RE: [Harp-L] Small practise amps

[chicago bluesman <chicagobluesman@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

My suggestion would be to keep an eye on ebay for a Kalamazoo model 1 or model 2.  With luck you can successfully win a bid with an investment of $200-250.  They vary in the asking price--right now I see two of them on ebay with a buy-it-now price of ~$200, but there are a couple of others with an asking price of $400.  The cosmetics of the amp don't matter with a Kalamazoo--it's ok to get one with a beat up cabinet so long as the seller can assure you of mostly original parts, a functional speaker and no seriously funky hums or buzzes.  Then send the amp to Greg Heumann (www.blowsmeaway.com) for tweaking.  Have him install a line-out jack.  If you continue to develop as a player you'll likely outgrow a little pignose before too long but the Kalamazoo can be a prized harp amp indefinitely and the line-out jack lets you sit in with bands with ease.  I've got two of 'em and while they don't see much action I know them to be reliable little tone monsters.

> From: harrpoe@xxxxxxxxxxx
> To: harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx
> Date: Tue, 31 Aug 2010 10:12:16 -0700
> Subject: [Harp-L] Small practise amps
> 
> 
> John,
>  
> The Piggy would be a great tranny amp to start with. Never tried the Roland but I hear good things about it. Great for busking however niether would be my first choice. For 30 bux more than the Roland, you can get the latest version of the Epiphone Valve Jr combo. 5 tube watts with an 8" Eminence speaker. If you are looking for a Chicago tone and want to keep it real, you will need a tube amp. The little Epi is a great starting point. Looks cool too. As mics go, I have a dynamic Shaker that I rarely use as I find the output too low. I also have a Bottle o Blues which is a good starter but not my main mic. I have a JT30/CAD-HM30 which uses the same shell as the Roadhouse you mentioned. The new ones have a dynamic element which has no bottom end however you can get it modded down the road with a vintage element. That shell, along with the Shure Green Bullet are what most of the masters from yesteryear used. Either one will force you to learn the skills of cupping the mic which provides tonal variations ranging from fairly clean to full distortion. The Roadhouse or Green Bullet with the Epiphone amp is what I recommend for any beginners into harp amplification IF you are seeking a Chicago tone. You will want some kind of reverb or delay pedal as well to fatten things up which you can find all day long on Craigslist or ebay. My first delay pedal was the cheapo Danelectro BLT slapback pedal, $30 new.  For 250 bux, you will have a rig worthy of any jam session or even a gig if you mic the amp.  
>  http://guitars.musiciansfriend.com/product/Epiphone-Valve-Junior-Combo-Amp?sku=480260
>  
> Work that acoustic tone first though! Get it loud, proud and clear. All an amp and mic are going to do is amplify whats coming from inside and if its not right to begin with, the best equipment in the world is not going to fix it. Find a guitar player to jam acoustic with you. Learn the basics and develop that tone without any electronics first. You will be surprised how fast you will progress if you practice, practice, practice!!!
>  
> As far as searching on the list, click this link (which is always at the top of the Harp-l email), enter a keyword into the google search field and you will find your answers. I just typed in valve jr and got 8 pages of hits. Harp L is an invaluble resource for EVERYTHING related to playing harmonica. Best of luck and welcome to your new obsession! 
>  
> http://harp-l.org/mailman/listinfo/harp-l
>  
> Mike
>  
>  
> > 
> > Message: 12
> > Date: Mon, 30 Aug 2010 19:06:27 -0700
> > From: "John Dekker" <jdekker@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> > Subject: [Harp-L] 
> > To: "harp-l" <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx>
> > Message-ID: <9158756419294AFF8B191EEE208A1485@JohnPC>
> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
> > 
> > Hello:
> > 
> > I am a beginning harpster, and I'm looking for an inexpensive small amp and a mic to go with it. So far, I am considering the Pignose 7-100 and the Roland Micro Cube. Any recommendations about these two, or should I look at something else?
> > 
> > As to mics, I'm looking at the Shaker, Asta tic J-30 Roadhouse, and the Bottle O' Blues. Thoughts?
> > 
> > I apologize if this subject has been covered before, but I cannot figure to how to search this list.
> > 
> > Thanks very much for helping a newbie.
> > 
> > John
> > 
> > 
>