[Harp-L] Re: An Amazing Performance

["John F. Potts" <hvyj@xxxxxxx>]

I'm very much an electric player and i consider my gear (especially  
my microphone)  as part of my instrument.  Like Ray, I place great  
importance on mic handling technique and other considerations that  
affect how the electricity/amplification interacts with what I'm  
playing and how I'm playing it in order to create/achieve the sound i  
hear in my head and make it come out of the speakers of whatever I'm  
playing through.  This is an acquired skill that is related to, but  
distinct from, good acoustic tone production.  I mean, good acoustic  
tone production alone won't do it.

That being said, the sound comes from the player.  James Cotton, for  
example,  would have monster tone playing through anything.   Earlier  
this year, i saw Jason Ricci perform.  Madcat Ruth was in the  
audience, and Jason invited him up to play a few songs with the  
band.  Madcat played through Jason's rig but didn't sound at all like  
Jason did.  He sounded like Madcat.  Then Jason came up and played  
through the same rig and sounded like Jason.  Both sounded great, but  
sounded very DIFFERENT playing through the SAME gear.  Both knew how  
to handle the mic and the electronics, but each had his own  
distinctive sound.  THE SOUND COMES FROM THE PLAYER, not the gear.

JP