[Harp-L] Wet Box

[Michael Easton <diachrome@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Like some harp players I found stock pedals tend to thin the tone  
coming from the amp and make it more difficult to hear on stage when
the rest of the band gets cooking.

Last winter I posted that I traded in my Concert amp for an all  
original 65 Deluxe Reverb.  I'm not big on using the reverb channel  
but the guitarists in the band insisted that I add some effects since  
they use reverb and pedals.  The reverb on my particular DR is lame.  
Maybe a bad tube.  I haven't checked it yet.

Anyway, it gave an excuse to rig a variation on an old 2 amp setup.

After some experimenting I had a harp buddy build a special cab for  
me that houses a Gibson GA-5 Skylark chassis, Yamaha Reverb processor  
and 2 Weber PQ8 speakers.  The cab was made to the overall dimensions  
of the DR but the size of a piggyback head. It is covered in black  
tolex with grille cloth matching the DR. I set the DR on top of it  
giving an overall height close to a Super on wheels.  The processor  
is accessible from the front panel while the Gibson volume pot is  
accessible from behind the rig which is no big problem.

I attached a 1/4 inch female plug to the DR speaker (extension  
speaker plug could have been used as well)  which plugs into a direct  
box.  I then run an xlr to 1/4 plug out to the reverb processor.  The  
processor is set on one of the 10 delay settings with custom tweaking  
between the wet/dry setting.  The processor is then plugged into the  
GA-5.

Btw, you can also do this by sending a signal out to a PA, but I  
wanted to have complete control over the setup from my spot on stage.  
You can also do this by bringing a small amp to a gig and running a  
pedal between the direct box and small amp.  I like my setup because  
1) it fits the same footprint as the DR without taking any space on  
stage, 2) My GA-5 cab is in good shape and I want to keep it that way  
if I ever sell it. 3) everything is in one neat package. Just plug  
and play.

The setup allows me to play the ballsy dry channel on the DR while  
using the "wet box" as I call it, for effects. I can dial in as much  
thickness in the effects as I want, the volume of the effects and the  
ratio between the DR and "wet box."   Since the GA-5 is a dirty  
little amp it compliments the DR rather then detracts from it.

I only use enough slap and reverb on the  delay that it can be heard  
when no one else is playing but adds just enough  presence to the  
tone when the full band is playing.

The result is that it helps to bring the overall harp sound on par  
with guitarists who don't have to give up tone when using effects.

mike