Rod Piazza interview

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

The latest BluesWax e-zine has an interview with Rod Piazza. He speaks a bit 
about his amps, mics and the harps that he plays ...

"The amps [Harp King] were not really my design; I was just the ears behind 
them. Just the ears for twenty years. They made it all happen. I make the 
mics, but that is coming to an end now. There are only twenty more to do, 
then no more for eternity. They stopped making the bodies and the crystals. 
I've got twenty more to sell then that's it. <snip> You know, when Joe 
[Filisko] first came on the scene, he gave me about four of his harmonicas 
cause he wanted a bunch of my old harps for the pear wood and combs, and I 
still have 'em. He said just use then when you record and special stuff. I 
still haven't used them and it's been, shit, ten years or so. Their good but 
they are EXPENSIVE. I can't afford them. I just play the Marine Band out of 
the box. I've had a lot of cats make me a lot of harps that seemed like they 
wasn't bad, they were pretty good, but you get used to swing a 32 bat and 
scale down to a 28, it's not going to be what you are used to. I'd love to 
get a great harp, but I just can't afford them. It ain't like I'm playing 
out here on some Bruce Springsteen tour; I'm out here playin' the Blues!"
MN

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