[Harp-L] Boutique Amps and Feedback

[Special20 <special20harp@xxxxxxxxx>]

I saw an email here on Harp-L this morning that made the odd claim that
buying a boutique amp will mean fewer feedback problems than when using
modified vintage gear.  I find that notion to be mostly not the case at
all.  With the obvious exception of the Harp King (which incorporates a
feedback eliminator in its circuitry), I've found that boutique amps have
zero advantage over well-sorted vintage gear, as far as feedback resistance
is concerned.  Some boutique amp builders suggest their products are
feedback resistant, but when you try them you are faced with exactly the
same challenges as with less expensive gear.

This is not to say that boutique harp amps are not great; indeed their tone
and build quality are unsurpassed.  BUT... with the exception noted,
the physics of acoustic feedback are an irresistible force that no amount of
P2P wiring, lacquered tweed, or expensive caps can overcome.  The choice is
purely economic:  If you think you can exploit the virtues of a
boutique harp amp to the extent that it is worth the extra thousand dollars
(or more) then by all means, buy one.  But it won't solve your feedback
issues, and it probably won't make you sound a bit better than you would on
a vintage amp you have properly tuned for harp, in which you have invested a
fraction of the price.

-Spec20