Re: [Harp-L] Geordie Amplifier

[Roger Trobridge <gopher@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Mike

The bigger photograph of the Geordie amplifier is at
http://harmonica.co.uk/HarmonicaWorld.jpg

The movie (1.8MB) showing Ernie Gordon making the the change between a moothie
without and with the beer can is at
http://harmonica.co.uk/ErnieGordonBeerCan.wmv
He ends the "Lark in the Clear Air" and starts "The Squirrel in the Tree"

Roger

PS: a Geordie comes from Northumberland and Durham, next to but very definitely not
part of Scotland. 
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>I'm sorry if this sounds like a stupid question but how exactly would you play into an empty can?  what sort of sound does this produce? do I need to cut the can or modify it in any way?  is it possible to mic this?  Always looking for new cool tricks to freak out the crowd.

If you look at the  on the magazine cover I mentioned (below), you can just see that
the cans are cut to fit snuggly around the harmonica. Remember tremolo players don't
use hand effects much. Their harmonicas are longer so they are better suited to the
big European beer cans. The smaller beer ones might suit a short harp better.
Teetotallers could always use a diet Coke can.

You can still get "vibrato" effects by covering the ring pull hole. He likes the tone
and volume he gets.

When I have finished my dinner I will sort out a bigger version of the photo on the
front of the magazine cover I mentioned below.

Ernie plays at most of the National Harmonica League festivals so I will see if I can
make a video clip from the festival DVDs we have produced. He was a close friend of
the late great Will Atkinson.

I will post the location when I have done it. Maybe on the music page where we place
music and Internet files linked to the articles in Harmonica World.
http://harmonica.co.uk/music.htm

Ernie has a CD of traditional music "The Geordie Jock" which includes his own
composition - Tarton (Tin Can) Tango. 

You can hear Ernie's version of The Lark in the Morning on the music page above -
look for files associated with the Oct/Nov 2004 magazine which contained the sheet
music.

Roger

>Ernie Gordon, one of the best traditional tremolo players comes from the North East
>of England and he used a Geordie amplifier - see 
>http://harmonica.co.uk/magazine.htm
>Page down to issue Dec/Jan 2003/4 of our magazine where he is on the cover.
>
>He used an empty can of Newcastle Brown Ale for the traditional Northumberland music,
>and switches to a can of Guinnes for the Irish tunes.
>
>Very effective, and freshley emptied cans seem to work best <g>
>
>Roger