RE: [Harp-L] Amps & Processors

"Chris Michalek" <Chris@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> · Mon, 31 Jan 2005 01:09:19 -0600

The RP400 is not a subsitute for a good tube amp.  It's an
alternative where otherwise an amp may not work.

I love the feeling of standing in front of my amp.  I love how the
ground rumbles with my low F harp. I love the sound of using an OC-2
as a preamp to my amp.

The RP400 is great for all that it does.  If you're just a blues guy
then the Digitech isn't really useful for you unless you're in a
small coffee house. I find it useful because I play mostly jazz
inflected original music when a overdriven and distorted sound is
needed on maybe three tune per night. I used the Digitech at a blues
gig once.  It was great and fool my guitarist but ultimately a real
amps has more balls even though I thought the digitech sounded better
on a few occasions.

I'm using the Deluxe Reverb amp at most med-small blues gigs and the
Digitech for all of my jazz shows. The right tool for the job is the
method of thought in this regard.

Peace,

Chris Michalek

>
>
>
>---- Original Message ----
>From: billhines4@xxxxxxxxxxx
>To: Harp-L@xxxxxxxxxx
>Subject: RE: [Harp-L] Amps & Processors
>Date: Sun, 30 Jan 2005 20:09:22 -0500
>
>>
>>"I use the RP400 for small rooms and nobody mentions anything about
>my
>>tone except for two other musicians who couldn't believe that I
>wasn't
>>playing through and amp."
>>
>>Ok, so this leads to a question I had, since the Digitech RP400's
>were
>>discussed recently, I was thinking "Why spend all the money on an
>amp
>>when you can buy one of these that can emulate so many different
>amps?"
>>I know these units require a PA for gigs or some receiver and
>speakers
>>or something for practice to play through, but aside from that, if
>you
>>have those and are just getting to the point where you need a rig,
>isn't
>>the money better spend on something like the RP400 or Harp Commander
>>instead of a $2,000 amp? Excuse me if it's a dumb question, I'm just
>a
>>beginner, but this is something that does confuse me a bit. Comments
>>Chris? You seem to have experimented quite a bit in both areas.
>>
>>-----Original Message-----
>>From: harp-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxx [mailto:harp-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxx]
>On
>>Behalf Of Chris Michalek
>>Sent: Sunday, January 30, 2005 10:06 AM
>>To: 10hole@xxxxxxxxxxxx; blittlehales@xxxxxxxxx; Harp-L@xxxxxxxxxx
>>Subject: Re: [Harp-L] 
>>
>>I agree with FJM. People will always spend their money in
>questionable
>>ways (to ourselves). I have currently have nearly $10000 in my reef
>tank
>>and have a small and inexpensive amp. 
>>
>>I've gone through a ton of different amps, I once had a 57 bassman.
>I
>>bought it for $1800 and then sold it for $3000.  I liked the amp but
>I
>>thought the guy was a fool for wanted to spend that much. I saw it
>as
>>profit. After the bassman sale I went out and got a few new harps, a
>>nice dinner and peavy classic 50 with 2x12. Nobody ever comlpained
>about
>>my tone. A year after that I got sick of lugging the amp around and
>>playing blues so I sold the peavey for $100. Personally I thought
>the
>>bassman was a better sounding amp but not but much. A local won one
>of
>>the Holland amps from the summit.  He hated it and gave it to me. I
>used
>>it for a few gigs and quit playing through it because it was too
>much of
>>a hassle.  It's still sitting in my friend's studio. and hasn't been
>>touched in nearly five years.
>>
>>I went ten years (minus the three shows with the Holland)without and
>amp
>>and nobody ever complained about my tone through the PA.  A few
>months
>>ago I started playing blues again and was blowing through a 1964 BF
>>Deluxe. I thought it sounded great. I got into looking at amps. I
>looked
>>at the bassmans again.  Sound great but too big to haul around. I
>was
>>able to A-B an original 58 bassman and a reissue bassman ltd.  for
>the
>>money I would have purchased the new reissue. Heck even for the same
>>money I would have probably purchased the reissue.  The difference
>to my
>>ears was minimal and I know that ultimately nobody will care about
>the
>>rig I am using.
>>
>>So now I'm playing blues maybe once a month. I use the RP400 for
>small
>>rooms and nobody mentions anything about my tone except for two
>other
>>musicians who couldn't believe that I wasn't playing through and
>amp. I
>>recently bought a 1968 SF Deluxe Reverb amp - it have the AB763
>circuit
>>and sounds great. To me this is the ultimate amp because it's small
>and
>>light. I noticed Annie Cohen and Dennis Gruenling play through a
>deluxe
>>too under similar circumstances. Still I hate lugging that thing
>around.
>>
>>I think musicallity supercedes tone. I try to be musical and put on
>the
>>good show. I haven't had any complaints about my music other than
>people
>>thinking I don't play dazzling technical lines that have little
>soul.
>>I'm happy with my music and my tone and depending how you look at
>it,
>>the cost is free or priceless.
>>
>>Chris Michalek
>>
>>www.michalekstrone.com
>>cd available from CD Baby
>>
>>
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>>
>>
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>>

Chris Michalek

www.michalekstrone.com
CD Available
http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/michalekstrone