RE: Subject: [Harp-L] Pedal for Drive Effect/Jason Ricci's Pedal Videos

["Hellerman, Steven" <shellerman@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Indeed. I went several years where I only played into the PA, as I was
generally only accompanying acoustic acts (still do that  a lot) or
showing up to blues jams long way from home. Jon Paris (okay,
name-dropping again) told me that that was a good thing, since it meant
I had to have developed a good tone all on my own, and didn't need
amplification to sound good.  Meantime, the only effects with which I
have experience are the Drive and Bright buttons on my Fender Blues
Deluxe, which I started using again a little over a year ago, when a
singer-songwriter I play with decided to put together a full band.

 

However, these days I'm in situations where I need to get different
sounds (and on both cross and straight harp, sometimes both in the same
song). One act I play with has a lot of Tex-Mex sort of tunes, and I
find myself using the Bright button on the Deluxe to try to sound like
an accordion. I also use that to get an organ sort of background to some
songs by a couple of the singer-songwriters I accompany. And, of course,
the Drive for Chicago Blues sounds. As I was getting tired of schlepping
that big amp around, especially for some of the mellower acts I play
with, and since a buddy of mine could get me such-a-deal on a Fender (he
works for Fender), I got that Princeton, which I subsequently had
modified by an amp guy who was quite enthusiastic about doing his first
harp amp (another "such-a-deal!"). I'm hoping to be able to do more with
it than with the Deluxe, or at least as much. 

 

Thanks so much for the links and two cents.

 

SLH
http://www.myspace.com/professorsteve

 

 

 

From: EGS1217@xxxxxxx [mailto:EGS1217@xxxxxxx] 
Sent: Saturday, August 07, 2010 11:05 AM
To: ginoharmonica@xxxxxxxxx
Cc: Hellerman, Steven; harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Subject: [Harp-L] Pedal for Drive Effect/Jason Ricci's Pedal
Videos

 

Precisely. Which is why I specified that it was 'depending on what
you're looking for' and included THIS particular video of Jason's in my
last post - where he plays for the first couple of minutes straight into
the HarpGear - with just the mic - NO pedals  (and with huge tone) - to
show that pedals aren't necessary at all (his words).

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RhjOEQZvWC4&feature=channel

 

At around 2:23 - he states (after playing sans pedals):  "OK, sounds
great to me...I just prefer the effects because I like to get that same
kind of tone believe it or not at a  lower volume, and a little bit more
compressed, a little bit more overblow/bend friendly". 

 

EGS: This is why (IMHO) Gear  i.e - amps and pedals and the like are so
individual and SUCH a matter of personal choice.  One size certainly
does not fit all and it gives all these players their sounds, tones,
approaches and thinking about their music. 

 

There are harmonica players who will only copy blues players of the past
lick for lick and don't write music at all, aren't the least innovative
but don't aspire to be or ever play anything more than how their heroes
played 50, 60, 70 years ago (yeah, it's really been that long) <G>.  Yet
that works for them. To each his own. But the gear THEY want to get
'that' sound won't be the gear someone who's writing new music will be
after. 

 

Give a listen. One learns something new every day. I did.

 

As Jason says at the end of this video: "I like the pedals, you don't
have to. You heard what it sounds like both ways. Life is full of
colours; Life is full of diversity, let's just appreciate them, thanks".


 

 

 

Elizabeth 

 

Gino writes:

 

" 

Food for thought. I heard Mark Hummel play

last week and he gets as good an amplified 

sound as anyone ever. He was playing through

an Avenger with a crystal mic and dig this,

not one effect peddle. I have things to learn.

           Gino

  "LICENSE TO SMOKE" 

http://www.ginoharmonica.com

 

 

________________________________

From: "EGS1217@xxxxxxx" <EGS1217@xxxxxxx>
To: shellerman@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Cc: harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx
Sent: Fri, August 6, 2010 12:20:33 PM
Subject: Subject: [Harp-L] Pedal for Drive Effect/Jason Ricci's Pedal
Videos

Jason Ricci has some YouTube videos of his pedal box, going into some  
detail about the different pedals and why he uses them for his sound.
Might  be 
worth your while checking them out, depending on what you're looking
for?

here's one:

_http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RODRLqh3uao_ 
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RODRLqh3uao) 



here's another - delay comparison

_http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pu6MB1KUq74&feature=related_ 
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pu6MB1KUq74&feature=related) 

and on this one he shows his HarpGear with and without
pedals...explaining  
why he uses them:

_http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RhjOEQZvWC4&feature=channel_ 
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RhjOEQZvWC4&feature=channel) 


Elizabeth



 


"Message: 12
Date: Fri, 6 Aug 2010 11:46:05 -0700
From: "Hellerman,  Steven" <shellerman@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [Harp-L] Pedal for Drive  Effect
To: _harp-l@xxxxxxxxxxx (mailto:harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx) 

I've gotten some good advice on what pedal I should get to add the drive

effect to my modified Princeton Reverb. Through this group, Peter Madcat
Ruth 
recommended the Boss BD-2 Blues Driver Pedal, and I've gotten a couple
of  
seconds on that. However, Bill Barrett (okay, I do get a kick out of  
name-dropping, lol) suggested the Greer Ghetto Stomp, which is a bit
more  
expensive. Anyone have anything to say about these two pedals, or
recommend  
anything that they think is  better?