[Harp-L] Re: Tone Gear Blah Blah Blah

["mike wesolowski" <mwesolowski@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

You guys are right about the gear thing.  I think (and have always told my students) that 1st you need to get fairly proficient on the harp and then the natrural progression would be to move to a smaller type (but tone worthy) tube amp.   Some of the coolest amps around are the the small tube amps like the Gibson Skylark, early 50s (all the way through the 60s) Champs, Kalamazoo, Oahu and stuff like that.  In fact those small amps are GREAT for recording. In fact.... I still use my 1960 Fender Tweed Harvard for most small shows and it Friggin rules. Especially after I installed an Eminence Ramrod 10" speaker in it.
It takes time to learn how to work the mic and the amp when you're just starting out so you --IMHO-- shouldn't go all out and spend the BIG bucks on a oversized Boutique amp right away.  The up side about starting out with small cool amps is you're bound to aquire the "AMP BUG" and eventually end up with the inevitable "Amp Collection" that I'm sure a good portion of us here on the list have.  And just think of how proud your wife will be when you have a WHOLE room full of really cool amps and stuff. It's a life-long search for the ultimate Harp Tone and that means so many different thing to so many people.  Just try and keep in mind that just cause you go out and buy the same amp that Kim Wilson plays through and the same mic, that doesn't mean that you'll sound just like him.  If you take -let's just say-- a 6X10 HarpKing amp and three different players play through it with the same mic, you're gonna hear three different harp tones comming out of that rig.  That's a fact !  When my students ask me to teach them certain stuff by thier favorite harp player note for note.  I tell them--for instance--Man................Paul Butterfield already "sounded" like that or Jr. Wells already "sounded "like that.  You want to find your own voice and sound like YOU.  Listen to all the harp players, keyboard players and horn players that you can get your hands on.  Soak up ALL that info and create your own thing.  THAT.............IMO.............is the ultimate goal.
Mike "Wezo" Wesolowski
336-785-3576
www.myspace.com/harpwezo
www.megatoneamps.com 
www.bluesworldorder.com