[Harp-L] My Cruncher experience so far

[Bob Harrison <bob.harrison@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Hey, I don¹t post here a lot, I mostly lurk. There¹s been a ton of
discussion lately about big amp vs. little amp, amp vs. effects box into a
P.A. etc ... It¹s all interesting stuff and people have their own ideas
about what sounds good. Different strokes, right? Well, I¹ve been playing
harp off and on for about 20 years. I¹m 40 now. Got a lot more serious about
it about 2 years ago and I currently have a band that plays in and around
Birmingham, AL. My band is loud. And that¹s not going to change. I just have
to deal. But as I front this band and blow harp too (and I¹m an alright
player, not a total hack) I need a rig that will get me out in front of the
mix when I¹m supposed to be. I¹ve had several amps that I¹ve tried to make
due with: the latest being a ?59 Premier Twin-8 that sounded pretty darn
nice but just wasn¹t workable for ME at the ARENA ROK!!!! volumes that I
can¹t wean all my brothers from.

So, I did some homework, listened around to what some other folks were
playing and made a choice. I contacted Gary and with his guidance decided to
buy his Cruncher during his holiday sale. It felt like a big investment at
the time. My band plays out between 4-6 times a month so I¹ll make it back
soon enough, but I was worried what the Mrs. was gonna say when she saw the
bank statement. Anyway, Gary got the amp out to me fast. I was stunned when
I unboxed it. It¹s simply gorgeous. I could go on and on about the
absolutely flawless tweed job, the finish, the wiring inside ­ when I showed
it to my wife (who is really not interested in gear) she had to admit it
looked hot. But what really matters is the sound right? Playing it in the
house it was immediately better than anything I¹ve ever had. It gives total
definition to every technique I can throw at it. It makes me work harder to
be a more nuanced player because it IS so responsive. I¹ve been guilty in
the past of just blowing my fool head off in a desperate attempt to be heard
­ this is not a problem now ­ it presents a new and better problem: the
garbage in, garbage out problem. I see this amp as an incredible learning
tool. Of course, the best players will sound great through sub-optimal
equipment because well, they are just that good. But I can hear things about
my own amplified playing now that I never quite got before.

Friday and Saturday night my band did a two night stand at at roadhouse in
Kimberly, Al. TP Millers is the name of the place and it is bigger than most
of the places we play by quite a bit. It¹s a good 40+ yards I¹d say from the
stage to the back of the room. And the room is wide too. Well, using a
combination of the line out and mic-ing the 12² as per Gary¹s instruction
the Cruncher was magic. It¹s that 50¹s Chess Records harp sound full and
rich and just right in the mix. The guitar player took a stroll to the back
of the room during My Babe and Mystery Train and came back with a smile. He
loved the way it, WE sounded.  On stage I could not only hear myself, but
was reminded to play lighter, with more attention to shaping my sound. Oh,
and it sounds equally awesome at lower volumes. I could get a sound I love
with out making my ears bleed at home.

Man, I dunno. There¹s so much more I need to do to fully exploit the
capabilities of this beautiful instrument. But I love my Cruncher. Gary has
been very helpful to me. Just my personal experience. I¹m happy now that I
can stop fussing around chasing gear and start chasing all the sounds that
made me want to pick up a harp in the first place. If you want to talk to me
about this amp, email me. bharrison@xxxxxxxxxxx

Very satisfied Cruncher owner (# 92 I think),

Bob Harrison