[Harp-L] Sonny Boy Williamson and Little Walter tone difference

[Jim McBride <jpmcbride@xxxxxxxxx>]

>>> "billannette" <mojoworkin@xxxxxxxxxxxx> 12/17/05 9:44 AM >>>
>Please forgive an ignorant question (or, is that a question asked out 
>of  ignorance?):

>I recently bought two Chess "Best of" recordings, one by LW and one by SBW. 
>The SBW recording seems to more frequency limited than the LW record, 
>although recording dates were around the same years, so recording techniques 
>should not be vastly different. Some tracks are better than others, with the 
>ones done in the '60's (63 and 64) the best. The question has to do with 
>SBW's harp timbre compared to LW. This recording seems to indicate that 
>SBW's tone is thin and reedy-is this an effect he sought to get, or is it a 
>by-product of the recording techniques? All the tracks were recorded by 
>Chess and released by them.
>Thanks,  bill

  I have both of these recordings and listen to them constantly. They are like Blues 101 for the learning harmonica player (me)! The difference between the SWB2 and LW tones is a difference in their styles. LW played distorted and overdriven on most tracks on that CD. He has much more of a horn sound. People will argue endlessly about what he used to get this sound but basically most agree that it was a cheap crystal mic and tube amp. He also used some kind of delay unit (I think all they had was tape delays). With this he was able to get his deep, dark, horn-like sound. SBW2 was mostly playing accoustic harp. What you hear from him is what the harmonica sounds like. Or at least what is sound like when played by THE MASTER! Neither sound is better, just different. 
   
  Jim McBride
   
   
   
   

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