[Harp-L] New Harp amp builder in NC

["mike wesolowski" <mwesolowski@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

This past Sat. I had the extreme honor of being the first harp player to play through what I consider the best sounding harp amp I have EVER heard.   PERIOD !!
I currently own a plethora of vintage tweed and brown  Fender amps.  I have--in the past-- owned a Sonny Jr.--played through a Harpgear Double Trouble--(now, that's a great amp) owned Bassmans, Silvertone Twin Twelves , Blues Deville 410s and many other amps. Nothing I've ever owned holds a candle to this Bogen Mod. My main amp for the last 20 years has been my 1960 210 Brown Fender Super.  For smaller venues I play through my 1960 Tweed Harvard which I took to the new amp guy to use as a benchmark for tone aginst his new harp amp.  I first plugged into his amp, which is a modded mid 40s bogen pa amp. I used my 210 cabinet loaded with Kedrick speakers to test out the amp.
Within 2 minutes I achieved the fatest harp tone I've EVER heard.  Think of Kim Wilson's Tiger Man CD or any James Harman Live CD and you'll kinda be on the right tone track.  This amp is 15 watts and has 3 knobs. Volume---Treble roll-off--and a knob in the middle that is the double super secret tone knob that gives this amp the ability to use all 15 watts turned up ALL the way with almost NO feedback.  I was floored.   Next I plugged up my 60 Harvard--which sounds incredible on it's own--coupled with a modded JT30 shell and a mid 60s Sure CM element (*built by Steve Warner at Thunderharmics).  The Harvard souded SO thin with an incredible lack of tone compared to the modded Bogen amp.  I couldn't believe what I was hearing.  Next I put my 60 210 Super up against the Bogen.   The Super sounded great as usual but lacked the low end cruch and balls compared to the Bogen.  The Super is 40 watts. The Bogen is 15.  I was at the guys shop (in his "tone lab") for about 4 hours talking tone, tubes and mods.  Turns out that the guy is not a player. Hell he doesn't even listen to too many harp players.  BUT.........................he's got some innate ability to know exactly how to voice amps for harp players.  He's been in electronics all his life and his passion is restoring and modding vintage Bogen and Masco amps.  Here is a link to his site where you will find pics and info on some of the vintage amp restorations that he's done or is working on.
www.djlservice.com/audioindex.htm 
His name is Dale Laslie and he is an Evil genious with everything concerning amps.
If you've bought and sold amps over the years like I have , searching for the perfect harp tone, your search is over.
I actually told my wife that i was through buying amps. (She made me write it down).  I'm just going to have him mod my current amp collection to be voiced for harp. And....................I can't wait to own the Bogen.   Soon !!!

Mike "Wezo" Wesolowski
336-785-3576
www.myspace.com/harpwezo