[Harp-L] Mick's picks

[Mick Zaklan <mzaklan@xxxxxxxxx>]

   I'm not the guy you want to get equipment recommendations from.  In fact,
a few years ago a local musician felt compelled to pull me aside during a
gig and share with me what my reputation amongst area musicians was.  He
summed it up in four words: "nice player, lousy equipment".
   However, if something is working well (or not), why not mention it on
harp-l?  A couple of years ago my brother laid an Alamo amp on me.  A cheap
tube amp no longer made.  Figuring it was a probably a trebly,
feedback-prone mess, I promptly threw it in my closet and forgot about it.
When my regular unreliable antique, an old tweed Bassman, fried for the
umpteenth time I dragged the Alamo out of the closet out of sheer laziness.
My backup amp is an unreliable antique Fender Super, and I didn't feel like
toting it to practice.  It's about four times heavier than the Alamo.
Anyway, after my band mates got through guffawing, we fired the Alamo up.
I've done a half dozen practices with it since then.  There hasn't been a
one where somebody didn't stop and say something like; "Mick, that little
amp sounds great!".  It's quite possible that the Alamo sounds better than
my Bassman did.
   Now, I don't know how much of that has to do with the amp or the Sonny
Jr. mic I'm using (an old Turner).  I've used old Astatics and Shures for 40
years.  I've never had anything that sounded that hot or as lively as the
Turner.  When I used it with the Bassman, it seemed to pull new sounds out
of the amp.  With the Alamo, it is barking like a junkyard dog!
   I bought a couple of new harps at SPAH, a Hohner Crossover in G and a
steel reed Seydel low F.  I couldn't pass the Crossover up, it was on sale
for $40 because it was a demo.  I bought it specifically to work on my blues
playing in E major (4th position).  I have to say that it plays beautifully
out of the box except that I'm getting an extra note or overtone out of the
2 hole full bend.  And it's pretty noticeable, too.  Anybody else having
that problem?  The Seydel low F could be the best low F I've ever owned and
I've owned a ton of 'em.  I'm looking forward to using it tonight onstage
for the first time and  I'll be giving it a real workout in 3rd, 4th, 5th,
and 6th positions.  So we'll see how it holds up.
   Hope everybody had a great Thanksgiving.  One holiday down, two more to
go.

Mick Zaklan