[Harp-L] Re: Lone Wolf and effects

[Jonathan Ross <jross38@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Mike Easton writes:

"I like the fact you can't over dial on the Lone Wolf and kill your  
tone or turn a Howlin Wolf song into a Enrico Morricone soundtrack by  
accident. I use delay to add ambience to the room acoustics rather  
then noticeable echo to repeat notes. We don't play any songs where  
echo is used. A fast decay is more suitable."


Which is probably how most harmonica players will use it.  It's just  
not how I would use a delay--well, I do use a delay that way, but  
also like to experiment with it.  And with all effects I use.  I will  
be the first to agree that most harp players (especially blues ones)  
are extremely conservative with regards to effects usage, and the  
Lone Wolf wisely plays to that crowd.  It's just that I think the  
idea that such a device is "optimized for harp" is incorrect--it's  
optimized for a particular section of harmonica players (albeit the  
majority).


"Most effects I've tried are more overkill then useful for the harp,  
IMHO. I've heard players that use way too much reverb, octave or  
delay on stage or self produced cd's and it's hard to get past the  
effect to enjoy their playing. Overuse of effects can also date the  
music."


I reject that notion entirely.  First, anything can date the music-- 
the rhythms used, the way it's recorded, etc...  Music sounds of it's  
time period, and when I hear people talk about something sounding  
"dated" that usually means that it sounds like when they were a  
certain age--rarely do people talk about Little Walter sounding  
dated, but his recordings are very much stamped by the time in which  
they were made.

As for getting past the effect, I again disagree, though it depends  
on how the artist uses effects.  Indeed, I think the use of the term  
"effects" hurts here.  Delay, octaves, chorus can all become  
essential parts of what you are playing.  Madcat, for example, often  
uses a ton of different units to radically alter his basic tone and  
playing, but they aren't really effects so much as an integral part  
of what he is trying to say musically.  Take them away and the  
musical statement is entirely different.  You may prefer the later,  
but it is no better than the former--and the player is neither better  
nor worse talent-wise for the use of effects in such a way (you  
didn't imply such, but it often is put that way on this and other  
lists).


"My own take on effects is that the audience should sense it being  
used without saying to themselves, he/she is using a chorus, flanger,  
delay, octave pedal.
It should create a feeling as the song is being performed rather then  
be analyzed for it's overuse."


To take the most overused example, where would you put Hendrix'  
playing?  He used a ton of effects, but were they a part of the  
"feel" or do you find yourself  "analys[ing]" them when you listen to  
his playing?  Few harmonica players make as extensive usage of  
"effects" as someone like Hendrix did (or most guitar players do for  
that matter).


"I understand what you are saying about having a lot of options on  
dialing in your own sound. It's just most effects are tone suckers  
and every time the effect is
changed the amp/ volume or eq needs adjusted to compensate."

Again, it depends entirely upon the tone you are trying to get.  This  
may be true for most harmonica players, especially blues ones, but  
that's not how I look at effects (in part because I run through a pre- 
amp first and then into the effects, and the ones I use have a great  
sound of their own, so I don't believe they "suck tone"--they do  
modify it, though, as I want).  I want the effect to be able to  
radically alter the tone I use.  Hell, often I blend in a bit of ring  
modulation just to give the other effects something more to mangle  
than just standard harmonica tone.

I will be the first to admit that my effects usage is probably very  
atypical.  However, I do know a few others on this list who tend to  
be of the more options variety, so I want to challenge the idea that  
one size, and especially when it's a small size, fits all harmonica  
players--even all diatonic players or blues players.  Perhaps most,  
but certainly not all.




 ()()    JR "Bulldogge" Ross
()  ()   & Snuffy, too:)
`----'