Re: [Harp-L] Mick's crappy, collectible harp amps

["Splash" <celtiac@xxxxxxxxx>]

Also AGREE.

There are a number of 5-watt single ended amps out there that will do it for
the nubee.  And for the more seasoned player as well.  Fender has a
re-creation of their old Champion.  Champion 600 ?? I think.  Also Crate has
a 5-watt single ended amp V-5 ??  Epiphone valve junior is also one of
these.  All of them with circuit boards made in China, and populated with
low-cost components, but you get what you pay for.......  Plenty good enough
for busking or low power jamming and especially just practicing.

For harp, one might want to install a lower gain valve in the pre-amp V1
like a 12AY7 or such - to allow the amp to be turned up more before
feedback, but we have gone over all that stuff many times.

These days, we are blessed with a number of Chinese 5-watters and if you
look around you can get them priced right.  Just ask your local guit-store
salesman how low he will go in order for you to walk out of there with that
amp.  I always bargain with my local guys.  They see me often enough and
they get a steady amount of my $$ even if it isn't that much... They usually
are willing to make a deal to keep getting more of my $$ =8^D  I always buy
guitar strings anyway...

But as far as Mick's crappy amps go...   I use Ron and Bari at "The Amp
Shop" in West Palm Beach and I haven't had a failure in more than 6 years.
Every now and then I bring them something new to re-cap and "tighten up."
But none of my 1960's amps have ever given me any trouble after I let Ron
and Bari have a look at them.  I say never, now with my fingers crossed...
<Har!>  After Bari asked me, "Is this a gigging amp?"  I said, "Of course."
and now I never have to worry.  You get what you pay for!

Splash



----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Rick Davis" <bluesharpamps@xxxxxxxxx>
To: "Mick Zaklan" <mzaklan@xxxxxxxxx>; "Harp-L" <Harp-L@xxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Saturday, April 11, 2009 3:12 PM
Subject: Re: [Harp-L] Mick's crappy, collectible harp amps


> I agree 100 percent.  A new player -- if he aspires to play amped harp --
> should certainly buy an amp right away.  I recommend a 5-watt tube amp,
such
> as the Harp Gear H2 or the Epiphone Valve Junior Half Stack.  These are
new,
> high quality practice amps that will also work well on stage if mic'ed or
> lined out to the PA.
>
> A new player should not, in my opinion, spend the money for a big
> performance amp.  That will come later after he knows his way around a
tube
> amp.  A new player should never dive into the murky world of vintage harp
> amps.  That may be fun for the ardent gear heads among us, but it can be a
> source of great frustration for new players.  Don't believe any of the
> extravagant claims on eBay and elsewhere.
>
> Buy a new, small, good quality tube amp and get busy with it.  No matter
how
> good you get, you will always appreciate having the small practice amp.
If
> you decide to pursue drums instead (for example), a small amp is less of
an
> investment to have risked, and good small amps are easier to sell
> anyway.
>
> -Rick Davis
> The Blues Harp Amps Blog
> http://www.bluesharpamps.blogspot.com/
>
>
> On Sat, Apr 11, 2009 at 10:52 AM, Mick Zaklan <mzaklan@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>
> >   I didn't contribute to the gear thread a short while back because I'm
not
> > much of a gearhead.  If I had any advice to give to a young player just
> > starting out, it would be to buy something new. New!  Screw the
> > collectibles.
> _______________________________________________
> Harp-L is sponsored by SPAH, http://www.spah.org
> Harp-L@xxxxxxxxxx
> http://harp-l.org/mailman/listinfo/harp-l