[Harp-L] Amp Overkill Morphing

[B Boggs <ceudoazul@xxxxxxxxx>]

Discussions morph and different semantic styles lead to misunderstandings.
 
I like this:
 
"deliver the sound I want
-- from hornlike to overdriven. Bottom line: I've no bone to pick with big
amps -- I own probably 14 different amps including the 6 x 10 cab 100 watt
tube monster that'd peel paint if needed, all the way down to a tiny 3W 3
tube Silvertone someone gave me. My point was that volume need not be so
loud that it drives people away or deafens. 



bill otten"
 
Great!
 
I love playing harp over a stage microphone, a small Supro (5-watt, 8- inch Jensen), a SJ 410 or Cruncher, a Harp Commander III, anything quality (quality can be $$$ or cheap).
The different ways to get different or similar sounds is enormous.
Saturday night I heard Paul Burke playing his 410 in a local bar and I was impressed that he could sound great without being too loud.
I have played in the same room with a small Supro mic'd and it sounded good with similar volume level.
Playing a Cruncher or 410 does require skills different then a smaller set-up.
And loud does not hide mistakes, it accentuates them.
Big amps (30- watts and more) do not have to sound mushy or muddy or too loud.
The smaller amps (3 to 18 watts) do not have to sound over driven.
Lots of people notice how top players have distinctive sound even when they share the same equipment.
Playing at excessive levels is more a player problem then about amp size.
What I have found true is that so much equipment can work and it is up to the player to balance all the facets of listening and playing.
That is why I love playing harp!
It is a way to learn about people and life in reflection.
 
Thanks,
 
Brian