Re: [Harp-L] Fireball and Impedance Matching Transformers

["Ralf K. Buschner" <r_buschner@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

John Balding wrote:

> Without the transformer, the amp would have to be played at 6 or 7 to obtain
> the same volume level and tone.

Sorry, but i can't agree here. The usual guitar amp is build like that:

input jack   //    first tube system   //   volume pot   //  further stages 
and tone stack //  phase inverter  //  final stage   //   speaker.

With a high impedance mic (exactly: with it's huge output) you'll overdrive 
the first amplification stage, and that's very significant for a particular 
sound. If a mic gives lower output to the 1st stage, you can compensate the 
volume issue by cranking the amp up, but since that low signal amplitude from 
that mic won't make the 1st tube system  distort, the signal "arriving" at 
the volume pot is much, much cleaner than if you would use a high Z high 
output harp mic - and therefore is the whole sound chain very different. You 
may get the same volume, but you will not get the same sound.

Take a guitar, plug in, turn the volume knob on the guitar way back and the 
volume on your amp up. Clean, loud. 
Now turn the vol on the guitar all the way up, and take the amps volume back, 
so that you get the same volume over all. Distorted, loud.
With one exception: You have an amp, which stays clean at all.

cu,
Ralf