat sound. Downright awesome, I must say. I'd heard many 
users rave about the HC being far superior to the POD 6 to the PA, but it 
took the live-gig setup to really convince me (I also own POD that I never 
use). For the PA, the Harp Commander truly ROCKS!"

===========================

Great review, Ken. Thanks for posting it. Since around the time you got your 
Harp Commander and you and I corresponded off list, I suspected that your 
review would be something like this. I never thought the HC is geared toward 
making a great-sounding amp perform a little better (if you've got a tweed 
Champ, the HC is not going to make it sound like a different amp. Who would 
want it to?). Anyone who buys the HC will have their own set of reasons for 
doing so, and their own set of expectations; as with any product. 
Personally, I got a Harp Commander for instances when I need to travel light 
and be portable, and because I can use it both in the U.S. and in Europe. 
Both of those factors were key for me. And after playing it through a PA 
system, I am a very satisfied customer indeed. The fact that it makes my 
Bassman RI sound even better (and at lower volumes) is a bonus. And the fact 
that, as you reported, it'll polish the solid-state turd amps that you often 
have access to at jams and sit-in situations, is all the better.
Lastly, you mentioned the POD and it does seem to come up a lot when talking 
about the Harp Commander. However, I think there's quite a difference 
between a hand-built preamp designed especially for harmonica, and a 
high-tech emulator that ostensibly makes it sound like a guitarist is 
playing through, say, a 1952 Deluxe and then, with the click of a switch, a 
'59 Bassman, then a '65 Twin, then a Mesa Boogie Dual Rectifier Tremoverb 
Combo, and so forth. I'm not dissing the POD - I understand some folks do 
use 'em to great effect. It's just that the HC is not a guitar amp emulator, 
it's a harmonica preamp. And a damn good one.
MN

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