[Harp-L] Wow! The Avenger! Wow!

["Ron Tuffel" <ronnyt@xxxxx>]

 Dear Ampsters !

 

 

            I have just come home from a few dates which were all festivals
and outdoor venues riding exclusively with my new Avenger. I have been
totally amazed and quite surprised because I have gotten response from this
amp like none ever before! If you like power, response (meaning that the amp
breaks up easily and overdrives like crazy), projection, and tone this amp
has it all. This is it! The Avenger has gotten me compliments from both the
new and the old. People ask me about this amp and sound that are unfamiliar
with me and have never seen me before. And, then a large compliment from a
great French harp player (The French are harmonica enthusiasts!) who said my
technique jumps out at him with this amp! I think that when you have a very
good combination of amp and mics that your technique should be evident. You
don?t need to blow hard; all of the hand, cup, and mic usage should be
obvious, heard, and felt by you and your audience. You should feel and hear
the power! The power should be harnessed and you should only need to
concentrate on method and technique, and not have to worry whether it is
coming across or not. Stage volume is imperative! If you can?t hear
yourself?. your technique dives and suffers. I?m sitting my amp up off the
floor and playing at a volume that is almost at feedback level, backing it
off a bit and then controlling it all with my mics which all have volume
controls. I hear myself and people hear what I?m doing without being too
loud anywhere. I believe the projection increases with the space that you
can elevate an amp. No one suffers it is all a sweet victory. And, that is
when I was on small stages, large crowds and iffy sound technicians. A
soundman told me he hated to have harp players because of all the problems
with feedback, the overall sound mix, stage volume or the lack of, and
having to put the harp in the monitors causing feedback, etc. But, he
complimented the amp and the sound immediately after the sound check and
really got adamant after the concert. He, of course, had never seen an
Avenger and got info for a friend who plays harp. Everyone likes
compliments! When people compliment my equipment they directly and
indirectly compliment me. I make it all work! But, when they compliment my
equipment it is truly an extension of me and my choice which is also a very
large compliment to the builders and the creators of the equipment. I
believe I can make any amp sound good with time, adjustments and additions.
But, I rather have an amp that I don?t need to do much more than dial myself
in and go. The Avenger requires no tube swaps, only knowledge of bridging
and knowing normal and bright relationships. But, the good doctor, Sonny
Jr., has already worked out a number of options and has them with
explanation and easy diagrams set up for you. You only need to try them.
It?s just as straight forward and direct as possible. You need to know what
you want and how to do it! This amp becomes an extension of you, your
technique and desire. Good amps bring the best out in the player. They help
you if you know what you are doing and what you would like to achieve. They
project and amplify your sound. They don?t play for you; you play them! I
just think this amp is a break though amplifier and breaks up and easy
overdrive is what it can do in a heartbeat! This amp has power with balls!
(Can I say that on Harp-L?) I make it shake, shimmy, and have big nasty tone
and overdrive! My mics help and are suited which are two Turner?s outfitted
with elements CR/CM by Chuck Gurney which I got specifically from Sonny Jr.
to fit my other Sonny Jr. Amps, The Cruncher and The SJ410 (I?m waiting for
the Turner match for The Avenger to arrive bought from SJ!) Two other
reconstructed mics from Chuck Gurney which are amazing?hot elements, new
fittings, volume controls (# 62 and # 68 on the Fat Bottom Harp Mic site ?
Past Mic builds) and now a sweet and killer SM545 Ultimate which I got from
Greg Heumann which I used exclusively last night! (It just arrived yesterday
in the morning from Blows Me Away! And, it does!)      I often change mics
with songs, so I use guitar cords with a mute button (It eliminates pops!)
into ¼ inch female adaptors allowing me to change mics rapidly with no pops
or problems. 

            If you are a good to intermediate player through to advanced
player? play a lot of blues, blues rock, hard driving up-tempo stuff this
amp will immediately shock you at what it can do! What you can make it do! I
believe that all players should get a top flight amp right from the
beginning. It will help you learn how to master an amp by learning to drive
it! It will save you money in the search to find the correct amp which ended
up costing me thousands of dollars, much time and aggravation, not to
mention trying to get rid of all my headaches that I bought mistakenly in
the quest to find tone. If you play slightly clean, with technique you can
go from clean to dirty in a whisper with this amp. And, if you want an amp
that can be utilized from small rooms, small venues, all the way to
stadiums, this is your baby! I have done it all from small to large and
started off with the volume on two (I played two gigs never going more than
21/2) and now can ride it at 9 (obviously, bridged with normal and bright
settings with pedals, guitar modulator in large venues) with no feed back.
This amp is tremendous! I just saw that it is discounted, so you can get one
$100 less than I paid. Do it! I?m not making one of those statements that
I?m not an endorser or try to show objectivity. I?m passing all this info
because that?s what we do for each other on Harp-L! I learn, adapt, and grow
from other peoples posts. I hope this helps someone, anyone make a cool and
intelligent choice in an amp.

 

Ya?ll be good!

 

 

Ron ?Rockin? Ronny? Tuffel