[Harp-L] My Quest for Tone

["Johnny Charles" <bluesheadband@xxxxxxxxxx>]

I wanted to share my thoughts on a subject matter really close to my heart...TONE!!  I've been using a '65 Vibrolux Reverb forever and the inconsistency of tone...due to amp settings...stage placement...the acoustics in the room...volume of band...etc...has always been a challenge. The amp sounds great in some situations but not in others. I use one channel for harp (with a reverb mod) and the other channel for guitar. This setup has been my staple for a long long time. The guitar tone is awesome but the harp (volume/tone) always had to be worked at to get an acceptable volume...enough volume to invoke the tone I sought. Some would say to mic the amp and put a little in the monitors. But I'm talking the stage/room filling presence of tone generated by an amp on its own before putting it in the house sound. The volume control on my mic would rob the tone out of the signal when I rolled it back so the amp's volume had to be lowered...and there went the tone. I stopped by a jam in San Diego last year while on vacation and played through the house rig...a 4-10 Bassman reissue. When I got on stage and 2 drawed a test note on a C harp, I knew right then and there that I needed to play through 4-10's from now on. Not just any 4-10 because the '66 Super Reverb that I have never really cut it as a harp amp. I knew that I needed a harp friendly 4-10. The harp player mentioned that his rig was a stock Bassman reissue but it was modded by Sonny Jr. or something like that. My quest for a 4-10 harp amp had begun. I discovered there were choices to be made. I heard alot about Meteors and HarpKings and SonnyJr's....and about this mod and that mod and tube swaps and mics. Wow!! Too much. Couldn't even try one out in a local music store (remember those). What to do now. I used a life line. I called a friend. Based solely on the recommendation of that friend I contacted Brian Purdy at HarpGear Amplification and purchased an HG50. When I was speaking to Brian about his amplifiers, I felt the passion in his voice (as if talking about ones own child)...the same passion I felt from my friend when I first heard about HarpGear. The amp is simply amazing. Deep Full Rich Tone at pretty much all volumes. I'm talking that stage/room filling presence of Tone that I mentioned earlier. Now comes the best part....I contacted Greg Heumann and ordered an Ultimate '57 and then contacted Kinder and ordered an AFB+. The quality and performance of Greg's '57 coupled with the HG50 sound incredible. Using the AFB+ the volume that I can achieve on stage is mind boggling. The volume control on the '57 does not degrade the tone when I adjust the level. The Vintage Control works equally as well with an old Bullet mic that I can finally use now (except I just can't put down the '57). My quest for Tone is finally over. I am finally pleased and confident that my "Holy Grail" has been found.
I've been lurking around Harp-L for some time and I am very grateful for the posts...videos...links...information and all the great harmonica players that I've stumbled onto through the Harp-L community.
Johnny "Charles" Marino

 

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