A few brief, somewhat pointless, rambling thoughts on Little Walter and his gear, tone, outlook, etc. (Disclaimer: These thoughts are NOT directed at anyone ..... just a few random musings.) First, there is no "Little Walter sound." Christ, on any collection of his hits, you'll hear three, even four, different harp tones, from acoustic to full-on grungy, to ethereal and echoing. That variety is a huge part of his genius. Second, there is no Little Walter mic or amp, period. The guy played anything that was laying around. Sure, most folks would agree the he generally used a high-output mic into a tube amp (guitar or PA matters little, in the 50s, they were both tube amps) but everyone singing or blowing harp into a mic back then was using a high-output mic into a tube amp. It's all there was. Third, not everything the guy ever played was the greatest stuff ever laid down. There's a good bit of LW stuff I find pretty weak. Maybe he walked on water (I guess) but that doesn't mean he never played a tired lick. Not a slam on Walter, just an observation. Lastly, if you've ever wondered what Walter would be doing if he were alive today, I have an answer: Pounding on his coffin lid, screaming, "Let me out, muth%^@#&$%ers!"
Carry on,
MN
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