[Harp-L] Getting "THAT" tone

[Derwood <derwood.blues@xxxxxxxxx>]

I have to say that I am really tired of the reflex response to comments
about tone and amps.  Yes we all know that a good player sounds great with
most gear and a bad player will sound bad with great gear. But... you cannot
produce Chicago tone playing acoustically. You cannot overdrive the air in
front of you. A mic and an amp do effect your tone. That effect can be
positive or negative, even for good players. Yes, even Jason Ricci could
sound bad with "bad" gear. Give Jason a Metal pedal to play through and he
will not be able to produce a nice subtle tube amp overdrive. He might still
sound great but he will not have "THAT" tone.

Most of my gear is inexpensive old tube amps originally designed for other
purposes than guitar or harmonica. I do not have expensive amps because I
cannot afford expensive amps. I do not get paid to produce my tone. But some
amps make me sound better some make me sound worse. Some are great for my
guitars and some are great for my harps. But my gear has a big effect on my
tone. It will never make me play as well as Jason but it will effect whether
I will be able to produce a particular tone or not. It is not just the
player that controls tone and it is not just the equipment but it does
require both unless you are playing acoustically.

Derwood