[Harp-L] The Gear vs. Tone thing

["samblancato" <samblancato@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hey folks,

 

After reading this thread on tone vs. gear I have to share my experience
with this.  Since September, when I bought my Holland amp I've been playing
through the same rig, and slowly getting it to where I feel it can't be
improved upon.  While many harp players still search for their
holy-grail-set-up I have found mine.  At most of the jams where I play,
other harp players bring their own rigs so I only hear my self through my
own rig.  

 

Recently I was able to hear other people play through my equipment and what
I heard was very interesting.  On one occasion, a few weeks ago, a friend of
mine from Colorado was in town and played through it at a jam.  He sounded
great and it was really a treat to hear my rig from out in the audience.
This guy has great acoustic tone and he sounded great.  On another occasion
I let a guy play through it who came only with his harps and - I know this
is snotty- he sounded like crap- thin and flat.  He just wasn't a very good
player and I don't think any combination of gear would have made him sound
any better.  I noticed that he didn't really cup his hands around the
microphone very well and I tried to show him how to force the sound through
the element but it didn't do any good.  He still sounded like crap.  This
also happened with another guy that showed up without any equipment.  So I
got a hands-on demonstration of how little difference gear can make and a
player's overall sound.  

 

I also know from my own experience that a crappy rig can make a player with
good tone (myself) come off far worse than he could with better equipment.
I've had many people tell me that they could never really hear me before and
that they really couldn't hear "what I was trying to do", as one guy put it.
Lots of people have complimented me on my amp and now I'm starting to want
to say "it ain't the amp guys" but it's not a good idea to toot your own
harp too much. 

 

My point is that good equipment matters but not as much as good tone.  And I
have to say that I really don't believe these stories wherein some harp
monster shows up at a gig and plays through a Close-And-Play and sounds
exactly like he does through a Baseman. It just ain't true. Maybe he sounded
good and his heart and soul still came through because he's a great player
and a great performer but a Baseman is still way better than some crappy
little solid state amp.  I also know a guy who plays through a 1954 Fender
Super with a Shure 545 (a very respectable rig) and he still sounds like
absolute crap - no tone what-so-ever, just lots of notes.  

 

There are awful golfers out there with $3000.00 clubs, pathetic fly
fishermen with magnificent tackle, homely women with no ankles wearing Prada
high heels.  We live in a very materialistic age.  People often are led to
believe that you can simply buy the life you want, the culture you haven't
got, that talent you never had.  Jeeze, I'm getting way to reflective about
this.  I better stop now.

 

Sam Blancato, Pittsburgh