Re: FW: Re: [Harp-L] beginner gear?

[G <gigs@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Date: Mon, 05 Mar 2007 14:47:51 +0100
From: "r_buschner@xxxxxxxxxxx" <r_buschner@xxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: FW: Re: [Harp-L] beginner gear?
To: harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx
>I never tried a bottle-o-blues-mic, but i bought one of these Smokey
>amps. For playing harp it has way too much gain, in my opinion. Overly
>distorted with my Shure 545 and other CR/CM mics, and it takes me to
>feedback city as well...
>Maybe it works better with a volume control on the mic, but without
>that...no, it's a toy.

When shopping for mini-amps, I settled on the Dan Electro HoneyTone - it
has a dual jFET opamp, the ubiquitous TL072 which produces a nice tone.
The volume and tone knobs give control over the sound that the Smokey amp
can't.  The HoneyTone's power amp IC is used in some professional mixing
desks, and is a lot cleaner and louder than the LM386 IC.  
I've bought two for myself, and bought a couple for mates who find it
great for practicing at home in their apartment, with neighbours through
the wall, watching TV.
  I've put up a website that shows how to protect it against a design
fault, so it won't die if you drop it on it's head.  And a modification
so you can plug it into any 8 ohm speaker cabinet.  
  I've tried it through a Fender Blues Jr cab (with the amp proper
unplugged and turned off), and the result was quite satisfying - it's
certainly loud enough for a bedroom amp, and jamming at reasonable
moderate volume levels.
  The HoneyTone amp with a 545SD would be a great start up rig for
someone just starting out.
-- G.
http://www.angelfire.com/music/harmonica/honeytone.html