[Harp-L] Speaker overtones and Ghost notes.

["geoff atkins" <geoffatkins@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Rick Davis <bluesharpamps@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:

	Four speakers rated at 450 watts each???  Whoa, I don't think you
will ever get that cab to sound good for harp.  It's likely to be 	very
stiff and shrill.
	I don't know the kind of music you play, but good blues tone is
often acquired by using low-wattage speakers that are driven to 	the
edge of breakup.  Driving four 450W speakers to that level 	will a) kill
the audience, b) get you arrested, c) feed back so 	much it will shatter
your ear drums.  I don't think breaking in 	these speakers will
ameliorate the problem.
	The old Jensens Mike was talking about are the P10R speakers,
rated at about 25 watts.  The original speakers from the 60s are 	gold
for harp, but the new re-issues are, um, not so good.  	Breaking them in
really well might make them sound better.  
	But breaking in a 450W speaker will not change its character.


Geoff's reply:
Thanks Rick, 
you saved me some wasted time, manslaughter charges, the pen, and a lawsuit
with the neighbours! -My hearings shot, so that's OK.
The speakers  were just lying around unused anyway. 
They are, as you already said they would be, a little "treble-oriented"  :),
(read tinny).. my harp sounds like Alexander Graham Bell is playing it.

I originally tried the amp out with a set of marshall 12" cones (newish, in
the music shop still) and the amp distorts soft and creamy.
The amp is a Blackstone 1, a point to point wired ONE watt tube amplifier.
(Or so the dealer said, I'd guess nearer three). It's astounding what comes
out!

So the 4x450's go back on the shelf. After Rick's advice I just tried a very
old and well(/badly) used gig bin 12" , 8 ohm but the tweeter is solid-wired
in, so it got a high-tech ball of cotton wool as attenuator because I was
out of Blue Tack. Maybe I could rig a switch to bypass it? 
The sound was far better. Thanks again!

So Dear readers, here's a Bargain! four  450 watt speakers 10" for sale! 
Going cheep, cheep, cheep.

Best Regards  Geoff Atkins