RE: [Harp-L] cheapo amp?

["Less Paul" <lesspaul58@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Kicking in my .02 regarding mics and amps for beginners. 

In my esteem I'm an "advanced beginner" and I have recently went through the
amp/mic selection process. As a long-time floundering guitarist and career
electronics freak, I had a slight advantage having more than a passing
knowledge of amps etc.

I agree with the poster who said that price does not always equate to
quality in the world of music.
Take for example my $65 Kalamazoo 2 amp:
http://paulspage.home.comcast.net/harmonica/kalamazoo_model_2.htm

Fans of the Kalamazoo include no less than Sonny Jr, Jason Ricci, and Alec
Drachman who has played my Kazoo with a smiling thumbs up. 

I'm not saying the answer is a Kalamazoo, but rather that there are lots of
great bargains to be had such as the VC508, as well as a host of old tube
amps that can be bought for a song such as the Kalamazoo, Kay/Valco/Western
Auto, Supro, Oahu, Harmony, etc.  

>From my guitar arsenal I have a Flextone II amp (basically a POD with a
speaker) which for harp is servicable, but doesn't live up to the Kalamzoo
in sound or overall coolness :-) 

The microphone issue.. Ah. First, the secret of harp sound:

Some mics distort, some don't -- others are in between.
Some amps distort, some don't -- others are in between.

Players range from one extreme to the other matching clean to crunch with
amps and mics. Therefore, nothing is more true than the mic needs to be
selected to match both your amp, and your desired end-result. For us
newbies, this is a daunting task. Myself, I've acquired a Harmonica Honker,
a Hohner Blues Blaster, and a Mexican 540D. The 540D has the most mojo with
my Kazoo. The Honker is my choice through the Flextone and a Mesa Boogie
F50. The Blues Blaster feels great and has a different vibe. 

I wouldn't think you could go wrong with any of the popular mics. Fact is
you need to start somewhere to create a personal audio frame-of-reference.
Given that, I'd let my wallet be my guide. (If I were to do the learning
curve over, I'd be tempted to start with the $40 Bottle 'O Blues based on
price, tone, and several great sound clips comparing it to the "Big Two" at
http://www.bluesharp.org/cgi-bin/viewnews.cgi?category=8&id=1119216006 )

Take care... paul
  

> -----Original Message-----
> From: harp-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxx 
> [mailto:harp-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Jim McBride
> Sent: Saturday, August 06, 2005 9:34 AM
> To: harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx
> Subject: RE: [Harp-L] cheapo amp? 
> 
> Hello harp players. I'm new to the list ... this is my first 
> posting here.
>  
> Bill Hines suggested going to Richard Hunters website and 
> checking out his recommendation for an inexpensive amp, the 
> Crate VC508. I bought one of these at Guitar Center for $120, 
> changed the preamp tube from a 12AX7 to a 12AU7 and it sounds 
> great for harp and doesn't feedback much. I use a cheap 
> Johnson analog delay pedal (they are all over eBay) and the 
> combo sounds great. If you are interested, check out the 
> sound files on my website at www.geocities.com/bottle_o_blues 
> for an example using this rig.
>  
> Recently I bought a Line 6 Pod 2.0 amp modeler and I love 
> this thing. Anyone else using one of these for harp? I use it 
> as a direct box straight into the PA. I have a sound sample 
> at the same website as above.
>  
> Jim McBride
>  
> 
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