[Harp-L] Re: Ron Holmes

[SONNYTONE@xxxxxxx]

First of all, I have never heard Ron blow like Little or Big Walter, I know  
the tone that is supposed to come out an amp after working hard at it for 35  
years, that is my advantage over every company, so called gurus, and everyone 
in  between, they rely on theory and maybe have a harp player listen to it. 
But what  harp player, IMO you have to be able to have full control of the harp, 
and be  able to create the tones that intermediate, beginner, and very good 
harp players  aspire for.. I have a NASA engineer who is my hands and we 
decided after much  testing that messing with voltages on preamp tubes does not give 
the purest  sound and did not effect the amp as drastically as our tube 
swapping technique.  You don't have to know a shoe from a tube, I give a fully 
illustrated 12 page  manual for the lay person on just what tubes to change, how 
they will affect  tone, punch, distortion, cut, the whole ball of wax. When 
work is done  internally, you are stuck with one sound, all night, all the time. 
After owning  well over 2000 vintage amps I know what is available in these 
mostly class A  older amps, just so much, can't get over the top. I want my 
players to  understand they are in control of their amp, how to adjust it for a 
smaller  venue, big show, medium show. We tried controls in the circuit that 
would vary  resistance, never sounded good. I have guys who have owned their amps 
still  contacting me saying they tried one of the tube suggestions after 
loving it  initially, find more and more. I have discovered another aspect of the 
controls  I will share with my customers. Talk of altering voltages and such 
goes over the  head of 99% of harp players, the same as when Kendrick used his 
hype to sell the  Texas Crudes, who I don't know of anyone using them. All I 
know is I have had at  least 5 guys who spent a ton of money with them, ended 
up buying another amp  they suggested, would not take back they said would work 
for them, I can say  after selling close to a thousand amps I have the 
bassman figured out, their is  one very key ingredient of tube gain that if you were 
a harp player, you would  understand that by not having it where I do does 
nothing but cause feedback. All  I have heard from many is that there is no 
difference in sound and tone with  pure metal orange drop or mallory caps and the 
NOS beefy paper in oil caps I  use. Do a google search on Vitamin Q, you may 
find some interesting information.  My new midsized amp after many tries of 
other circuits is a 410 with redesigned  trannies to make 35 watts max, you are 
probably playing it at about 30, and with  the single 12 and single 10,. it 
pushes them into That sound, along with many  other acoustical tricks I learned 
from Sam Hutton. The more positive feedback I  continue to get just fuels what 
I know to be true because I can hear it, to go  and listen to Sugar Ray 
blowing through my amp and knowing he can go for  anything he wants because it will 
be there for him from the amp. The new only 40  pound amp is close to being as 
loud as 410, and in some respects, it projects  into the audience further due 
to it being a bit edgier. I tested every eminence  speaker, all of the Weber 
line before coming up with what I feel is the perfect  combination. I stay 
humbled as 5 guys have sent 1K deposits on the Cruncher on  my word alone. If you 
watch ebay you see what a used SJ goes for, well more than  50 %, sometimes 
close to what I sold them for, all were limited runs. Now that  everything I 
dreamed of doing, seminars, two amps to offer, working on CD is  close, once 
again this year I have a tough battle Fortunately I formed a merge  with a large 
company to keep my quality control tight so I can focus on health  issues, 
trying to hit the road for what I hope will be different seminars than  everyone 
else is putting on. 
I have heard from many that Ron made their amps sound much better, but the  
average guy should NOT be going in and trying to solder, even if someone is a  
tech they may note have a clue, Ron is a great tech. 
     Harphouse will be sending out a mailer in about a  month which will have 
my new amp The Cruncher, featured alongside the 410. The  CR. will have line 
out plus crystal mic mod. Keep an eye on my website for new  events and 
hopefully will have info on the Cruncher. I am hoping to make Boston  my first stop.
I want to focus in my Sonny Terry portion of how his playing evolved from  
the early years with Blind Boy Fuller and Leadbelly , then to Brownie McGhee. 
Gary, I will try and call the studio this week about the record. I will be  
breaking down segments of Sonny's style, trying to learn a complicated rhythm  
requires shutting off your Chicago oriented brain and totally change the way 
you  approach the instrument, how to breathe without getting caught up with too 
much  air in, or gassed out, being able to practice for a half hour to an 
hour  straight on rhythms, working lines off them, is a tremendous diaphragm  
strengthener, the stronger you are in one area, the seminar will transition to  
electric, learn how to work both styles in where appropriate, and learning 
about  Sonny the man. What he had to endure to be what he was, the best for his 
style.  I will know more around the third week of February what medically I 
might  have to go through, I just want to play and hopefully bring some job into  
people's hearts. I will try and get to work one on one with each in the class, 
 have them come up, being able to compliment and laydown a rhythm or just 
some  tone full single notes can be just as effective.  WWW.Sonnyjr.com