Re: [Harp-L] Amp purchase help

["David Brown" <nonidesign@xxxxxxxxx>]

I'll throw my two bits in on this one in two ways:
1. AMP.
Everybody and their brother has a great amp nowadays.I'm a Sonny Jr guy
myself but I've tried almost all of them and while some are better than
others, mostly it's a matter of taste and build quality. It really is a
golden age for harp amps so pick and choose based on whatever info you can
find in archives, taste tests, etc.
2. YOUR NEEDS
It sounds like you want to be able to play both sweet/clear as well as
dirty/"chicago" styles. You mentioned being happy with the Harp Commander ll
but unhappy that it doesn't get the growl you want for the Chicago sound. I
have a suggestion that works for me:
Buy the HC lll.
It has an effects loop built into it and I use that to solve the very same
probolem you are currently wrestling with.
Here's how:
     There are two mic inputs on the HClll. One XLR low imp which I plug an
Shure SM57 into. I use this mic for clean sound. There is also 1/4" high imp
input which I plug my black label CR bullet into for dirty sound. The line
out signal for both mics are seperate and adjustable, and so are the
individual line out sends to the PA/amp/whatever.
     I also use the AKG wireless with the "guitar bug" transmitter. I like
it a lot. I only run one of the mics through it, so solving that problem I
can't help you with. I'm sure a two channel wireless version, or another
seperate unit might accomodate have two mics running wireless
simultaneously?
     I have a Furman pedal board with the following pedals: A Lone Wolf
delay is first in line. It has a clean bypass to pass the signal onto a
Distortion pedal (this is important to your problem as I'll explain later),
then onto a Boss Chorus (I use this for a weird effect in a rock tune), a
Boss digital Reverb (I use this for an exteme "ghosty" effect on a trance
blues tune), and a Sonic Stomp which cleans it all up (Ricci likes this
one).

     So here's the way I solve the problem of two sounds: I balance all the
controls on the HC to give a good sound for both mics without any effects at
all. I leave that setting as is throughout the whole gig. I turn the
Distortion pedal on when using the bullet and that pedal adds raunchy grit
in addition to the grit the black CR already has. For a clean sound I simply
switch mics and use the SM57 with the distortion pedal off.
     If you try this make sure to balance any gain knobs on the effects
pedals to prevent radical changes in volume when turning pedals on/off. Set
them up so that no matter which padals you use the output volume stays the
same.
     Another benefit of this set-up is that extreme effects (like the
settings I have for the Reverb pedal for example) work well when I use the
SM57 *WITH* the distortion pedal on. It gives the effect more definition but
also keeps the grit the Distortion pedal adds. An even simpler set-up might
be to try skipping your CR and only using the SM57 by just turining on the
distortion pedal for your gritty sound. As for me, I just love the sound of
a Black label CR.
And the effects board is still a whole lot less weight than an amp.

Do I still use my amps? Hell yes! Sometimes I run my SJ410 off the
HClll while simultaneously  running the signal to the PA directly. I shut
the distortion pedal off when I use the SJ410 because that amp don't need a
damn thing. sometime I mic the SJ410 instead. Options, options, options.

Since you already own a HCll you already know how great they are, so I wont
go into that end of things.

Hope this helps.

On 7/11/08, pdxharpdog@xxxxxxxxxxx <pdxharpdog@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>
> hey list - I'm in the market for a new gigging amp, and I need some help
> figuring out the somewhat complicated amp/mic/fx landscape to make the best
> choice. I'm somewhat new/lame when it comes to electronic harp
> amplification.  My band plays frequently in mostly small  venues 100-200
> people, and for the most part I have been playing through a Harp Commander
> II direct into the PA, using a Madcat Ruth hand mic. This has worked pretty
> well so far as I play mostly cleaner melody lines and generally play a more
> acoustic sound than a dirty sound. Lately we have added some trance blues
> tunes with a much louder and dirtier cigar box guitar sound which I love,
> but my harp sound isn't dirty enough with my current rig.
>
> I also own but seldom use a really nice custom mini-bullet mic with a Shure
> black label CR element and have recently purchased a lone wolf harp delay to
> fatten my sound. I also own a stock Silvertone 1482 amp that I have gigged
> with on occasion, mic'd to the PA but don't really like the sound of it for
> either the acoustic melody stuff for the trance blues material. Not sure why
> I don't like it, so I might be able to upgrade it with a new speaker or
> different tubes + FX to get the right sound.
>
> I need a mentor!  My specific questions:
>
> 1)  Is there a mid size boutique amp (ex. harpgear double trouble / HG30 /
> Sonny Jr. Cruncher ) that is best for the size venues we play?  (I think my
> Silvertone 1482 is about 15 Watts) Do I need one with two channels and a
> line out to the PA that I can quickly set up a clean sound and a dirty sound
> and switch between them on stage? Would I need an A/B switch for that?
>
> 2)  Should I consider something like a Fireball V on a mic stand for the
> acoustic clean melody stuff and the amp/mic for the dirtier sound? Does
> anyone use a Fireball V handheld as opposed to on a stand? Does this work
> well for you?
>
> 3)  I also want to experiment with a wireless rig and have no clue what is
> the best one and how to adapt one to the mic -   I'm thinking that I might
> use a Shure 57 or a Fireball V for this.
>
> 4)  What FX other than the Lone Wolf delay pedal should I consider?
>
> Thanks for any assistance!
>
> Ross
> www.myspace.com/sassparillajugband
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