[Harp-L] Amps for beginners plus?

[B Boggs <ceudoazul@xxxxxxxxx>]

It is interesting to read the different opinions and perceptions on whether an amp can detract from a beginner's  quest and a perception that a player could not play clean and with distortion out of the same set-up.
It would depend on the specifics, i..e. who the beginner is, what their goals are, etc.
My experience is that a mic and amp can be employed to produce a spectrum of sounds and tones to accompany a lot of styles.
I love playing clean and playing with distortion using the same amp, by dynamic techniques that I have learned teensy bits of from some humble practice and the grace of the masters..
 
I use lots of different set-ups depending on who I am with and the room, etc.
Variety is fun for me.
My amps range from SJ410 to little 5-watt Valco amps,I use a Harp Commander III and use 12 AU7 and 5751 and 12 AY7 ( what is working for you?) tubes in tube pre-amps with good result.
 
With several mics, I can get some different tones without needing effects. When I add delay, I have a basic tone I can work with to do my best to play nice lines in a song.
I can get distortion, crunch, or very clean pure tones.
 
And I am playing through the PA, with a line-out from amp and/or using stage mic, etc.
Ray Beltran commented in an earlier post regarding using a PA as a tool to be a good skill.
He is an experienced player and would know what he is talking about.
 
Different stokes for different folks, obviously, the more familiar with different methods, the more possibilities.
I guess the dilemma is deciding how you want to spend your life.
How personal is that?
 
Add spice to taste and enjoy.
 
Post script:
Yeah, when I don't read well what is in a post it leads me into choppy water.
And when I make presumptions then I can't touch the bottom anymore.
I like to say what works for me and not tell everyone what they need to do to meet the bar on the list which changes depending on who is reading and writing.
And there are some top chop hot players here, no doubt.
 
Sincerely (and thanks),
 
Brian
 
 
 
 
 
Message: 6
Date: Sun, 11 Jan 2009 09:29:27 -0700
From: Rick Davis <bluesharpamps@xxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Re: [Harp-L] Re: amps for beginners?
To: Garry Hodgson <harp@xxxxxxxxxxx>
Cc: Harp-L@xxxxxxxxxx

Right.  It is also true that no one said a harp amp should be REQUIRED for a
new player, or that the amp should be loud , distorted, or expensive.  I
trust you have as much disdain for these straw men on the other side of the
argument.  That would be laudable.

If, however, your goal was to sidetrack this friendly discussion into an
arcane argument over debate fallacies, you have succeeded.

-Rick

On Sat, Jan 10, 2009 at 6:06 PM, Garry Hodgson <harp@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

> Rick Davis wrote:
>
>> Garry Hodgson wrote:  "nobody has said they cannot, nor have they
>> mentioned "permission".  nobody said a new player would be ruined by buying
>> an amp, nor did they demand that all blues harp students play only acoustic.
>>  dial down the
>> rhetoric a notch."
>>  Then what is the exact objection to beginners buying an amp?  Perhaps you
>> should dial up the specificity a notch.
>>
>>
> i was referring to your strawman arguments, which were not as helpful
> as your other, concrete suggestions.  perhaps if you had read the rest
> of my post you would have noticed that i was quite specific on why this
> approach did not work well in my case.
>
> in both of your posts you said you respected others' opinions.
> this is laudable.  putting words in their mouths is rather less so.
>
>