Re: [Harp-L] Mic recommendation

[Vern <jevern@xxxxxxx>]

If you really want to start cheap, you might try the little Radio Shack electret-condenser "lapel" mic 33-3013 held inside your hand-cup.
  
See:    http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2102927&tab=custRatings#showFullReviews

It allows you to get a completely enclosed and "compressed" hand-cup and doesn't interfere with your  "wah-wah" manipulations.   I place the 1/8" dia. cable between the fingers of my left hand.  It will also work clipped to your collar.  

The response is flat from 50 to 10k hz. It doesn't have much distortion of its own.   If you want that, you'll have to do it with amp settings or stomp boxes. Since the whole mic is inside your hands, you will find that it is is relatively immune to feedback.   It has a button battery and an on-off switch in a lump in the cable. The on-off switch makes a pop so it isn't as useful as it might be otherwise. The battery lasts a very long time IF you remember to turn it off.

It sells for about $27 and you'll also need a 1/8 female to 1/4 male plug adapter for about $6.  If you find that you don't like it or wish to graduate to something more traditional (and expensive) later on, you are only out about $35 and still have a neat little mic.  

I play chromatics and wouldn't recognize a "Little Walter tone" if I heard it....so this suggestion may be a little outside-the-box for you blues artists..  
 
Vern


On Jul 10, 2010, at 3:27 PM, John Dekker wrote:

> Hi to all you great harpists out there:
> 
> I am a beginner blues harp player, and I'm am planning to get a Vox DA5 as my first amp. What relatively inexpensive mic would you recommend to go with it? Looking for the Little Walter tone, naturally. :-)
> 
> Thanks for your help.
> 
> John
> Sacramento, CA