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

["Bob Boyd" <bboyd@xxxxxxxxx>]

I also have a Holland Westside but with a 10" and a 12" that was specially 
made. It also has reverb built into it which I like. It does have a wide 
range of tone and I love playing through it. I only use it on bigger gigs 
though as it is heavy. I take my harp gear 2 to most of the inside venues 
and either line out or mic it to the PA. Both the Holland and Harp Gear are 
both great harp amps. I use a JT-30 with a black CR element and go into a 
harp commander and then into the amp. I just got a AKG wireless guitar bug 
and have been using it into the harp commander and it works well. There is 
really a lot of great gear available out there.

Bob "The Captain" Boyd
www.texastide.com
San Antonio, Tx.

> 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