[Harp-L] Re: amps for beginners?

[HTownFess <Spschndr@xxxxxxx>]

Note the way the original question is phrased:

<<Quick question: is there any reason for a beginner to get an amp?>>

The question was not "Is there any reason for a beginner not to get an
amp?"

Since owning an amp may, for reasons already mentioned, make a
beginner practice more and derive more enjoyment, my answer to the
original question would be something more like "Yes, if they really
want to spend the money that way, and do some research first."  Too,
the seller will greatly appreciate the economic stimulus these days.

There are more reasons to answer "Yes" to the second question than to
the original question, but that's not what Daniel was asking.

I was reminded of the perennial "Should the newbie buy a custom
diatonic" thread.  My point is that if the newbie just buys an amp,
they may not know whether the resulting sound is their fault or the
amp's.  With a custom/boutique harp amp, like the customized harp,
it's probably the player's fault if the result is terrible.  Walk into
the guitar store and buy something, or use that amp your cousin had in
their closet, and it might well be the amp's fault, only the newbie
wouldn't know it.  There is precious little new amp  production that
can be trusted, sorta like production harmonicas.  So do some
research; you don't have to go boutique, but you'd better be on
something decent if you want to have the fun part sooner.  Thus, the
proper response to the original question might be "What kind of amp?"
rather than yes or no.

However, if someone wants to get *that tone* and practice with it,
they probably have something in their home already that they can use
to practice the sound of a bullet mic and amp.  Simply take a lower-
key diatonic (G or A especially), and the proper large bottle cap or
clean empty can.  I discovered this with the cap from the old-style
Arm & Hammer liquid laundry detergent: cup it with the open end
towards you, and you can hear if your resonance is right on the low
notes, hear the tone compress as you get a good seal, and when you
open your cup the brighter sound blasts back at you like opening your
cup on an amp.  The posters who talk about getting your technique
right, this is all one needs to learn on: *that sound* will be there
if you are doing it right.  An actual mic will have to be held far
enough from the back of the harp to form a properly dark and deep-
sounding chamber, is the main consideration in switching to an actual
bullet mic.

A thicker or deeper surrogate mic will not work for this: thicker
muffles the cupped sound too much, while deeper is the wrong resonant
chamber; diameter should resemble a bullet mic.  A can the size of
Fancy Feast cat food, small tuna can, those little devilled ham cans,
little Vienna sausage cans, snuff tins, there's a lot of stuff in the
right size/thickness range *if you wash it out enough* or enjoy
breathing cat food, etc.  Slightly taller cans work better, though,
more depth to the resonance if in the right size range.  The new Arm &
Hammer concentrate cap that's shorter, I'm still finishing the first
bottle :-), dunno how it works yet.

You can examine your cup for sealing (take the harp out & look, seal
mouth against opening & blow, etc.) and move the can/cap in and out to
test resonance and seal.  It is probably better for playing solo than
over music unless the music's not very loud.   But you can definitely
refine your resonance, vibrato and hand techniques to the point where
you will sound good the first time you use a bullet mic, simply by
using something you can get by feeding yourself or your pet or doing
laundry.  Also makes an effective mute for practicing amplified
playing quietly.  An actual mic will give you the hand-opening sound,
but you can't hear the cupped-up resonant tone & vibrato as well there
as with an open can or tin.

The can/cap's not direct practice for using a wand mic, but does teach
the principles of sealing/unsealing that one will apply to a wand mic.

I've posted about detergent caps before; the can part's an update,
didn't have the cats around earlier.

Stephen Schneider