[Harp-L] Re: Vote for the best harp amp

["samblancato" <samblancato@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hi Everybody,

 

Yep, it's all pretty subjective stuff, what that best amp is and all that.
For what it's worth, here's what I think.

 

I have a Holland West Side Andy, a 2x10, fifty watt amp.  I love this amp.
Everybody who hears me play through it, and that includes a lot of harp
players locally, loves it.  I have had so many compliments on the sound of
this amp that I sometimes wonder why they aren't complimenting me and not
the amp (but I get compliments on my playing too).  The Holland seems to me
to have a great range of tones so that I can dial in a heavily distorted,
dirty Piazza tone with a lot of bass, or a trebly but cleaner tone like you
might hear on some of Little Walter's songs like "My Babe".  

 

>From what I understand, the Holland company had such horrendous customer
service that they couldn't stay afloat, and I rarely see any comments on
this or any other list about them and so I'm starting to wonder it anyone
else out there has one besides a local guy I know who has a 4x10.  If
anybody else on this list has one besides him I'd be interested to know how
s/he likes it. 

 

I play through the Holland with a Kinder AF+ unit and a Digidelay.  I use
Shure CR, CM and Astatic elements all in JT-30 bodies.  After the amount of
fiddling I've done with this amp's tube line up and other readily tweekable
variables I feel that it might not be such a unique amp after all.  What I
mean is this: If you were to give me a Fender Baseman RI, I bet I could dial
in the same tone as the Holland's after swapping some tubes and what not.  

 

When I can get the money together (like in ten years!), I really have my
heart set on a Meteor 4x10.  They look really cool and I heard Kim Wilson
playing one and he sounded great through it.  I'm really glad that the
cabinet design seems to have improved with the choices in tweed covering.  I
thought the grey carpet covering was BUT UGLY!  With the brown tweed,
however It looks damn good.  I've read enough about how Scooter came up with
the design and voicing of this amp that I'm pretty much sold on it.

 

One last thing though. My experience with getting a powerful amp with a
basic circuitry like that Holland has been that you have to learn how to
play more carefully.  A good, strong amp will amplify all your shortcomings
in playing. If you aren't careful with how you allow your notes to begin and
end and don't take care to make clear and decisive bends and work for good
articulation, it shows up more readily than it does on a small amp or on one
with a lot of fat switch circuitry.  Like my buddy with the Holland 4x10
said to me once - "you have to show it who's boss". 

 

Sam Blancato, Pittsburgh