Re: [Harp-L] Re: Embarrassing tone question

[MundHarp@xxxxxxx]

Just get an amp... ANY amp, not less than 30 watt... And a mic... I'd go  
for a Sure SM-58 or an Astatic JT-30 Crystal mic... But the Sure will also be 
 good for singing through as well...And probably won't die on you when you 
go  from a humid to a dry climate.
I have had much "flack" on Harp-L... For saying "The tone comes from the  
harp player, not the gear!"
But any harp player needs to be loud enough to be heard when the lead  
guitarist uses a powerful amplifier.
When I first became a "pro" blues harp player, My amp was a Viking Lasky 50 
 watt transistor amp... It was good but really CLEAN.. It got three years 
use  from that "on the road".... Then I used a JMI VOX AC50 valve "Piggy  
back" amp, with two speaker cabs, each 2 x12"
That was the best harp rig I've ever owned...
Then, when some horrid thief stole my amp... It WASN'T insured...
My mom gave me the money to buy a Vox (JMI) "Supreme" 200 watt... BUT ONLY  
100 watt really... solid state amp. It had "Wah" it had "Fuzz" it had  
"Reverb".  It was loud!
It was a GREAT harp amp, but died after 25 years on the road... Then after  
various mistakes, I ended up using some tube amps... Fender Blues DeLuxe 40 
watt  valve amps, with just 1 x 12" speaker... I NEVER adapted them to be 
"harp  friendly"... But I kept one in Church and the other for on the road...
For recording? For YEARS I've had a little solid state baby "Pig  Nose"... 
Battery powered, NO HUM IN THE STUDIO... And low volume. GREAT for a  
"Chicago" sound.
I'm convinced... Little Walter... And other "blues greats" simply used WHAT 
 THEY HAD....
Kind regards
John "Whiteboy" Walden
English harmonica player,
Now living in
Cebu City
Philippines